Cunard is latest Carnival brand to extend shutdown
Carnival
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Carnival's Cunard operation has become the cruise company's latest brand to extend its shutdown because of Covid-19 restrictions.
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The luxury British cruise line has cancelled all sailings on its Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria ships due to depart up until 1 November and for its Queen Elizabeth vessel up to 23 November.
Cunard, which has operated for 180 years, said it was delaying sailings to put the highest standards in place on ships in line with government recommendations in the US and the UK. The US and many other countries have banned cruises from their waters after outbreaks of Covid-19 on board several ships.
Simon Palethorpe, Cunard's president, said: "With many differing restrictions across countries, people's ability to move freely and safely across borders remains seemingly someway in the distance. we are looking at enhanced protocols across all aspects of ship life and experiences on shore. We will only return to service when we have a comprehensive restart protocol with the stamps of approval and accreditation from the most trusted and informed sources."
Carnival, the world's biggest cruise company, has already extended delays to voyages at its AIDA, P&O Cruises and Princess brands, effectively scrapping the peak summer season. The company is spending $1bn a month to maintain its fleet after raising $6.25bn (£5bn) in a costly fundraising in April.
Carnival shelved all cruise holidays after governments imposed restrictions on travel and interaction between individuals to stem the spread of Covid-19. The virus has raised fears for the future of the cruise industry because many cruisers are in their 70s and vulnerable to Covid-19 and some vessels became floating incubators for the disease.
Cunard customers will be given credit for a future cruise worth 125% of the value of their cancelled cruise, Palethorpe said.