Royal Caribbean Just Canceled 4 Cruises

The news follows the CDC's latest warning to avoid cruise travel.

Phuong D. Nguyen/Shutterstock
Phuong D. Nguyen/Shutterstock

Just before the new year—and amid the spike in COVID numbers—the CDC moved cruise travel to a Level 4 in its warning system, its highest level, cautioning Americans to "avoid [it] regardless of vaccination status." And while the risk varies ship to ship (you can cross-reference the agency's color-coded guide here), Royal Caribbean is taking matters into its own hands and canceling four sailings in the wake of Omicron spread.

The cruise line has canceled trips aboard Serenade of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas, which were set to depart January 29, February 20, and April 26, 2022, Travel + Leisure reports. Royal Caribbean has also postponed cruises on its Vision of the Seas ship until March 7.

"We regret having to cancel our guests' long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding. Our top priority is always the well-being of our guests, our crew and the communities we visit," the company wrote in a statement, according to the outlet. Royal Caribbean noted that cancelations were "a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world, and in an abundance of caution."

Just last month, Royal Caribbean hit pause on new bookings for voyages set to depart throughout early January, noting that "ships [would] continue sailing with a limited capacity to accommodate physical distancing." The cruise line has also updated its mask policy and now requires face coverings "indoors at all times unless actively eating or drinking." Guests 12 and older must be vaccinated as well.

On January 5, Norwegian Cruise Lines similarly canceled eight upcoming trips as a result of the ongoing surge, affecting cruises through April.

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Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist.