Carnival Cruise Lines announced Monday it will continue a suspension of operations in North America through the end of September amid the spread of the coronavirus.
The cruise line’s decision takes its suspension well past a US government-mandated prohibition on cruises. The CDC issued a 100-day no-sail order on April 15, which is set to expire on July 24. It’s unclear whether the CDC will extend the order.
Cruise ships became the site of several early outbreaks of the virus, causing passengers on board a number of ships to be quarantined as officials tried to determine how to safely allow passengers to disembark.
The issue with outbreaks of COVID-19 have lingered on cruise ships as hundreds of crew members have remained quarantined on board ships for months.
“Carnival is giving guests who wish to move their booking to a later date a rebooking offer that combines a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) and either a $300 or $600 Onboard Credit (OBC) that has proven very popular with their guests,” Carnival said in a statement. “Guests, as always, have the option to receive a full refund. The process is fully automated so that guests can submit their preference online and they have until May 31, 2021 to make a selection.”
Whether Carnival is able to resume operations in October remains in doubt. Leading infectious disease experts expect cases in the fall to surge again.