Royal Caribbean cancels cruises as Omicron persists
Royal Caribbean Cruises have some of its cruise operations amid rising Covid numbers, as Omicron continues to disrupt the industry.
The sailings of three ships – Serenade of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas – have been paused while the return of its Vision of the Seas to cruising has been postponed to March 7, the cruise line said in a statement.
“We regret having to cancel our guests’ long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding,” the company adding that these measures have been implemented “in an abundance of caution.”
Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean called off its Spectrum of the Seas cruise for January 6 after nine guests on its January 2 trip were identified as close contacts to a local Hong Kong coronavirus case.
The contacts have tested negative but the cruise ship will return to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong three days later to test all guests and crew who must take a second test on January 8, the company said.
It comes as others in the travel industry express confidence in the travel industry’s bounce back.
This week, Jet2 chief said holiday demand is back to pre-pandemic levels, as the industry enjoys relaxed testing rules.
Steve Heapy said the company saw a “huge spike” in bookings after the government announced that pre-departure tests for fully vaccinated people would be scrapped today.
The relaxation of the rules has given travellers confidence, and Jet2 said bookings were up 150 per cent on Thursday.