Carnival Corporation (CCL -0.14%) (CUK 0.30%) announced a fresh round of cruise cancellations in a press release this morning. The company is canceling all November and December 2020 cruises originating in American ports, with the exception of those weighing anchor from Miami and Port Canaveral in Florida.
According to Carnival's statement, the fates of 2020 cruises booked from Port Canaveral and Miami are also uncertain. The company says it is "focusing its initial return to service from those two homeports" but scheduling is still unknown. Year-end cruises originating at those cities still technically have the green light from the company, but Carnival is urging people already booked on them to cancel for "future cruise credit" or a refund because of the uncertainty around when voyages will actually resume.
Image source: Carnival.
The CDC's "No Sail Order and Suspension of Further Embarkation" received its third update yesterday, Sept. 30. The no-sail order will now last until Oct. 31, 2020, or until the public health emergency classification for the COVID-19 pandemic expires, whichever occurs first.
The new extension of the no-sail order appears to be a watered-down version of the Center's original intention to extend the order through February of 2021. According to Cruise Industry News, the CEOs of the major cruise lines might meet with the White House on Friday, Oct. 2, to discuss the latest order extension and possible cruise resumption. The last such meeting was a March 7 Port Everglades sit-down with Vice President Mike Pence. The future of Carnival's remaining late 2020 cruises may become clearer after the meeting.
