Carnival Corp has delayed its restart for German brand AIDA Cruises by at least two months because countries around Germany are not ready to welcome back cruiseships, it said.
The New York-listed owner two weeks ago said it would start sailing 3,300-berth AIDAperla (built 2017) within Europe next month before sending other vessels into service.
Arnold Donald-led Carnival also said then that it planned to relaunch Costa Cruises' 2,260-berth Costa Deliziosa (built 2010) on 6 September and 4,947-berth Costa Diadema (built 2014) on 19 September.
Costa Cruises still sailing in September
The Miami-based company still plans to keep to its Costa Cruises schedule but on Friday said it would pull up anchor on its AIDA Cruises fleet in November and December.
"Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the conditions are currently not in place in Germany's neighbouring European countries, especially in the north with Norway and Denmark or the Baltic states," it said in a statement.
"For many distant destinations outside of Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany has issued a travel warning or the respective countries have prohibited calls of cruise ships until 2021.
"As a result, the company has cancelled its previously announced cruises for September and has updated its fall and winter 2020-2021 program to provide its guests and sales partners additional time to plan and book vacations for a safe and enjoyable return to cruise holidays."
AIDA Cruises plans to stay at anchor a little longer
Carnival said 2,868-berth AIDAmar (built 2008) will set course on 1 November for seven-day voyages to the Canary Islands.
AIDAperla will follow on 7 November and will take over the travel programme originally planned for AIDAnova.
AIDAmar's voyages will start and end in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
Voyages with AIDAperla will offer a second departure port with Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The 2,700-berth AIDAStella (built 2008) will resume sailing on 12 December by casting off from Palma, Mallorca on seven-day cruises to the western Mediterranean Sea.
The 3,300-berth AIDAPrima (built 2014) is set to start offering seven-day cruises from Dubai on 11 December and Abu Dhabi on 15 December.
"Even though it is currently not possible for cruise ships to call at Norway, which is so important for our voyages to the north, we are confident that the first AIDA ships from Germany will be able to travel to Northern Europe again at the beginning of 2021," president Felix Eichhorn said in a statement.
AIDA Cruises has cancelled fall and winter long-distance cruises in the Caribbean, southern Africa, southeast Asia, Indian Ocean and the Orient, Carnival said.
