Royal Caribbean’s new Symphony of the Seas, one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Photo: Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean has extended its global suspension of cruises into May due to the on-going COVID-19 crisis.
The company said in a statement Wednesday that it now expects to return to service on May 12, 2020 with the exception of Alaska, Canada and New England cruises, which will resume July 1, 2020 due to port closures.
Royal Caribbean first initiated the global suspension of sailings beginning March 15.
Rival Carnival Corporation, the market leader, suspended global cruises across all of its brands for a period of 30-days beginning March 13. Carnival said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it was aware of other cruise liners extending the suspensions beyond 30 days, and that it expects to make decision by Friday, March 27.
Norwegian Cruise Line, meanwhile, has suspended operations until April 12, while MSC Cruises’ suspension lasts through April 30.
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May 19, 2026
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