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Norwegian Cruises drops anchor to end of June

Cancelled trips: Norwegian Cruise Line has extended the suspension of voyages by its fleet to the end of June, cancelling a further 16 cruise ship visits to Bermuda (File photograph)

More cruise ship visits to Bermuda have been cancelled in the wake of Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision to extend the suspension of its voyages until the start of July.The move wiped a further 16 cruise ship visits from the island’s 2020 schedule and brought the total number of cancelled cruise ship visits by all operators to 60.It was expected before the Covid-19 crisis that 192 cruise ships would visit the island this year.Norwegian operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, all of which make calls to the island.It earlier suspended voyages until May 11, and then extended that period to May 14.It announced yesterday it would halt its cruise ship operations up to the end of June.The Bermudian-incorporated company said: “The safety, security and wellbeing of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our No 1 priority.“We continue to closely monitor the Covid-19 coronavirus situation and the global health environment.“With Covid-19 continuing to impact communities and ports around the globe, we have extended our voluntary temporary suspension of voyages.“Our suspension that was for voyages embarking March 13 to May 14 has been extended to now include all voyages embarking through June 30.“We plan to recommence operations beginning July 1.”Several other cruise ship operators with sailings to Bermuda have also announced cancellations.Carnival Corporation, which operates Carnival Cruise Line, has stopped departures up to June 26, and Royal Caribbean, which operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, has suspended its voyages until June 10. MSC Cruises and TUI Group have also cancelled visits to Bermuda.A 100-day “no-sail order” on cruise ships in the United States, imposed by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on April 9, could be extended into the second half of July.The CDC order said that cruise ships cannot board passengers and return to their sailing schedules for 100 days, or until either the Department of Health and Human Services ruled that Covid-19 no longer constituted a public health emergency, or the CDC director modified the no-sail order.