The cruise line industry is in shambles, especially in the North American marketplace. Previously scheduled sailings continue to take a beating as virtually every carrier has canceled journeys for November 2020, and some, well into December and beyond.

That’s the bad news. The good news, or at least a sliver of hope, is that most lines are currently accepting reservations for sailings in 2021. Will they actually said? That remains to be seen.

As of mid-October 2020, we are beginning to see a spike in COVID-19 cases globally which could throw the early 2021 season into doubt. If you plan to sail in the first quarter of 2021, book at your own risk.

Here’s a quick look at the state of sailings by North America’s for largest carriers for the next few months. Beware there are several brand names under each of these companies that are following the same guidelines, so if you booked a cruise, or were thinking about 2021, check with them before making any further plans.

Norwegian: All sailings through November 2020 are suspended. Additionally, all sailings onboard the Norwegian Star, Spirit, and Dawn are suspended through March 2021. If you are booked on one of the suspended cruises, all passengers will receive a refund. Here is the latest Norwegian information.

Carnival: Canceled all North America sailings for November 2020. They are taking a wait and see approach for December sailings with Port Miami and Port Canaveral expected to be the first for embarkation once they deem it safe to do so. Here is updated Carnival information.

Royal Caribbean: Canceled all sailings through November 2020. For those who booked for November, refunds are being processed. The current plan is to commence sailing again in December dependent upon COVID-19 circumstances at the time. Please be aware there could be itinerary changes. CLICK HERE for more information.

MSC: Canceled all sailings for November 2020. CLICK HERE to see the individual schedules for each ship within the MSC fleet.

There are limited international sailings available from embarkation points outside the United States, but with so many countries currently closed to U.S. citizens, it’s likely not worth it to try and book one of these sailings.

FEATURED IMAGE: Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash