Cruise Canceled? There's an App for That

Those who had a cruise planned for 2020 – and now 2021 – may feel lost at sea when it comes to tracking all of the details for credits or rescheduled bookings. The Shipmate app has launched a new feature to do just that, reports Travel + Leisure.

"Based on the feedback we've gotten from our community, it can be a very confusing process with a lot of deadlines and information that the passenger has to keep up with," Michael Siegle, product management director of Shipmate, said in a statement. "We knew there had to be an easier way to keep track of these details for credit holders, so we created a comprehensive Cruise Credit Tracker that stores all of the information you need for an FCC in one place."

It's been rough waters for the cruise industry. Passengers and crew were forced to quarantine onboard at the pandemic's onset. Cancellations followed along with reports of the treacherous financial waters ahead for Carnival, Norweigan Cruise Line and others. The Points Guy travel site has a more optimistic outlook, despite reporting Carnival "burning through around $650 million per month without any ships sailing – a staggering sum."

The article also reported that Royal Caribbean is losing $250 to $290 million per month but had a liquidity of more than $4 billion as of early September 2020.

Despite the challenges that lie ahead, a recent survey indicated that the LGBTQ community is ready to travel if vaccinations are available and safety measures in place.