Coronavirus: Cunard cruise line cancels all sailings to November

Passengers are entitled a full cash refund, though they can opt for a voucher with a 25 per cent bonus if they prefer

The calamitous impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the cruise industry continues.

The luxury line Cunard has cancelled all its voyages until November.

The Southampton-based firm says all departures for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria have been cancelled up to and including 1 November 2020.

For the Cunard flagship, Queen Elizabeth, sailings before 24 November, 2020 are cancelled.

The cruise line’s president, Simon Palethorpe, said: “With many differing restrictions across countries, people’s ability to move freely and safely across borders remains seemingly someway in the distance.

“For Cunard, where we celebrate having a truly international mix of guests and sail all over the world, this becomes particularly impactful.

“We also need to better understand the implications Covid-19 will have on board our ships.

“Whilst we have always taken pride in having the highest levels of health and safety we are looking at enhanced protocols across all aspects of ship life and experiences on shore.

“We will only return to service when we have a comprehensive restart protocol with the stamps of approval and accreditation from the most trusted and informed sources.”

Cunard is planning to add a fourth ship to its fleet, with the launch date in 2022.

Last week its sister line, P&O Cruises, cancelled all sailings up to and including 15 October 2020.

Under the Package Travel Regulations, passengers whose voyages are cancelled are entitled to a full cash refund within 14 days.

In practice, however, they are likely to have to wait many weeks for their money back.

Both Cunard and P&O are offering a 25 per cent bonus for customers who are prepared to take a voucher for future travel.