Jewel of the Seas Cancelled Sailing Until February

[Perry]

I just received the following from my travel agent;

Please tell me its not true

"Dear Guest,

As a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances, we are cancelling Jewel of the Seas' sailings from January 9, 2022 - February 12, 2022. 

We know how much time and effort go into planning your vacation, and we're sorry for the impact to your plans. You'll automatically receive a full refund that will be processed to your original form(s) of payment, which will include any non-refundable deposits. You can expect to receive your refund within 14 days after we process the cancellation. We are working as quickly as possible, and we appreciate your patience.

Additionally, we'll also provide you with a 100% Future Cruise Credit to book a new cruise by May 31^st, 2022. This is amount is based on your total cruise fare paid (excluding taxes & fees, gratuities, and any RoyalUp upgrades). Your certificate can be used on any Royal Caribbean International sailing that departs on or before December 31, 2022 (or one year from your original sailing - whichever is further out), as long as it's redeemed by May 31, 2022. We will automatically issue your Future Cruise Credit via email no later than February 4, 2022, so there's nothing for you to do!

Any refundable air or hotel accommodations purchased through Royal Caribbean will be automatically refunded to you within 30 days after we process the cancellation. If you booked non-refundable air through Royal Caribbean or booked on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them.

If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately.

Thank you for understanding, and we hope you find another cruise with us. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the future.

Sincerely,

Michael Bayley
President & CEO
Royal Caribbean International"

[Matt]

[Rene Desmarais]

and it starts

[Matt]

Serenade too. (January 8 - March 5, 2022)

[smokeybandit]

I guess they continue to use Jewel as the "do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to covid jail" ship.

[DarinM]

Was Jewel already sailing or are they delaying the restart like NCL is with some of it's ships?

 

[Jill]

Next 3 symphony sailings too

[Gears]

Here's the announcement...

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

[KLA]

What a bummer! 

Trying to take this and get myself in to a suite over my birthday in May instead.  

[smokeybandit]

So Symphony got put in CDC timeout?

[Rene Desmarais]

Cancelled Sailings

Last updated January 7th, 2022

As a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world, and in an abundance of caution, Royal Caribbean International is pausing operations for the following ships:

• Vision of the Seas’ return to cruising is postponed until March 7, 2022

• Serenade of the Seas sailings from January 8 – March 5, returning after dry dock on April 26, 2022

• Jewel of the Seas sailings from January 9 – February 12, returning on February 20, 2022

• Symphony of the Seas sailings from January 8 – January 22, returning on January 29, 2022

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. Despite stringent health and safety measures, including vaccination and testing requirements for guests and crew, and extensive contingency planning, we have had to move forward with this decision.

Guests booked on these cancelled sailings are receiving assistance and compensation options, including a full refund. Guests have been notified by email of their compensation options.

Our teams will continue to consider every option and resource to keep cruising safe and enjoyable as the world and the cruise industry continue to adapt.

[baltodave]

Oh No!  We only had 17 days until our Vision sailing!  Even had our eDocs and luggage tags printed!

Also, spent $180 on 6 eMed Abbott Binax Covid tests. 

And this was L&S'd from last year.  We've had so many cruises cancelled, I've lost count.

[jaygee2729]

I guess this was inevitable. We're booked on ExplorerOTS out of Puerto Rico on 2/13. How far in advance are they letting guests know of the changes or cancellations? 

[ChessE4]

18 minutes ago, Matt said:

Serenade too. (January 8 - March 5, 2022)

I really appreciate the update, but where can I confirm?  We talked to our agent yesterday, and it was still on.  Thanks!

 

Belay that request -- my wife just found the notice others posted.

[Reigert2008]

5 minutes ago, baltodave said:

Oh No!  We only had 17 days until our Vision sailing!  Even had our eDocs and luggage tags printed!

I made the decision after our Allure sailing was cancelled back in August 2021, that I would no longer print our docs and luggage tags until 3 days before we start the travel.  I had printed them out for a party of 7 (3 cabins) and used so much paper and ink and it frustrated me so much.  I'm the planner of the family and I normally do all that as soon as we get them, but got burned

 

Sorry you lost your planned vacation.  Hopefully you can make other arrangements.  Stay Safe.

[DarinM]

13 minutes ago, Rene Desmarais said:

Cancelled Sailings

Last updated January 7th, 2022

As a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world, and in an abundance of caution, Royal Caribbean International is pausing operations for the following ships:

• Vision of the Seas’ return to cruising is postponed until March 7, 2022

• Serenade of the Seas sailings from January 8 – March 5, returning after dry dock on April 26, 2022

• Jewel of the Seas sailings from January 9 – February 12, returning on February 20, 2022

• Symphony of the Seas sailings from January 8 – January 22, returning on January 29, 2022

 

Where did you see this?

[Rene Desmarais]

17 minutes ago, Gears said:

Here's the announcement...

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates

Gears posted the link

[DarinM]

4 minutes ago, Rene Desmarais said:

Gears posted the link

thanks

 

[Pooch]

Great, I needed another reason to obsess about our March Harmony cruise

[BB1]

I'm wondering if the cancelations are due to ports rejecting ships. Why else would they cancel?

[ClockingOut]

We just hit single digits for our cruise on Harmony next Saturday. Praying we still get to sail. 

[KLA]

5 minutes ago, BB1 said:

I'm wondering if the cancelations are due to ports rejecting ships. Why else would they cancel?

More likely due to the health and safety of their crew, if I had to guess.

[DarinM]

4 minutes ago, KLA said:

More likely due to the health and safety of their crew, if I had to guess.

Agreed, if Symphony is cancelling cruises it's got to be a crew issue.

 

[JennaRCB]

4 minutes ago, DarinM said:

Agreed, if Symphony is cancelling cruises it's got to be a crew issue.

 

This is likely. If there are too many crew in quarantine, with covid, etc., then there is a risk of not being able to provide adequate service to passengers.

[Pattycruise]

9 minutes ago, BB1 said:

I'm wondering if the cancelations are due to ports rejecting ships. Why else would they cancel?

Lack of crew members who are Covid free would be my guess

[AlmondFarmer]

So much for my January 22nd 4 bedroom Villa I booked in Nov 2019. Big gut punch.

[ClockingOut]

Does anybody know what itineraries these ships were on? Not sure if it makes a difference but was wondering. 

[CGTLH]

From what I've seen floating around compensation will be both 100% refund and 100% FCC.

FCC needs to be applied by May 31st to a sailing no more than a year from cancelled sailing.

Seems the generous offer only applied to the upcoming sailings this weekend. For later sailings it would be 125% FCC or 100% refund.

[Neesa]

This does not surprise me at all. The Holiday sailing capacity issue I feel is directly responsible for this. Everyday on the Odyssey more and more crew were missing. They need this pause to get the crew healthy again, just my humble opinion. Crew is tested weekly we were told with or without symptoms. The numbers climbed while we were on board...and then the contact tracing. 

I hope they extend CWC now too!

[BB1]

Doubtful it's a crew issue. Most cases are asymptomatic or resolve shortly. Even with current guidelines they wouldn't be quarantined that long and some sailings are canceled through April.  Just my guess.

[baltodave]

13 minutes ago, ClockingOut said:

Does anybody know what itineraries these ships were on? Not sure if it makes a difference but was wondering. 

The itinerary for the Jan 24 Vision (11-night) sailing would have been: Ft Lauderdale - Sea Day - Sea Day - Costa Rica - Panama - Cartagena - Sea Day/Aruba - Aruba - Curacao - Sea Day - Sea Day - Ft Lauderdale

Glad I used points to book my SWA flights.  At least I'll get those back.

 

[Geoff P]

12 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

From what I've seen floating around compensation will be both 100% refund and 100% FCC.

FCC needs to be applied by May 31st to a sailing no more than a year from cancelled sailing.

Would suck to be cancelled, but I’d be 100% ok with that compensation, especially right now with missed ports and whatnot.

[AshleyDillo]

49 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I guess they continue to use Jewel as the "do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to covid jail" ship.

That's Vision that they're using for the crew quarantine ship..it hadn't started back up sailing yet.

[baltodave]

16 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

From what I've seen floating around compensation will be both 100% refund and 100% FCC.

FCC needs to be applied by May 31st to a sailing no more than a year from cancelled sailing.

That would be awesome since our next cruise (already booked) is on Rhapsody (Greek/Adriatic) July 2022.

It will also be interesting to see what they do about cruise planner purchases (other than normal refunds).  We had bought a 3-night dining package, 2-device Voom, Refreshment package and 2 excursions. 

 

[Beaker]

6 minutes ago, Geoff P said:

Would suck to be cancelled, but I’d be 100% ok with that compensation, especially right now with missed ports and whatnot.

I agree.  As much as I am hoping that we get to sail on Jan 16th, if they cancel, I get my $$ back in full, plus a 100% FCC, I would be satisfied.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Unless I’m mistaken, the FCCs (in addition to 100% refunds) only apply to the Jan 8 and Jan 9 cancellations. The rest are cash refund only. 

[smokeybandit]

18 minutes ago, BB1 said:

Doubtful it's a crew issue. Most cases are asymptomatic or resolve shortly. Even with current guidelines they wouldn't be quarantined that long and some sailings are canceled through April.  Just my guess.

They may be recovered fast (I've known people recently testing negative less than a week after initially testing positive), but as far as I know, it's still a minimum 10 day quarantine after a positive test based on the guidance in the CSO.  Close contacts are 14 days. I don't know what happens after that going back to their assigned ship if they have to quarantine again. All that adds up. 

[Sharla]

7 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Unless I’m mistaken, the FCCs (in addition to 100% refunds) only apply to the Jan 8 and Jan 9 cancellations. The rest are cash refund only. 

All of the ones I received today were given the option to receive the 125% FCC.

[smokeybandit]

13 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

That's Vision that they're using for the crew quarantine ship..it hadn't started back up sailing yet.

Maybe they were pulling crew from Jewel/Serenade to pick up the slack then.

[KLA]

I was on 1/29 Jewel which was Labadee, San Juan, St. Maarten, and Antigua - 8  night.