Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels More Sailings

Norwegian Cruise Line once again cancels more cruises. This time, the new cruise suspension period extends until June 1, 2021.

Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Cruises Until June 1, 2021

This morning, the email from Oceania Cruises was first of the three Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands to arrive. My first thought was…when will the email from Norwegian Cruise Line get here. It wasn’t a long wait.

In an all-too-familiar email, Norwegian Cruise Line simply stated: “Due to the current global environment, we are extending the suspension of cruises to include all cruises embarking through May 2021.” 

It was really no surprise when the next email I received was from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the third brand in the NCLH family. 

Currently, Norwegian had canceled all cruise departures through April 30, 2021. Now we can add yet another month and no cruise departures will happen in May 2021, either. This new sailing suspension just makes a summer cruise season seem even more distant.

In an order from the Canadian government earlier this month, they have extended their large cruise ship ban to all Canadian ports through February 2022. This of course affects Alaska cruise departures from Seattle as well as embarkations and disembarkations in Vancouver.

READ MORE:  Canada Extends Large Cruise Ship Ban

Norwegian Alaska Cruises for 2021

Also in this morning’s email were updates on possible 2021 Alaska cruises. The cruise line emphasized that “we have not cancelled any voyages in our 2021 Alaska season.” The email went on to say that they are exploring several options that could allow Alaska cruises to go as planned.

But they have stopped accepting bookings for now. I tried to book an Alaska cruise for June 2021 on their website and the option was grayed-out. It seems as though the entire Alaska season will eventually be canceled. It’s just not announced yet. 

We are working through all available options as quickly as possible, and given the fluidity of the current environment, we will also continue to work with the Canadian government to amend the current suspension. We will continue to keep all travel partners and guests updated as the situation progresses, and we thank them for their patience.

Norwegian Cruise Line Cancellation Policy

As has become commonplace, Norwegian Cruise Line’s cancellation policy will automatically refund any paid cruise fare to the original form of payment. In an effort to assure confidence, refunds will be paid by March 23, 2021. A 10% off Future Cruise Credit coupon is automatically added to the guest’s account. The exception to this is if someone has already received the 10% off coupon for a previously canceled cruise.

The 10% FCC coupon is valid for one year from date of issue. You can apply it to any Norwegian Cruise Line sailing that embarks through 2022. It is also combinable with any other NCL Future Cruise Credits and all future promotions at time of booking.

For affected reservations paid via a previously issued Future Cruise Credit, the full value of the FCC used will be re-applied to the guest’s Latitudes account within 7 days. This is done automatically, and no further action is required on the guest or travel advisor’s part.

Stay tuned for the wait and see game whether or not the other cruise lines will follow.