Three NCLH Cruise Brands Scheduled To Restart Operations Outside the US

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will resume operations overseas with all three of its brands this summer.

Oceania Cruises will restart sailing to Scandinavia and Western Europe beginning in August, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises will operate voyages from the U.K. starting in September.

In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line will continue its phased restart with Mediterranean voyages on the Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway in September. The company previously announced Caribbean and Europe itineraries beginning in July and August.

All initial voyages will operate with fully vaccinated guests and crew in addition to the company’s SailSAFE health and safety program, which includes universal COVID-19 testing before embarkation.

The company said it continues to await feedback on its plan to resume cruising in the U.S. starting July 4. NCLH President and CEO Frank Del Rio outlined the plan in a letter sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on April 5, 2021.

“We are pleased to unveil the next chapter of our resumption of cruise voyages embarking outside of the U.S. with sailings in Europe on all three of our award-winning brands,” Del Rio said in a news release. “We value the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the communities we visit above all else and we have worked tirelessly to develop our science-backed plan to safely resume cruising, including mandatory vaccinations and robust SailSAFE preventative protocols. As part of our two-pronged approach to return to cruising within and outside of the U.S., we are simultaneously planning for a potential resumption of cruising from U.S. ports while we await further discussion with the CDC regarding our proposal for a July 4 restart to participate in America’s national opening.”

Oceania will restart cruise operations with the Marina in August, resuming its originally published voyage schedule starting on Aug. 29 in Copenhagen.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises starts sailing with Seven Seas Splendor from the U.K. beginning Sept. 11, 2021. The voyage will also mark the resumption of Seven Seas Splendor’s inaugural season, with the ship having only completed two cruises with guests after being christened in February 2020. The first cruise is scheduled to be an 11-night round-trip from Southampton, England, visiting Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. After the initial voyage, the ship will transition to explore the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic to sail in the Caribbean. While many of the sailings are already sold out, there still is space on Seven Seas Splendor’s European season and in the Caribbean in early 2022.

All other cruises on these brands with embarkation dates through Sept. 30 have been canceled.

NCL’s Norwegian Epic will cruise seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Sept. 5 through Oct. 24, 2021. Norwegian Getaway will sail 10- to 11-day Greek Isles voyages from Rome (Civitavecchia) from Sept. 13, 2021, to Oct. 25, 2021.

The company previously announced its initial restart with sailings from Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Greece beginning in July 2021 with Norwegian Joy, Jade and Gem.

NCL has canceled all voyages on Norwegian Bliss and Pride of America through July 31, 2021; Norwegian Getaway through Sept. 2, 2021; Norwegian Dawn, Spirit and Star through Sept. 30, 2021; Norwegian Sun through Oct. 7, 2021; Norwegian Escape through Oct. 10, 2021; Norwegian Breakaway through Oct. 17, 2021; and Norwegian Gem from Oct. 29 through Nov. 17, 2021. Guests and travel partners with impacted reservations will be contacted.