Royal Caribbean Group, the owner of Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, has extended its cancellation policy until April 2022.

Named ‘Cruise with Confidence’, the policy offers peace of mind to both travellers and travel agents booking cruises, giving guests the flexibility to cancel their sailings up to 48 hours before departure.

The policy extension applies to all new and existing bookings made by 30 September 2020, allowing them to cancel until April 2022.

After cancellation, guests will receive a future cruise credit for the full fare they paid, which can be used on any other sailing from their cruise line.

Along with extending the ‘Cruise with Confidence’ programme, Royal Caribbean Group is also continuing to offer its ‘best price guarantee’ and ‘lift and shift’ policies.

The best price guarantee allows guests to change the price and promotional offer on their reservation up to 48 hours before their cruise.

Ideal for guests wishing to move their holiday to next year, ‘lift and shift’ is available between now and 30 September 2020. This policy protects the original cruise fare and any promotional offering by simply shifting it to a future sailing of the same itinerary type, sailing length and stateroom category within a four-week period of their original cruise date, the same time next year.

The group hopes the extension of the policy will see a rise in bookings, with customers now having peace and mind that they can change their sailing, fuss- and cost-free.

Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO Richard Fain, said:

“Guests are reacting positively to our Cruise with Confidence policy, because it enables them to make informed decisions and to better manage complicated travel plans during this unprecedented time of uncertainty.

“We want our guests to feel they can safely keep their existing cruise bookings or schedule new sailings, because this policy gives them more freedom and flexibility.”

The policy applies to all cruises with sailing dates before April 2022 across the Royal Caribbean Group, but some lines, such as Silversea Cruises, have adopted their own cancellation policies.