ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line said Monday cruises will be canceled through the end of the year because of ongoing complications with the coronavirus pandemic.
It comes just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention replaced its "no-sail" order with a "conditional sailing" order in an effort to allow companies to prove they are complying with virus mitigation protocols.
In a tweet, Royal Caribbean announced: "global sailings will be suspended through December 31, 2020, with some exceptions." Norwegian said its fleet will be suspended through the end of the year, as well.
Both cruise companies already suspended operations through Nov. 30, according to USA Today.
The CDC's latest order allows companies to conduct simulated voyages to test ships' ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk.
Once a cruise line is approved for a conditional sailing certificate, the CDC said trips will need to be no longer than seven days and all crew and passengers will need to be tested for COVID-19 before they embark and before they disembark.
The agency said this order "provides a realistic timeline that anticipates COVID-19 continuing to be present and affecting cruise ship travel."
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