Royal Caribbean cancels all US sailing for 30 days & then announces global suspension

[govanguy]

https://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/press-release/1435/royal-caribbean-announces-voluntary-suspension-of-cruising/

Edited March 14, 2020 by Host Grandma Cruising

[takemewithyou]

Still nothing on Azamara website....

 

 

[excitedofharpenden]

The absence of anything being said about Azamara makes me fearful for their future. I hope I'm wrong, but with the huge costs RCL will incur and how long it will take to recover it is quite possible that the ships will go through more than just a short lay up. I have no idea of the financials for Azamara and how much profit they now contribute to the group. 

 

Phil 

[cpgrneyes]

12 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

The absence of anything being said about Azamara makes me fearful for their future. I hope I'm wrong, but with the huge costs RCL will incur and how long it will take to recover it is quite possible that the ships will go through more than just a short lay up. I have no idea of the financials for Azamara and how much profit they now contribute to the group. 

 

Phil 

 

I agree, Phil. We have a Quest cruise booked in October, and I was taking a wait and see attitude before cancelling, but I’m seriously questioning that now. They have over $1,000 in deposit for that trip (and the same for a 2021 cruise), and I’m about ready to cut my losses and cancel. I’m not sure how they’ll recover from this horrific PR nightmare they’ve created.

[uktog]

From Trumps Twitter account

So he didn't have Azamara on his radar......

At my request, effective midnight tonight, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC have all agreed to suspend outbound cruises for thirty days. It is a great and important industry – it will be kept that way!

[LuAnn]

39 minutes ago, cpgrneyes said:

 

I agree, Phil. We have a Quest cruise booked in October, and I was taking a wait and see attitude before cancelling, but I’m seriously questioning that now. They have over $1,000 in deposit for that trip (and the same for a 2021 cruise), and I’m about ready to cut my losses and cancel. I’m not sure how they’ll recover from this horrific PR nightmare they’ve created.

 

I guess I don't understand...why do you think that RCCL (and or AZ) has created this "horrific PR nightmare they have created"??? Please explain??? 

[norn iron]

4 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

 

I guess I don't understand...why do you think that RCCL (and or AZ) has created this "horrific PR nightmare they have created"??? Please explain??? 

 

In a nutshell, lack of communication. 

[takemewithyou]

We have a cruise end of August and have to make final payment in April.  I feel like Azamara is on auto-pilot.  Feels like something is up......

[LuAnn]

19 minutes ago, norn iron said:

 

In a nutshell, lack of communication. 

 

OK..I get that!!!

 

[takemewithyou]

No mention of this announcement on Azamara website ...still and no mention on Azamara Facebook.......????

[kent4489]

An hour ago, I received an e-mail from Azamara regarding our April 5 sailing from MIAMI. No mention of cancellation. 🙄

 

You might receive this email more than once because we are reaching out to all of your contact methods on file.

Dear Azamara Guest,

We have important updates regarding your upcoming Azamara vacation departing on April 5^th, 2020 aboard Azamara Pursuit®.

We're sure you've been monitoring the news regarding coronavirus (COVID-19). This situation remains quite fluid, and we continue to assess the impact and monitor the number of cases around the world. While there are still a lot of unknowns related to COVID-19, we do know it presents the most serious health risks to older individuals, the immunocompromised, and those with serious, underlying medical conditions.

As global developments continue to change daily, we are fully focused on protecting the health and safety of our guests & crew. As a result, and to protect your well-being, along with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and other global public health authorities, we continue to implement new and enhanced travel regulations as well as health & safety protocols. These temporary safety precautions will remain in place for a projected period of 30 days and will continued to be reviewed daily. Here's what you need to know.

OUR TRAVEL REGULATION & HEALTH SCREENINGS

TRAVEL REGULATION:

Starting March 16^th, 2020, in order to sail:

1. If you are over the age of 70 at the time of embarkation, you must present a doctor's letter certifying you're fit to travel and do not have severe, chronic medical conditions. As a reminder, Azamara is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Please share the letter below with your physician, which can also be found on our Travel Advisory:
   • Physician Letter Sample
2. Guests of all ages will be screened prior to boarding, regarding underlying issues that may prevent them from sailing including chronic heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer.

If you are unable to provide a signed letter from your doctor or if you have a severe, chronic medical condition, please contact us or your Travel Advisor immediately and we'll provide you with a Future Cruise Credit to come back and sail with us at a later time.

Additionally, regardless of nationality, boarding will be denied to:

1. Any person who has travelled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, or mainland Europe (excluding the United Kingdom) 15 days prior to embarkation.
   • Click here for the list of restricted European countries.
2. Any person who has come in contact with anyone within 15-day prior travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, or mainland Europe (refer to the above link). The CDC characterizes contact with an individual as coming within six feet (2 meters) of a person.
3. Any person who within 15 days prior to embarkation, has had contact with, or helped care for, anyone suspected or diagnosed as having COVID-19, or who are currently subject to health monitoring for possible exposure to COVID-19.

As a result, it is imperative that you review your air travel itinerary closely to ensure you do not transit through any gateway in the countries listed above. Guests who have air travel booked through Azamara with ChoiceAir will be re-accommodated on alternate routes and receive new flight information automatically. Guests with independent air travel arrangements need to contact their air carriers directly to make all required adjustments and changes to their air travel.

HEALTH SCREENINGS:

Additionally, mandatory, temperature screenings using digital, non-touch scanners will be conducted fleet-wide with guests, crew members, and visitors on embarkation day prior to boarding any vessel. If your temperature registers above 100.4°F (38°C), you and your travel companions will be referred to a secondary health screening. Secondary health screenings will be performed by medical professionals who will check for flu-like symptoms and blood oximetry readings.

In some cases, guests presenting certain symptoms in the specialized health screenings may be denied boarding. All guests who are denied boarding due to these restrictions will receive compensation. Additional restrictions may be imposed based on local circumstances. For example, certain countries may deny visas or prohibit entry based on travel history or nationality.

For more detailed information regarding our onboard protocols and the elevated procedures we've introduced, please see our travel advisory on www.Azamara.com/travel-advisory.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE DENIED BOARDING?:

If you do not meet the requirements listed above and must be denied boarding at the terminal, you'll receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit for your cruise fare paid, and any pre-paid Azamara purchases and taxes/fees will be refunded to your original form of payment.

If you or someone in your party does not comply with our updated travel regulations, has a fever before your cruise, or is not fit to travel due to underlying health conditions, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately, or contact us at 1-855-AZAMARA or visithttps://www.azamara.com/contact-us for your local Azamara call center phone number.

If you're no longer able to sail due to these requirements, our temporaryCruise with Confidence policy allows you to cancel your booking up to 48 hours to departure on sailings departing on or before July 31st, 2020. While the program covers you 48 hours before your departure date, given that this new regulation may impact your sailing tomorrow, you will be covered. For more information on our Cruise with Confidence policy, click here.

As this fluid situation continues to evolve, we plan to be as communicative as possible regarding any changes to our health protocols & travel regulation.

Sincerely,

AZAMARA®

[BBMacLaird]

Today we cancelled two voyages: Quest 3/28/20 and Journey 4/11/20.

[uktog]

3 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

Today we cancelled two voyages: Quest 3/28/20 and Journey 4/11/20.

Please stop expecting guests to try and get “physician’s letters” for your other voyages - by the way in the UK that term does not normally mean your regular doctor but someone who operates in a specialist capacity.  We would need one to travel in May, and I can imagine the response I would get if I phoned up to ask based on how it is scientifically projected things will be then. Does Azamara not realise for most practices you have to go through triage on the phone or online even to get in contact with a doctor.......

[Baynanno1]

4 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

Today we cancelled two voyages: Quest 3/28/20 and Journey 4/11/20.

 

We were pleased to receive the inevitable cancellation of the second of our B2B cruises two weeks before the sail date 28 March.

The first was received only one week before sail date 17 March and very few days before due to leave home.

The past few days have been quite a scramble trying to reach those we needed to reach to cancel road travel, hotel accommodation pre and post cruise and of course flights.

 

We are of course sad not to be taking this much anticipated cruise, booked early last year, but at the same time, having watched the mushroom effect of coronavirus in country after country, we are pleased we are not leaving home.

 

Hopefully it will all slow down as it has started to do in China and cruising will again be safe later in the year.

 

[Spursgirl]

I wonder if Bonnie could kindly ask her Executive Management Team who say they have so much care for guest's health and well being if they have heard of the World Health Organisation.

 

Yesterday they confirmed that Europe is now the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak and yet there is no statement relating to European cruises starting in April including my Pursuit voyage on the 26th.

 

Italy is overwhelmed and on lock down, Spain and France are hot on their heels and  the United Kingdom, my home is facing serious challenges.

Ports are closing to cruise ships and tourist attractions are closing down. 

 

It is clear you have no duty of care to your guests but what about your crew? Surely you are not intending to put them in harms way?

 

Please show some belated leadership and cancel all Med cruises until at least July.

[Grandma Cruising]

5 hours ago, kent4489 said:

An hour ago, I received an e-mail from Azamara regarding our April 5 sailing from MIAMI. No mention of cancellation. 🙄

 

You might receive this email more than once because we are reaching out to all of your contact methods on file.

Dear Azamara Guest,

We have important updates regarding your upcoming Azamara vacation departing on April 5^th, 2020 aboard Azamara Pursuit®.

We're sure you've been monitoring the news regarding coronavirus (COVID-19). This situation remains quite fluid, and we continue to assess the impact and monitor the number of cases around the world. While there are still a lot of unknowns related to COVID-19, we do know it presents the most serious health risks to older individuals, the immunocompromised, and those with serious, underlying medical conditions.

As global developments continue to change daily, we are fully focused on protecting the health and safety of our guests & crew. As a result, and to protect your well-being, along with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and other global public health authorities, we continue to implement new and enhanced travel regulations as well as health & safety protocols. These temporary safety precautions will remain in place for a projected period of 30 days and will continued to be reviewed daily. Here's what you need to know.

OUR TRAVEL REGULATION & HEALTH SCREENINGS

TRAVEL REGULATION:

Starting March 16^th, 2020, in order to sail:

1. If you are over the age of 70 at the time of embarkation, you must present a doctor's letter certifying you're fit to travel and do not have severe, chronic medical conditions. As a reminder, Azamara is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Please share the letter below with your physician, which can also be found on our Travel Advisory:
   • Physician Letter Sample
2. Guests of all ages will be screened prior to boarding, regarding underlying issues that may prevent them from sailing including chronic heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer.

If you are unable to provide a signed letter from your doctor or if you have a severe, chronic medical condition, please contact us or your Travel Advisor immediately and we'll provide you with a Future Cruise Credit to come back and sail with us at a later time.

Additionally, regardless of nationality, boarding will be denied to:

1. Any person who has travelled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, or mainland Europe (excluding the United Kingdom) 15 days prior to embarkation.
   • Click here for the list of restricted European countries.
2. Any person who has come in contact with anyone within 15-day prior travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, or mainland Europe (refer to the above link). The CDC characterizes contact with an individual as coming within six feet (2 meters) of a person.
3. Any person who within 15 days prior to embarkation, has had contact with, or helped care for, anyone suspected or diagnosed as having COVID-19, or who are currently subject to health monitoring for possible exposure to COVID-19.

As a result, it is imperative that you review your air travel itinerary closely to ensure you do not transit through any gateway in the countries listed above. Guests who have air travel booked through Azamara with ChoiceAir will be re-accommodated on alternate routes and receive new flight information automatically. Guests with independent air travel arrangements need to contact their air carriers directly to make all required adjustments and changes to their air travel.

HEALTH SCREENINGS:

Additionally, mandatory, temperature screenings using digital, non-touch scanners will be conducted fleet-wide with guests, crew members, and visitors on embarkation day prior to boarding any vessel. If your temperature registers above 100.4°F (38°C), you and your travel companions will be referred to a secondary health screening. Secondary health screenings will be performed by medical professionals who will check for flu-like symptoms and blood oximetry readings.

In some cases, guests presenting certain symptoms in the specialized health screenings may be denied boarding. All guests who are denied boarding due to these restrictions will receive compensation. Additional restrictions may be imposed based on local circumstances. For example, certain countries may deny visas or prohibit entry based on travel history or nationality.

For more detailed information regarding our onboard protocols and the elevated procedures we've introduced, please see our travel advisory on www.Azamara.com/travel-advisory.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE DENIED BOARDING?:

If you do not meet the requirements listed above and must be denied boarding at the terminal, you'll receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit for your cruise fare paid, and any pre-paid Azamara purchases and taxes/fees will be refunded to your original form of payment.

If you or someone in your party does not comply with our updated travel regulations, has a fever before your cruise, or is not fit to travel due to underlying health conditions, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately, or contact us at 1-855-AZAMARA or visithttps://www.azamara.com/contact-us for your local Azamara call center phone number.

If you're no longer able to sail due to these requirements, our temporaryCruise with Confidence policy allows you to cancel your booking up to 48 hours to departure on sailings departing on or before July 31st, 2020. While the program covers you 48 hours before your departure date, given that this new regulation may impact your sailing tomorrow, you will be covered. For more information on our Cruise with Confidence policy, click here.

As this fluid situation continues to evolve, we plan to be as communicative as possible regarding any changes to our health protocols & travel regulation.

Sincerely,

AZAMARA®

5 hours ago we received an email from Azamara in Larry Pimental’s name saying that Azamara are complying with the US govt’s request & cancelling any sailings from the US until 11 April. He then said that meant the Pursuit 5 April cruise was impacted & they were looking at other deployments. Looking at the timing of your post it was sent an hour before the email I got. What are Azamara playing at?

Edited March 14, 2020 by Host Grandma Cruising

[Jules of The Seas]

Grandma, they are playing at keeping our money as long as they can in the hope that we all cancel and they only have to give future cruise credits. Our 5th April cruise is still on apparently, although where it will start from and finish is anyone’s guess. Highly unlikely that we will be on it now, we are in the process of trying to cancel our weeks holiday in Orlando beforehand. Thankfully BA will let us use any monies paid towards other flights within 12 months, which has more chance of happening than us booking another Azamara cruise.

[Bloodaxe]

That's exactly what they are doing, it's obvious that they are going to have to cancel many more if not all cruises shortly.

Edited March 14, 2020 by Bloodaxe

[Lottie A]

So sad to see a company I loved and trusted acting in this underhand and unethical way. 

In the long term Azamara will lose out as their previously loyal customer base will defect to the companies who have shown backbone and regard for their customers during this unprecedented crisis. 
 

 

[Mackdogmolly]

Yes, I don’t see how any of their European cruises can go forward at this point, given their policy of not accepting European guests, and the thus likely inability to stop at European ports. That combined with the ridiculous doctor’s note....Meanwhile, more and more cruise lines are just doing the right thing.

Edited March 14, 2020 by Mackdogmolly

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Bloodaxe said:

That's exactly what they are doing, it's obvious that they are going to have to cancel many more if not all cruises shortly.

 

Just received a email from a large UK travel company actively promoting Azamaras April and May cruises. Anyone like to book?.

[scorpio123456]

Cancelled Cruises, how do we know which are cancelled. Never get emails. Is there a web site page link we can go to?

[kent4489]

We're eagerly awaiting information regarding our April 5 cruise, Pursuit leaving MIAMI. If the company agreed to stop US departures for 30 days, I do think it's not quite right to take the Pursuit somewhere else to embark (Nassau was mentioned in another post as a possibility). Or, I'm wondering if they are going to delay our sailing until April 12, but then we miss over half our cruise and who know where we'll go or end up. I know things are chaotic right now, but trying to figure some way to keep this cruise going seems to add to the chaos. Just cancel it (as agreed to, no US departures) and move on to the next cruise to deal with. Regardless, we're still in for the cruise and will impatiently wait for the outcome. Of course, now we have to rush to get Dr. release for my husband, receiving that notice late on a Friday night. Seriously, on top of probably needing to change multiple plans, we have to make time to get the form filled out too. 

[Grandma Cruising]

No, there isn’t a page you can go to. I hope people who have had their cruises cancelled will post here for you.

[Grandma Cruising]

Just seen a press release from Royal Caribbean saying they are suspending all cruises on all their fleet globally from midnight to 11 April. .https://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/press-release/1435/royal-caribbean-announces-voluntary-suspension-of-cruising/ 
It doesn’t say that this includes Azamara, but I’d be surprised if it doesn’t.