Celestyal Cruises, the Athens-based cruise line specializing in the Greek Islands and the Mediterranean, has extended the suspension of its sailings through July 30, 2020 due to COVID-19 and the ongoing travel restrictions and temporary port closures within the region in which the cruise line operates.
The Greek government recently announced that the Greek tourism season will gradually recommence in the next few weeks with international flights from select countries resuming in July. Celestyal Cruises will continue to monitor the phased opening of Greece to North American travelers while working with the Greek authorities on the development of enhanced health and safety protocols.
“Unfortunately we had to make this difficult decision as a result of the evolving situation in the region in which we operate. We apologize to our valued guests and travel partners for the inconvenience this further temporary suspension will cause. However, I’m confident they understand that we take into consideration all aspects that will ensure the health and safety of our guests and crew. It’s encouraging to see that Greece is prudently commencing it’s reopening for international tourism in a phased manner following the country’s globally acclaimed best-practice handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the time is right, we look forward to recommencing our operations and welcoming guests back onboard,” said Leslie Peden, chief commercial officer for Celestyal Cruises, in a statement.
For all your clients impacted, Celestyal Cruises is offering a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) valued at 120 percent of original booking value. Guests will have until the end of December 2021 to redeem their Future Cruise Credit against any of Celestyal Cruises’ itineraries through end of December 2022. For additional flexibility should guests choose not to redeem their FCC by end of December 2021, they will automatically receive a full refund equal to the original amount paid to Celestyal upon the voucher’s expiration.
Celestyal Cruises also launched its 2021 and 2022 digital brochures featuring an early booking promotional campaign, Escape To The Future, an updated Peace of Mind policy that allows guests to change any cruise that sets sail through December 31, 2021. This applies to new bookings made until August 31, 2020. As long as the booking is changed at least 30 days before the sail date, a future cruise credit for 100 percent of the value received by Celestyal will be issued. The credit can be used toward any cruise that sets sail through December 31, 2022.
For more information, click here. For more updates on new protocols, visit Recommend’s Safe Travels page. Stories about future travel can be accessed at #AmazingDaysAhead.
