Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas opened the 2026-27 cruise season in Dominica on October 8, 2026.

According to Discover Dominica, the opening was celebrated with a special ceremony onboard the vessel while it was docked at the Roseau Cruise Ship Pier.

The event featured remarks from tourism and maritime officials, including representatives of Discover Dominica Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority (DASPA), and the ship’s agent.

The ceremony also included a ceremonial exchange of plaques between Dominica’s authorities and officers from the 1996-built ship.

Discover Dominica said that nearly 270 calls are expected during the season, with more than 475,000 visitors arriving.

“Dominica looks forward to an exciting season of welcoming visitors to the Nature Island and creating opportunities across our tourism sector,” the promotion agency stated.

The Rhapsody of the Seas arrived in Dominica as part of a seven-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean from Puerto Rico.

Sailing roundtrip from San Juan, the itinerary also featured stops at other destinations in the region, including Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas, Philipsburg in St. Maarten and Antigua in St. John’s.

The ship also visited St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands before returning to Puerto Rico on October 10, 2026.

The Rhapsody of the Seas will make regular visits to Dominica during the 2026-27 season, with seven additional calls scheduled through the end of the year.

Royal Caribbean will also visit the Roseau Cruise Ship Pier with the Vision of the Seas and the Explorer of the Seas this winter.

Other cruise lines calling the destination include Costa Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea, Marella Cruises, AIDA Cruises, CFC, Windstar and more.

The season will be highlighted by the debut of the MSC World Europa, which will become the largest ship to visit Dominica after taking over the itineraries in the Caribbean originally announced for the MSC Seaview