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When Are Cruise Lines Around the World Expected To Resume Service?

Sky Princess sends a #WeWillBeBack message via its balcony cabins (Photo: Princess Cruises)

December 02, 2020

Cruise Critic

Staff

By Cruise Critic

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When Will Ocean Cruise Lines Resume Service?
When Will River Cruise Lines Resume Service?

(Updated 6:11 p.m. EST) -- With ocean and river cruise lines temporarily suspending service around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping track of the seemingly minute-by-minute changes to the cruise industry can be challenging.

Most cruise lines voluntarily paused sailings for the meantime after being faced with port closures; a lack of suitable infrastructure, including flights; and increased travel restrictions that change on a country-by-country basis. CLIA,the Cruise Lines International Association that represents most cruise lines, issued a further volunatary suspension in operations through October 31.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its No Sail Order on November 1 for all cruise ships over 250 passengers and crew that operate in U.S. waters. However, it raises more questions than answers and all major lines have suspended their cruise operations until the end of the year.

-- and it's worth noting that a number of Europe-based lines have restarted operations including MSC Cruises and Costa.

We've also put together a comprehensive guide to cancellation policies, which we will update regularly.

The information below will also be updated as necessary. These dates are subject to change.

When Will Ocean Cruise Lines Resume Service?

Adventure Canada (Ocean Endeavour only): June 3, 2021

AIDA: December 1

Aqua Expeditions. Aqua Expeditions' ship Aqua Blu will open in Indonesia for local Indonesia residents in August 2020, and take international pasengers beginning September 12.

Australis: September 2021

Azamara:

Azamara Quest: March 20, 2021

Azamara Journey: April 9, 2021

Azamara Pursuit: May 9, 2021

Bahamas Paradise:

Grand Classica: December 18

Blount Small Ship Adventures: The company ceased all operations in late August. All future voyages are cancelled.

Blue Lagoon Cruises: December 1

Captain Cook Cruises: December 19

Carnival: January 31, 2021, for all sailings leaving from U.S. homeport. Sailings leaving from Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Mobile, New Orleans and San Diego have been canceled through February 28. Carnival Legend won't sail from Tampa until at least March 26.

Four ships that were scheduled for drydocks in the first half of 2021 – Magic, Paradise, Valor and Legend – won't return to service until the work is done, and are not being listed as returning in 2021. More information on ships returning in 2021.

Celebrity: March 1, 2021

Sailings in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America are cancelled fror the 2020-2021 season.

Celestyal Cruises: March 6, 2021

Coral Expeditions: January 1, 2021.

Costa: Costa Deliziosa restarted cruising on September 6, offering week-long cruises to Italian ports. Costa Diadema restarted September 19; Costa Smerelda in October and Costa Firenze in December.

CroisiEurope: January 2021

Cruise & Maritime Voyages: CMV has collapsed. All future voyages are cancelled as of July 20, 2020.

Crystal Cruises:

Crystal Esprit: March 28, 2021

Crystal Serenity: April 8, 2021

Crystal Symphony: April 5, 2021

Cunard Line:

Queen Elizabeth: March 25, 2021

Queen Mary 2: April 18, 2021

Queen Victoria: May 16, 2021

Disney Cruise Line: February 1, 2021

Dream Cruises: Explorer Dream resumed cruising in Taiwan on July 26.

Fred. Olsen:

Balmoral: February 2, 2021

Bolette: March 5, 2021

Borealis: April 23, 2021

Braemar: April 1, 2021

G Adventures February 1, 2021

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Limited sailings resumed July 31, 2020 aboard Europa 2 and Hanseatic Inspiration for German, Swiss and Austrian residents only. Europa and Hanseatic Nature will resume operations in September. Bremen has left the fleet. Sailings were cancelled through November due to rising COVID cases; voyages will resume December 1, 2020.

Hebridean Island Cruises: All cruises are cancelled for the remainder of 2020.

Holland America Line: April 1

Hurtigruten: January 2021. Voyages to Antarctica are cancelled for the entire season through March 2021.

Lindblad January 2021. Sailings to Antarctica for 2020-2021 have been postponed to 2021-2022.

The Majestic Line: Cruises will now restart in 2021 after being suspended on October 9 due to new Scottish regulations on alcohol service in a hotel setting.

Maple Leaf Adventures: April 14, 2021

Marella Cruises: Jan 3, 2021

Metropolitan Touring: Metropolitan restarted Galapagos voyages on August 2.

MSC Cruises: August 16 aboard MSC Grandiosa for EU-residents only. North American Caribbean voyages are cancelled until January 1, 2021.

Norwegian Cruise Line: March 1, 2021, although some selected sailings are canceled through March 31, 2021

NYK Cruises November

Oceania Cruises: April 1, 2021

P&O Cruises: April 2021

P&O Cruises Australia: The fleet will resume on a staggered basis:

Pacific Explorer: March 4, 2021

Pacific Adventure: April 30, 2021

Pacific Encounter: May 7, 2021

Pacific Aria: vessel has been sold & withdrawn from service

Pacific Dawn: vessel has been sold & withdrawn from service

Paul Gauguin: March 6, 2021

Pearl Seas Cruises: January 2021

Ponant: Ponant restarted cruising in France for French citizens in July, and opened to other nationalities, depending on restrictions, through s fall 2020. In mid-November, the line closed sailings until December 2020.

Poseidon Expeditions: All 2020 Arctic voyages have been postponed to 2021. Voyages for the 2020-2021 season to Antarctica have been cancelled.

Princess Cruises: April 1, 2021 (June 26 in Japan).

Pullmantur Cruises: Pullmantur Cruises has filed for creditor protection in Spain. Its ships have been scrapped.

Quark Expeditions: May 1, 2021

Regent Seven Seas: April 1, 2021

Royal Caribbean: March 1, 2021, except:

Sailings aboard Quantum of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas in Singapore and China;

Sailings in Australia, which are cancelled until May 1, 2021.

Saga Cruises:

Spirit of Adventure: May 4, 2021

Spirit of Discovery: April, 2021

Sea Cloud Cruises: March 17, 2021

Seabourn: On October 6, Seabourn paused its fleet until the following dates:

Seabourn Odyssey: November 6, 2021 (except seven-day Alaska/British Columbia and the Pacific Coast sailings).

Seabourn Encore: May 29, 2021

Seabourn Ovation: April 19, 2021

Seabourn Quest: November 7, 2021 (with cruise longer than seven days and calling on a US port).

Seabourn Sojourn: June 5, 2021

SeaDream Yacht Club: SeaDream restarted operations from Barbados in November, but was forced to pause until the end of the year following a COVID outbreak onboard. The line has not released a restart date.

Scenic: April 1, 2021 (Scenic Eclipse only; see below for river dates).

Silversea:

Silver Cloud: May 5, 2021

Silver Wind: June 14, 2021

Silver Shadow: April 28, 2021

Silver Spirit: April 20, 2021

Silver Muse: May 20, 2021

Silver Whisper: June 20, 2021

Silver Explorer: June 24, 2021

Silver Moon: April 1, 2021

Silver Dawn: November 9, 2021

Silver Origin: February 6, 2021

Star Clippers:

Royal Clipper: April 19, 2021

Star Clipper: April 3, 2021

Star Flyer: April 16, 2021

Tauck: January 2021

TUI (Mein Schiff): Mein Schiff 2 resumed cruising with three-day, no-port cruises on July 24. Mein Schiff 2 will commence voyages through the Canary Islands aboard Mein Schiff 2 beginning October 30.

UnCruise Adventures: UnCruise resumed service on August 1, but a COVID-19 positive test on the first sailing forced the line to cancel its 2020 season.

Variety Cruises Variety Cruises resumed on July 24 with sailings in Greece.

Viking Cruises: February 1, 2021

Virgin Voyages: January 3, 2021

Windstar Cruises: On November 12, Windstar announced it will return its fleet to service on the following schedule:

Wind Spirit – March 25, 2021

Star Breeze – March 27, 2021

Star Legend – April 7, 2021

Wind Star – April 13, 2021

Wind Surf – April 24, 2021

Star Pride – July 6, 2021

Zegrahm Expeditions: TBC

When Will River Cruise Lines Resume Service?

Amadeus: Amadeus resumed service in Europe for international passengers on July 27

AmaWaterways: January 1, 2021

American Cruise Lines: TBD

American Queen Steamboat Company: January 1, 2021

APT: March 1, 2021

Arena Travel: TBC.

A-ROSA River Cruises: A -ROSA has resumed limited river cruise operations on the Rhine and Danube.

Avalon Waterways: February 1, 2021

Botanica: August 1

Captain Cook Cruises (Murray River): July 31

Century Cruises: Century Cruises will restart for Chinese passengers only on August 12.

CroisiEurope:

Rhone: July 13

Bergundy Canal: July 16

Rhine: July 20

Corsica: July 26

Loire: July 31

Gironde: August 26

Danube: July 31

Elbe: August 3

Douro: August 7

Croatia: August 13

Crystal River Cruises: March 26, 2021

Emerald Waterways/Evergreen Cruises: March 1, 2021

Gate1 Travel: March 31, 2021

Grand Circle: January 1, 2021

Hebridean Island Cruises: All sailings for its river ship Royal Crown have been cancelled for the remainder of 2020.

Pandaw: July 2020

Riviera Travel TBA

Sanctuary: Sanctuary resumed cruises in Myanmar along the Irrawaddy in July.

Scenic: March 1, 2021

Tauck: January 2021

Teeming River Cruises:. Most sailing dates have now been moved into 2021.

Titan: Feb 1, 2021

Travelmarvel: TBC

TUI River Cruises: March 2021

Uniworld: January 1, 2021

Vantage Deluxe World Travel: January 2021

Victory Cruise Lines: 2021

Viking River Cruises: February 1, 2021

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