Cruise ship operator Royal Caribbean International has scrapped plans to bring two of its liners to the island over the summer.

Freedom of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas were scheduled to make 21 visits each to Bermuda from July to October.

But the RCI website said both itineraries have been cancelled.

The company also planned to have a third vessel – Vision of the Seas – home ported in Bermuda over the summer.

But the plan was shelved two weeks ago after RCI claimed that it was confident that ships would be granted permission to sail out of US ports instead.

The American Centres for Disease Control had earlier blocked US-based liners from cruising, but restrictions have gradually been eased.

The CDC announced last week that vessels could resume sailing from US ports if they successfully completed a simulation cruise.

But RCI has now pulled the plug on its Bermuda itinerary because it had to reshuffle its summer schedule.

The company website said: “While Royal Caribbean is able to restart operations on seven ships this summer, a number of other ships are now cancelled since their restart will take longer.”

Freedom of the Seas will now spend the summer cruising to the Bahamas and Enchantment of the Seas is not scheduled to sail at all.

Another cruise operator, Norwegian Cruise Line, has confirmed three visits later this year.

Norwegian Breakaway will berth in Dockyard for two nights at the end of September and sister ship, Norwegian Gem, will make two visits in December.