Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line has announced today (21 July) it’s extending the temporary suspension of its sailings.

The cruise line was planning to resume service in August but has now announced it will resume sailings on 1 October 2020.

In an official statement delivered by the cruise line, CEO Oneil Khosa said:

“As you know, we recently announced that we would finally return to sea this August – offering travellers the chance to enjoy a much-needed, two-night getaway to paradise.

“However, given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) extension of its No Sail Order, we have no choice but to delay our resumption of cruise operations to October 1st, 2020.

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have remained one of the few cruise lines that reported no cases of the virus onboard our ships.

“We have also followed all required guidelines, including adhering to strict requirements for our onboard crew members, and installed the best safety protocols in the industry across our fleet to protect our guests and crew, who are always our top priority.

“In addition, we remain the only cruise line in the country to receive ‘green status’ from the CDC on our No Sail Response plan, meaning we have met their requirements in providing a safe environment for our crew members to work and disembark via commercial travel. This was also recognised in the CDC’s own statement.

“While we are disappointed that we are not able to sail as planned, we will, of course, continue to work side by side with the CDC and have therefore suspended all future sailings until October 1st. We are also aware of the recent announcement from Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Munnis regarding the travel ban on travellers from the U.S., and we are prepared to make necessary changes to our sailing schedule, as needed.

“Until then, we will continue our preparations to return to Grand Bahama Island while keeping a close eye on the overall landscape. We look forward to welcoming guests back onboard and appreciate everyone’s patience throughout this process.”

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line operates two-day sailings out of Port of Palm Beach, Florida, sailing to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau.

The cruise line has two ships in its fleet – Grand Celebration and Grand Classica – with sailings on both ships suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.