Royal Caribbean International cancelled a series of cruises that were scheduled to take place onboard the Freedom of the Seas during the summer of 2027.
According to a report by The Independent, over 20 itineraries scheduled between May and September 2027 were cancelled.
The Freedom-class vessel was set to offer itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from PortMiami.
The five- to nine-night cruises were highlighted by visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay, in addition to destinations in the Southern Caribbean and the Dominican Republic.
In statements sent to affected guests, Royal Caribbean said that the cancellations were related to its “ongoing itinerary planning process.”
“Sometimes (it) requires flexibility due to scheduling, port agreements or operational needs,” the company explained.
“We know how much effort goes into planning your vacation and apologize for the inconvenience,” Royal Caribbean added.
Affected passengers are being offered a range of options, including moving their bookings to similar sailings in the Caribbean or receiving full refunds.
If moving to a cruise of equal length or longer, guests’ original stateroom category price will either be protected or reduced to the current cruise fare, the company said.
When moving to a shorter sailing, passengers will have their cruise fare adjusted to the current cruise fare or prorated for the change in sailing nights, considering whichever option results in a lesser fare.
Royal Caribbean stated that if guests choose a new sailing length, they will receive a refund for the fare difference if they have already paid in full and end up with a lower fare.
“Deployment planning is dynamic and regularly reviewed based on demand, capacity requirements and broader fleet considerations,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told The Independent.
The UK-based news source added that the Freedom of the Seas will be redeployed to Southampton during the timeframe.
As reported by Cruise Industry News, Royal Caribbean’s original deployment plans for the 2027 season in Europe included the Mariner of the Seas sailing from Southampton.
Based on the port for the first time, the Voyager-class vessel is set to offer cruises to destinations in Northern and Western Europe.
