Princess Cruises suspended all ocean voyages for 2 months while Viking Cruises also halted voyages until May due to Coronavirus. Princess said that its 18 liners would stay in port until May 11 after two ships suffered COVID-19 outbreaks - Diamond Princess in Japan and Grand Princess in the USA.
Vessels which are currently at sea will sail to their final destination in case they are due to finish before March 17, or dock elsewhere in case the sailing was scheduled to last longer.
Meanwhile, Viking suspended all its ocean and river cruises until May after 3 Britons tested positive on one of its ships in Cambodia this week. The company revealed there were 'significant risks' of quarantines or medical detentions after a spate of Coronavirus scares at sea in recent weeks.
Travellers currently at sea will continue to their planned destination in case the trip is due to finish in the next 5 days, until March 17. In case the cruise is scheduled to continue longer than that, cruisers will be taken to 'the most convenient location for guests, factoring in operational requirements'.
Viking acted after 3 British tourists were confirmed as virus patients after sailing on a Viking riverboat to Kampong Cham. Viking's entire fleet will now be suspended from operations until April 30. The company will issue the choice of a voucher for a future voyage or a full refund for any sailings which fall within the suspension period.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.