Eastern Mediterranean cruise operator Celestyal Cruises has given up all hope of rescuing anything from this year's messed-up tourism season and said it will not resume sailings before March 2021.

Celestyal, which uses Piraeus as its home port, said in a statement on Tuesday it took the “difficult but prudent” decision to stay out of business until 6 March 2021.

As the main reason for its move, Celestyal cited continued uncertainty about the coronavirus-related travel restrictions imposed on the countries it draws most its passengers from.

The company relies on the Americas, Australia and Asia for the bulk of its clients.

Part of the problem also lies within the EU itself, where authorities still haven’t made up their minds about the enhanced health protocols the cruise industry should follow.

Celestyal first suspended operations on 13 March, in the hope of going back to business on 1 May. It has since pushed back the date twice, with the latest date at which it expected to resume operations being 30 July.

Its patience, however, has run out. “We felt that as a company, we have already put our travel partners and guests through enough date changes on when cruising could return safely,” Celestyal’s chief commercial officer Leslie Peden said in the statement.

“By voluntarily pausing operations until our scheduled departures next year, Celestyal will be better positioned to offer more clarity and certainty to our valued partners and guests, as well as peace of mind,” he added.

The pause will allow the company to shift "full attention" to the long-term development of the business, particularly to implementing the enhanced health protocols necessary to ensure safe sailing.

Peden said the company is seeing "encouraging signs of pent-up demand" for 2021 and 2022.

Celestyal is a small company operating two mid-sized cruise ships out of Pireaus, the 37,800-gt Celestyal Olympia (built 1982) and the 25,600-gt Celestyal Crystal (built 1980).

Its move, however, may be a first sign that some in the cruise industry are facing up to the stark reality that the coronavirus epidemic has destroyed the season for good.

Bigger cruise lines, like Carnival Corp, expect to return to business at the end of September. Only AIDA Cruises said it would not sail any ships at all to the US or Canada this year, amid both countries' ban on passengerships.

Celestyal's decision to cancel the season will have repercussions on maritime employment: About 1,200 seafarers it seasonally employs on its two vessels will stay out of work. They come predominantly from countries in Eastern Europe or outside the EU.

Celestyal also employs about 200 desk and safety personnel on its offices and ships in Greece and Cyprus. That workforce is currently working part-time or under EU subsidy schemes that expire in October but may be extended further.