Carnival Cruise Line sends a letter to guests regarding new flexible options for cruises lasting seven days or less. This is due to the ongoing uncertainty and is awaiting further guidance from the CDC.
The aim is to offer additional security to those who have been booked for a departure by July 31, 2021. However, some guests fear that this could be a sign of further suspension.
New options for canceling Carnival
The Miami-based cruise line is offering new options to guests booked through July 31, 2021 to provide more flexibility due to the uncertainty surrounding cruises resuming. On January 15, 2021, a letter was sent from Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, with new cancellation options.
The letter states that US cruise operations have not yet been determined and the cruise line is awaiting further instructions from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guests can now choose what is best for them and it will help Carnival with any lingering frustrations.
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Option 1 allows guests to keep their exciting booking, including any payments that have yet to be made. Receive onboard credit of $ 100 if the trip is not yet completed.
Also read: Carnival Cruise Line withdraws new guidelines
If at some point the cruise is canceled and guests have not yet received their carnival’s value-added offer, they will receive what was offered during the business interruption. This includes future cruise credit as well as onboard credit, depending on the length of the cruise.
For option two, guests can cancel their trip at any time through March 31, 2021 and receive a full refund. If the cruise was booked with future cruise credit, this can be retained along with the onboard credit as long as the next cruise is booked by September 30, 2021 for a sailing cruise by April 30, 2023.
These new options have only been available for days after new details came out for guests who are affected by the crossings that last longer than seven days.
Should guests be concerned?
For the past few days, these new options have been worrying some guests. Many on social media believe cruises could be suspended until July.
If Carnival Cruise Line says in the letter that it is still waiting for guidance from the CDC, it could be an indication that the cruise line is nowhere near able to resume operations. There is no evidence of test sailing and cruises cannot resume until it is done under the conditional sail order framework.
Last week we wrote a post on Carnival’s Chief Communications Officer (CCO) responding to guest frustrations in an interview with Carnival Cruise Line Ambassador John Heald. The assumption from this is that the cruise line simply does not know and is confirming the comments that Carnival is waiting for the CDC.
We’ll just have to wait and see, and for now, cruises through April 2021 are being canceled with select trips for even longer into the fall.
