'We know that this is very disappointing to our guests who continue to be eager to sail, and we remain committed to working with the [Biden] administration and the CDC to find a workable solution that best serves the interest of public health,' Carnival President Christine Duffy said.
'We are asking that the cruise industry be treated on par with the approach being taken with other travel and tourism sectors, as well as US society at large.
No plans to move outside US but may have to consider that
'While we have not made plans to move Carnival Cruise Line ships outside of our US homeports, we may have no choice but to do so in order to resume our operations which have been on pause for over a year,' Duffy added. 'We appreciate the continued patience and support from our loyal guests, travel advisors and business partners as we work on a return-to-service solution.'
Passengers and travel advisors inpacted by the cancellations are being notified with options for a future cruise credit plus on-board credit package, or a full refund.
To provide flexibility for travelers booked on July itineraries that remain in the schedule, Carnival is extending final payment deadlines for all July departures to May 31 with the ability to cancel without penalty.
