Cruises

Coronavirus: The Latest From Luxury Cruise Lines

By Matt Turner Feb 25, 2020 10:08am

Luxury cruise lines continue to update itineraries and travel advisories as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Here’s the latest:

Silversea

On Monday, Silversea released a statement on coronavirus saying guests who have traveled from, visited or transited through airports in China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, South Korea and specific areas of Italy (the affected cities within Lombardy and Veneto region) within 15 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of its vessels. Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a full cash refund.

Silversea adds that any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations. Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while on board will be subject to additional screening at the onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.

These measures will remain in effect until further notice and are subject to change at any time, Silversea says.

Crystal Cruises

Crystal has made the decision to cancel Crystal Serenity’s upcoming calls into Singapore. Guests booked on Crystal Serenity’s March 3 voyage from Sydney, Australia will now disembark in Bali, Indonesia on March 17. Guests booked on Crystal Serenity’s March 20 voyage from Singapore will now embark the ship in Bali, Indonesia on March 17.

In recognition of the itinerary changes, Crystal will provide guests who choose to sail with a future cruise credit (FCC) of 50 percent of the base cruise fare paid for the full length of the original voyage. The FCC can be used on any of Crystal’s experiences including ocean, river, yacht and expedition for voyages commencing on or before December 31, 2021.

If guests choose not to sail, they will receive a 100 percent FCC of the cruise fare paid of the original voyage that can be used on any of Crystal’s voyages commencing on or before December 31, 2021. Note: Port charges will be refunded to their original form of payment. For this option, guests must advise Crystal no later than five days prior to embarkation indicating that they wish to cancel their cruise.

Guests who made their air travel arrangements through Crystal and choose to sail, will need to advise Crystal’s air department as soon as possible and no later than February 27, for guests embarking on March 3; and no later than March 12 for guests embarking on March 17. Email Crystal at airsupport@crystalcruises.com.

Additionally, note that all persons who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, within 14 days before embarkation will be denied boarding as many countries are refusing entry to these persons. Air change fees will be reimbursed up to the amount of $500 per person with corresponding documentation.

Announced on Friday, Crystal has cancelled the following sailings:

March 1, 2020 Singapore roundtrip
March 1, 2020 Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
March 16, 2020 Singapore roundtrip
March 16, 2020 Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
March 31, 2020 Singapore roundtrip
March 31, 2020 Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Seabourn Cruise Line

Over the weekend, Seabourn Cruise Line announced it has replaced all Southeast Asia port calls for Seabourn Ovation sailings through April 2020. The ship’s next scheduled embarkation, originally planned for March 14, 2020 in Singapore, will now take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the same date.

Port calls from March 15 – April 3 are also affected, with some destinations changed and others rescheduled to alternate dates. Guests who are booked on affected voyages will receive a future cruise credit. Both booked guests and travel advisors are being notified along with specific details related to their itinerary.

Note: Any individual who has traveled from or through mainland China, Macau, or Hong Kong within 14 days of the start of their cruise, (including transit through their airports), will not be permitted to board the ship.

Viking Cruises

Viking Cruises currently has two ships in Australia/New Zealand. Viking Sun will sail a modified itinerary on its way to London/Greenwich, England. Guests scheduled to embark/disembark on March 9, 2020 will now do so in Benoa, Bali—an update that supersedes any communication prior to February 14. Viking Orion will be redeployed to Alaska, where the ship was scheduled to begin sailing in late spring. Guests on any impacted sailing, as well as their travel advisors, have been notified directly by Viking.

Log onto myvikingjourney.com for details regarding your specific voyage.

Viking has implemented enhanced health screening procedures for all guests boarding its vessels, which will be in place for the next 90 days. All guests will be asked to complete a health care questionnaire at the time of embarkation. Additionally, Guests who have traveled from or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau within 14 days of beginning their trip with Viking, will not be permitted to embark the ship.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has canceled three voyages on Seven Seas Voyager and modified itineraries on two voyages on Seven Seas Mariner. Details of these changes are being communicated to booked guests and their travel advisors on these five impacted voyages, Regent says. Following these changes, Regent will not have any vessels deployed in Asia until December 2020.

The March 1, March 13 and March 27, 2020 voyages on Seven Seas Voyager have been cancelled. Modified itineraries include March 1 and March 19, 2020 on Seven Seas Mariner.

Note: Regent says that guests who have traveled from, visited or connected through airports in China, Hong Kong or Macau within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our ships. Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel. As a result of these “more stringent immigration, customs and health screening protocols and regulations,” Regent has relaxed its previous policy prohibiting guests that hold a Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passport to board its ships.

Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while onboard will be subject to additional screening for Coronavirus at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.

These measures will remain in effect until further notice and are subject to change at any time, according to Regent Seven Seas Cruises.