2 cruise lines cancel sailings from Port Canaveral

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — For the first time since the restart of cruising at Port Canaveral, two cruise lines are canceling sailings.

But the port’s CEO, Capt. John Murray, sees the cancellations as a short-term issue, as cruise lines navigate the omicron variant.

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Murray said passenger counts are down, but right now, it’s difficult to tell what’s seasonal and what may be COVID-19-related.

“You may see a slow-down in cruising, but I don’t see any indication that we’re going to have the same cessation in operations that we saw in March of 2020,” Murray said.

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Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas canceled two chartered cruises this month because of canceled venues. And the Norwegian Escape canceled two regular sailings scheduled for Jan.15 and Jan. 22 of this month “due to ongoing COVID-19 related disruptions.”

“Obviously, we have the surge with omicron right now and you know everyone’s taking the right precautions in the way they feel they can handle it best,” Murray said.

READ: Coronavirus: Norwegian, Royal Caribbean cancel cruises amid omicron surge

Cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron has been on 12 cruises since sailings resumed from U.S. ports. He said Wednesday that a couple of cancellations aren’t something to be too concerned about. He said cruise lines are not going to operate their ships if they can’t provide 100% of the vacation experience consumers are expecting.

“The high number of people that are sailing shows a very high confidence rate. They understand that COVID on board ships is unavoidable just as it is ashore. But, the positivity rates aboard the ship are significantly lower than what we’re seeing ashore,” Chiron said.

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10 years later Cruise ship Costa Concordia lies stricken off the shore of the island of Giglio on January 18, 2012 in Giglio Porto, Italy. The official death toll is now 11, with a further 24 people still missing. The rescue operation was temporarily suspended earlier due to the ship moving as it slowly sinks further into the sea. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images) (Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

10 years later The cruise ship Costa Concordia lies stricken off the shore of the island of Giglio, on January 16, 2012 in Giglio Porto, Italy. More than four thousand people were on board when the ship hit rocks last Friday. The official death toll is now six, with a further 16 people still missing. The rescue operation was temporarily suspended earlier due to the ship moving as it slowly sinks further into the sea. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later Rotterdam based SMIT and Livorno based NERI salvage workers start their work of diesel recovery on a pontoon from the the cruise ship Costa Concordia that lies stricken off the shore of the island of Giglio on January 24, 2012 in Giglio Porto, Italy. More than four thousand people were on board when the ship hit a rock off the Tuscan coast. The official death toll is now 16, with a further 24 people still missing. The diesel recovery operation will start tomorrow, while the rescue operation will continue. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later In this handout photo provided by Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco, Firefighters work on the cruise ship Costa Concordia that lies grounded off the island of Giglio on January 19, 2012 in Italy. The rescue operation was temporarily suspended earlier due to the ship moving as it slowly sank further into the sea. (Photo by Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)

10 years later In this undated handout photo provided by Ufficio Stampa Gruppo Carabinieri Subaquei, Carabinieri frogmen dive on the cruise ship Costa Concordia, January, 2012 in Giglio Porto, Italy. The rescue operation to find 21 people still missing aboard the Costa Concordia has resumed on January 20, 2012 after being suspended for the third time, as conditions caused the vessel to shift on the rocks on which it is resting. (Photo by Ufficio Stampa Gruppo Carabinieri Subaquei via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)

10 years later Statues of Madonna and Jesus are kept by firefighters in storage after they were recovered from a chapel onboard the Cruise ship Costa Concordia as it lies stricken off the shore of the island of Giglio on January 20, 2012 in Giglio Porto, Italy. Explosives have been used to gain access to previously unreachable parts of the vessel, in a bid to find survivors. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images) (Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

10 years later A view of a cabin of the ship Costa Concordia is seen while divers of the Nucleo Operatori Subacquei Guardia Costiera (Coast Guard) are seen while conducting a SAR (Search and Rescue) operation that that led to the discovery of the body of a woman inside of the ship Costa Cooncordia on January 21, 2012 in Giglio Porto, Italy. More than four thousand people were on board when the ship hit a rock off the Tuscan coast. According to reports on January 22, 2012 complications have arisen establishing the exact number of missing passengers due to unregistered passengers that may have been onboard the vessel. Around 20 are believed to still be missing, with the official death toll now standing at 13. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later Engineers board the stricken Costa Concordia to check cables during the parbuckling operation to raise the ship on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work begins today to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later The parbuckling operation to raise the stricken Costa Concordia continues on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work begins today to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later The parbuckling project to raise the stricken Costa Concordia continues on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work begins today to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later Engineers from the Fast Response Team check cables during the parbuckling operation on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work began today to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later The stricken Costa Concordia is righted during a parbuckling operation which later successfully uprighted the ship at around 4 am on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work began yesterday to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later Engineers work on the wreckage of the Costa Concordia during the evening as the parbuckling operation to raise the ship continues on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work begins today to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later Grafitti displaying the message 'Kit Kat Dave' is seen on the stricken Costa Concordia as the parbuckling operation to raise the ship continues on September 16, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work begins today to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later The severely damaged side of the stricken Costa Concordia is visible after the parbuckling operation successfully uprighted the ship around 4 am on September 17, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work began yesterday to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The severely damaged side of the stricken Costa Concordia is visible after the parbuckling salvage operation successfully uprighted the ship at around 4 am on September 17, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Work began yesterday to right the stricken Costa Concordia vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012. If the operation is successful, it will then be towed away and scrapped. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later Engineers start to inspect the Costa Concordia after the righting operation on September 18, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. The vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012, was successfully righted during a painstaking operation yesterday morning. The ship will eventually be towed away and scrapped. It was the first time the procedure, known as parbuckling, had been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later ISOLA DEL GIGLIO, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 18: Engineers start to inspect the Costa Concordia after the righting operation on September 18, 2013 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. The vessel, which sank on January 12, 2012, was successfully righted during a painstaking operation yesterday morning. The ship will eventually be towed away and scrapped. It was the first time the procedure, known as parbuckling, had been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia. (Photo by Marco Secchi/Getty Images) (Marco Secchi/Getty Images)

10 years later A team of experts go to inspect the wreck of the ship Costa Concordia on January 23, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Today, for the first time since the ship's fatal 2012 accident, a delegation will board the vessel to collect new evidence, among the areas of interest will be the ship's bridge and the on-board elevators with the emergency generator which failed the night of the crash to be inspected on February 27th. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later A view of the wrecked ship Costa Concordia after the inspection on January 23, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Today, for the first time since the ship's fatal 2012 accident, a delegation will board the vessel to collect new evidence, among the areas of interest will be the ship's bridge and the on-board elevators with the emergency generator which failed the night of the crash to be inspected on February 27th. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The wrecked ship Costa Concordia is seen after the successfully refloating operations on July 14, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. On the first day of the operation, the wreck will be partially refloated by 2 meters from the platforms that support it and will be moved approximately 30 meters to the east. The wreck will then be kept in position by tugs and moored by anchors aft, with steel cables. The refloating operation is expected to take up to a week before being towed to the port of Genoa for dismantling. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The wrecked ship Costa Concordia is seen after the successful refloating operations on July 14, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. On the first day of the operation, the wreck will be partially refloated by 2 meters from the platforms that support it and will be moved approximately 30 meters to the east. The wreck will then be kept in position by tugs and moored by anchors aft, with steel cables. The refloating operation is expected to take up to a week before being towed to the port of Genoa for dismantling. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The wrecked ship Costa Concordia is seen during the refloating operations on July 14, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. On the first day of the operation, the wreck will be partially refloated by 2 meters from the platforms that support it and will then be moved approximately 30 meters to the east. The wreck will be held in position by tugs and moored by anchors with steel cables. The refloating operation is expected to take up to a week before the wreck is towed to the port of Genoa for dismantling. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The inscription Costa Concordia is visible from the bow of the wrecked cruise ship as it sits in the water during the last stage of the refloating operation on July 21, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Technicians are working to finish the refloat of the ship and aim to start towing the ship to the port of Genoa for dismantling on Wednesday, July 23. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The inscription Costa Concordia is visible from the submerged port side of the wrecked cruise ship as it sits in the water during the last stage of refloating operation on July 21, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. Technicians are working to finish the refloat of the ship and aim to start towing the ship to the port of Genoa for dismantling on Wednesday, July 23. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later The Control Room is seen on the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia towed by tugs from Giglio in the open sea after being refloated, on July 23, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. The ship is bound for its homeport of Genoa where it will be dismantled. The Costa Concordia capsized at the island of Giglio in 2012 killing 32 passengers. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later Titan Senior Salvage Master Nick Sloane is seen with his badge for the last time in Giglio Porto before the departure of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia, on July 23, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. The ship is bound for it's home port of Genoa where it will be dismantled. The Costa Concordia capsized at the island of Giglio in 2012 killing 32 passengers. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later Titan Senior Salvage Master Nick Sloane check the tugs before the departure of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia, on July 23, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. The ship is bound for its home port of Genoa where it will be dismantled. The Costa Concordia capsized at the island of Giglio in 2012 killing 32 passengers. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later People attend a mass at San Lorenzo Church during the commemorations to mark ten years since the Concordia disaster on January 13, 2022 in Giglio Porto, Italy. Regarded as one of the worst maritime disasters of the 21st century, 32 people were killed after the Costa Concordia cruise ship hit a rock near the Island of Giglio and sunk on 13 January 2012. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

10 years later Memorabilia are seen during the commemorations to mark ten years since the Concordia disaster on January 13, 2022 in Giglio Porto, Italy. Regarded as one of the worst maritime disasters of the 21st century, 32 people were killed after the Costa Concordia cruise ship hit a rock near the island of Giglio and sunk on 13 January 2012. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images) (Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s conditional sailing order is set to expire on Jan. 15, but the agency has already unveiled a new “voluntary” program for the cruise industry.

“The good news is there are protocols, there is testing and it’s working,” Murray said.

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The port will miss out on a few sailings this month, but very soon a new ship will be arriving ahead of schedule. The Carnival Liberty begins sailings on Jan. 24.

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