Despite the CDC recently green lighting the resumption of cruises in US waters, Royal Caribbean announced Monday that most of its cruises will be suspended through the end of the year due to the coronavirus.
The decision affects cruises domestically and internationally.
Last week, Royal Caribbean applauded the CDC for allowing the cruise industry to resume operations.
“While we are eager to welcome our guests back on board, we have a lot to do between now and then, and we’re committed to taking the time to do things right,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “This includes training our crew in new health and safety protocols and conducting a number of trial sailings to stress-test those protocols in real-world conditions.”
Carnival previously announced that most of its US-based cruises are suspended through the end of the year.
Before last week, the CDC had a no-sail order through October 31 on all cruises in US waters carrying 250 or more passengers.
The CDC said it has identified at least 3,689 coronavirus-related illnesses, and 41 associated deaths, although the CDC cautions these figures are likely an underestimate.