Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has announced an extension to its global suspension of voyages.

The suspension comes after uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the unfolding cruise and travel restrictions.

One of the biggest cruise companies in the world, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

The brand has announced today (5 October) an extension of its previously announced suspension of global cruise voyages, cancelling cruises up until 30 November 2020.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands were due to resume operations on 1 November 2020, following previous guidelines set out by CLIA (the Cruise Lines International Association).

However, the restart has now been pushed back to 1 December 2020 at the earliest.

The cruise giant will continue to work with global government and public health authorities to take all necessary measures to protect passengers, crew and the communities visited.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has also collaborated with Royal Caribbean International to form a Healthy Sail Panel of expert advisors.

The Healthy Sail Panel was formed in June by the two cruise corporations, aiming to identify and set out a new set of stringent health and safety measures to be used at sea.

The cruise corporations, both based in the US, enlisted health experts Governor Mike Leavitt (former Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services) and Dr Scott Gottlieb (former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to serve as co-chairs of the group of experts called the ‘Healthy Sail Panel’.

The rest of the panel is made up of globally recognised health experts and experts in biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations.

The Healthy Sail Panel submitted their findings to the US Centres for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) last month, hoping to help shape a new set of measures relating to travel on cruise ships.