Carnival Cruise Lines announced Thursday that they are canceling several cruises until early 2021 due to COVID-19.
In a press release, the cruise line company said that all P&O Cruises to the Caribbean were canceled until Jan. 2021, and cruises from and to Southampton, Arcadia, and Aurora were canceled through February.
P&O Cruises is part of the Carnival Corporation.
“With evolving restrictions on travel from the UK, unfortunately, it is necessary to cancel these itineraries," P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said in the news release. "These further cancellations vary according to ship as well as complexity and length of itineraries, advice, and guidance regarding ports of call and current air availability for fly/cruises. We are continuing to monitor the overall situation closely and will certainly reintroduce cruises should the opportunity arise, and it is feasible to do so.”
Carnival also stated that they were delaying the return of Carnival Paradise, Carnival Magic, Carnival Valor, and the Carnival Spirit until next year "after scheduled dry dock enhancements are completed in the first half of 2021."
"This extended pause in our operations has also impacted shipyard availability, and we've had to reschedule required dry docks," Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line in the release. "As we continue to work through issues related to our eventual return to operations, we are committed to providing our guests and travel agent partners with certainty where we can, although we regret disappointing our guests. We appreciate the continued support and understanding of our guests and hope to welcome them back onboard soon."
According to the Washington Post, the cruise line company also plans to sell 18 ships, which makes up 23% of its fleet.
