Following the announcement last week that P&O Cruises extended its pause in operations, we can now share with you the plan for Cunard’s future cruises.
Unfortunately, as the world continues to adapt to this global crisis, we have made the decision, difficult as it is, to extend our pause in operations for all sailings on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria up to and including 1 November 2020, and for Queen Elizabeth all sailings up to and including 23 November 2020.
With many differing restrictions across countries, people’s ability to move freely and safely across borders feels someway in the distance. For Cunard this really does have a big impact as we sail all over the world and celebrate having a truly international mix of Guests. We also need to better understand the implications Covid-19 will have on board our ships. We are therefore working with government and industry bodies at the highest possible level, such as Public Health England and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to review every aspect of a holiday with us and establish a framework of policies and procedures. Our aspiration is to be adopting best practice in managing Covid-19 within the travel industry.
As you know, our highest responsibilities and our top priorities are to operate safely, to protect the environment, and to be in compliance everywhere we operate in the world.
We have always taken such pride in our standards of cleanliness and hygiene before Covid-19, but when we return there will be enhanced protocols approved by hospitality and national public health authorities. This will ensure we continue to have in place high levels of cleanliness across every single aspect of public areas, crew living areas and every item of furniture in cabins and everywhere on board as well as approved safety standards for the service of food and drink; entertainment and experiences on board and on shore.
Next steps
Supporting our colleagues on board and our Guests at this time is our absolute priority and we’ve been in touch with updates on what’s happening and what this means for them. We’re also in the process of reaching out to our partners across all areas of the business, our travel agents, suppliers and port agents, to let them know about this extension.
Cunard’s President, Simon Palethorpe, has recorded a new video update for all fleet colleagues which you can watch below:
Along with the rest of the world, we will adapt to address life’s ‘new normal.’ When the time is right, we will be ready to resume our tradition of providing unforgettable holiday happiness for our Guests.
We understand that you may have questions and have updated our Frequently Asked Questions on The Insider with more information about this so please continue to use the Covid-19 pages to stay up-to-date.