Crystal Cruises canceled voyages aboard its Crystal Symphony from homeports Philipsburg (St Maarten Island, Dutch Antilles) and St Johns (Antigua) “due to ongoing uncertainty regarding ports of call and availability of adequate airlift,” the line said in a statement on its website.
The sailings were scheduled to operate starting August 2 through December 2021.
“However, the recent positive developments of ships sailing from U.S. ports have prompted U.S. travelers to show an increased preference for more direct access to luxury cruise options, and we do plan to announce a new deployment for Crystal Symphony close to home later this week.
“We will keep you updated with details when they are finalized.”
All affected customers and travel agents are being notified about the cancelation, along with details on rebooking options and compensation.
Crystal Cruises also announced it would require COVID vaccines for all of its guests once cruising resumes.
“While our fleet has been paused, Crystal developed Crystal Clean+, an enhanced level of measures that builds on our stringent protocols already in place to help safeguard the well-being of our guests and crew. In addition to antigen testing, reduced capacity, social distancing, mask requirements and health-screening questionnaires, new among these measures is a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all guests.”