Royal Caribbean International is "pausing operations" on four ships because of "ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world."
The cruise line says the following four ships are affected:
-- Vision of the Seas: This ship's return to cruising is postponed until March 7.
-- Serenade of the Seas: Sailings from January 8 to March 5 are cancelled. It's returning after dry dock on April 26.
-- Jewel of the Seas: Sailings from January 9 to February 12 are cancelled. Jewel is scheduled to return on February 20.
-- Symphony of the Seas: Sailings from January 8 to January 22, with a January 29 restart date.
"We regret having to cancel our guests' long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding," a Royal Caribbean statement said. "Our top priority is always the well-being of our guests, our crew and the communities we visit."
Royal Caribbean says guests booked on the cancelled sailings will receive compensation options, including a full refund.
Last week was a tough one for the cruise industry as the highly transmissible Omicron variant has sent cases spiking around the world.
On Wednesday, Norwegian Cruise Line announced the cancellation of sailings on eight ships, citing "ongoing travel restrictions." As well, ships were turned away from several Caribbean destinations, including private Bahamian islands owned by cruise lines.
Topics From This Article to Explore
