Cruise

If you are an ITN subscriber whose scheduled tour, cruise or flight was postponed or canceled by the tour company, cruise line or airline because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic...

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a “no sail” order to all cruise ships carrying at least 250 passengers, prohibiting them from sailing to or from US ports. The order will last at least 100 days from April 9 unless the Secretary of Health & Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 epidemic or the CDC extends the order.

Individual cruise lines are maintaining their own schedules for restarting cruising. Check with each for upcoming cruises and booking options.

Two Russian icebreakers, the Akademik Ioffe and Akademic Sergey Vavilov, will no longer be available for passenger cruises. The two ships were being operated by One Ocean Expeditions for polar cruises with the permission of the government of Russia. However, in May 2019, Russia seized the ships without prior notice (Aug. ’19, pg. 4). In January 2020, One Ocean declared bankruptcy.

At press time, both ships were dry-docked in Russia, being upgraded for a return to strictly scientific service.

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Dear Globetrotter:

I read the account of the traveler Michael Burge and his wife (March ’20, pg. 52), who took an around-Australia cruise with Oceania Cruises and felt that $109 per person, each way, was too much to pay for the cruise line’s airport/port transfers. They found alternative transportation.

I took the cruise “Inspiring Italy” with Oceania Cruises (855/335-2416, oceaniacruises.com), Aug 6-16, 2019. Including air in Premium Coach (Miami-Venice and Nice-Miami, each via London) and travel insurance, I paid $8,621, booking through an AAA travel agent. The fare I paid entitled me to three shore excursions of my choosing; any others, I paid for.