Cruise lines may not return to US ‘until late 2021’
Any hopes for voyages this spring are fading
Cruise ships can be found floating empty of passengers off the US coast
Credit: ALLEN J SCHABEN
The comeback for cruise holidays in US waters may be delayed until later this year despite their resumption in Europe.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lifted its seven month ‘no sail order’ on cruising in US waters on October 31, replacing it with a ‘Framework for Conditional Sailing Order’ that appeared to pave the way for the resumption of sailing.
However three months down the line, the public health agency appears to be dragging its feet when it comes to giving the cruise industry the guidance needed to resume cruising from US ports.
Princess Cruises selling off its ‘Love Boat’
Richard Tribou
Cruise lines continue to shed off old hardware amid the coronavirus pandemic to focus on more efficient, larger vessels when sailing gets back to normal.
The latest victim is Princess Cruises’ Pacific Princess, which began sailing in 1999 under the defunct Renaissance Cruises brand before joining the Princess fleet in 2002.
The original ship to sail as Pacific Princess for the fleet, from 1975-2002, was featured in the TV show “The Love Boat,” and that show’s former cast has been tied to the brand ever since.
The company announced its sale to an undisclosed buyer on Thursday as part of parent company Carnival Corp.’s stated goal to reduce its sizable fleet among its many brands.