March 25, 2020
Which cruise lines had age restrictions in place before sailings stopped?
The following cruise lines implemented age restrictions requiring anyone 70 or older to present a doctor's clearance, stating that the passenger does not have chronic medical problems, such as diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, or chronic heart, lung, liver or kidney disease:- Carnival Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Celebrity Cruises
- Azamara
- Silversea Cruises
Will cruise lines still have age restrictions in place when sailings resume?
Carnival said it does not yet know because the situation continues to evolve."We will share our policies and guidance once they're finalized," a representative from the line told Cruise Critic."We apologize for the confusion, but these are unprecedented times with information changing rapidly."A spokesman for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. -- which operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity, Azamara and Silversea -- had a similar response. "We are assessing developments constantly and will update these measures as needed. Guests with questions may contact the customer care departments of our individual cruise lines or their travel professionals."To protect the cruising public, many policies -- temperature checks for all passengers, the banning of cruisers with passports from certain countries, etc. -- were implemented specifically for coronavirus. Similar to those rules, it's likely the age restrictions were not intended to be permanent, even if they do remain in place upon the initial restart of operations. Cruise Critic is following the situation and will update this story accordingly.Why were the age restrictions implemented?
Following a spate of coronavirus outbreaks on cruise ships, the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control issued a statement advising all Americans to avoid cruising. The age restrictions were put in place to urge the government to reconsider that recommendation.More specifically, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which lobbies on behalf of member cruise lines, submitted a proposal to address several points of concern, including the protection of older passengers -- particularly those at higher risk due to chronic health issues.CLIA did not provide Cruise Critic with a copy of the proposal when asked about cruise lines' implementation of age restrictions, but it did confirm that age restrictions were included in the proposal. "In our meeting with Vice President Mike Pence on March 7th, he placed great emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable populations, which include travelers of a certain age and those with chronic health conditions, as specified by the CDC," CLIA told Cruise Critic in a statement. "We believe the plan that we submitted, which included asking seniors to present a doctor's note at boarding, is responsive to those concerns."The plan submitted by CLIA to the U.S. Government resulted in the State Department's and CDC's loosening of the directive for Americans not to cruise. Instead, they specified that elderly travelers and passengers with ongoing medical conditions should avoid cruising.Since then, CLIA member cruise lines have announced full or partial suspension of voyages on 99.6 percent of the organization's 277 oceangoing member vessels, but the CDC continues to waffle on its recommendations for whether or not passengers should cruise.What should I do if I'm unable to cruise due to the age restrictions?
If you're unable to sail due to age restrictions or health conditions, you have options. Most cruise lines have relaxed their usual cancellation policies to accommodate affected passengers.For its part, Carnival is allowing cruisers with scheduled departure dates between May and September 2020 to cancel up to 30 days prior to their sailing for a future cruise certificate that can be used to rebook a cruise within one year of the original voyage. Passengers with questions can reach out to Carnival directly or contact their travel agents.A letter from Royal Caribbean International to passengers booked on upcoming sailings reads, "If you are unable to provide a 'fit to travel' letter from your doctor or if you have a severe, chronic medical condition, please contact us or your travel advisor immediately, and we'll provide you with a future cruise credit to come back and sail with us a later time."The cruise lines' offers of future cruise credit indicate that, at this time, they don't intend to permanently restrict older passengers with health conditions from sailing.(5:10 p.m. EDT) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has replaced its "No-Sail" order that has prohibited the operation of cruise vessels within American waters since March, and introduced what the organization calls a "Framework for Resuming Safe and Responsible Cruise Passenger Operations".
The new measures will allow for a limited restart of cruise operations within the United States; something cruise lines have been advocating for since the summer. These will first take place in the form of test voyages in order to practice and approve health and safety protocols before the resumption of voyages for paying passengers.
(12:45 p.m. EDT) -- In a less optimistic call than in previous quarters, Royal Caribbean Group reported a $1.3-billion loss for the third quarter of 2020 on Thursday, and remained mum on chances that the current "No Sail" order would be revoked this week.
Although limited sailings had returned to service this fall aboard European subsidiaries TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the company continues to burn through $250 to $290 million per month in hot and cold layup expenses as its global fleet awaits a return to service following the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Roughly half of all cruisers on cancelled sailings are electing to take cash refunds, while the remaining fifty percent
(Updated 12:20 p.m. EDT) -- Cruise lines have temporarily suspended operations worldwide and altered future sailings in globally as the novel coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) continues to spread.
In January, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, following an emergency committee meeting in Geneva. On March 11, WHO declared the outbreak a worldwide pandemic.
In additon, a number of ports throughout the world and the Caribbean are barring ships from docking.
The U.S. State Department has issued a Global Level 4 "do not travel" health advisory for travel abroad. The U.K.'s Foreign & Common
(Updated 12:25 p.m. EDT) -- With ocean and river cruise lines temporarily suspending service around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping track of the seemingly minute-by-minute changes to the cruise industry can be challenging.
Most cruise lines voluntarily paused sailings for the meantime after being faced with port closures; a lack of suitable infrastructure, including flights; and increased travel restrictions that change on a country-by-country basis. CLIA,the Cruise Lines International Association that represents most cruise lines, issued a further volunatary suspension in operations through October 31.
The U.S. Centers for Diseas
If you're familiar with Celebrity Cruises' Kate McCue -- the first American female to captain a mega-cruise ship -- you probably know all about her not-so-furry feline friend.
Bug Naked -- a hairless Elf Sphynx who traverses the seven seas with Captain Kate, and spends her nine lives sunbathing in the bridge -- has become an internet sensation all on her own. And if you follow Captain Kate or Bug on Instagram, you'll regularly spot this naked cat sporting the most un-fur-gettable costumes.
Just in time for spooky season, here are 13 times Bug Naked had the purr-fect costume for Halloween.
1. That time Bug flexed her meow-scles as the perfect Pop-Eye
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(4 p.m. EDT) -- Crew members from around the world have signed contracts to join Quantum of the Seas as it gets ready for its December 1 restart in Singapore -- and one entertainment staffer is documenting his journey for everyone.
In his day job, Alaska resident Riley Tench works as a lighting technician for Royal Caribbean, but he's known more widely for his social media presence. His YouTube channel has 39,000 subscribers, and he's also active on Instagram and Twitter.
In a peppy YouTube video titled "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRWYrLzoCbE&feature=youtu.be" target="_bl