With simply days to go earlier than Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas is because of embark on a crusing to Bermuda on Could 24, 2025, it’s a bit late within the sport to be altering journey plans.
However with the 5-night cruise overbooked, the cruise line is making some hard-to-refuse provides to passengers who’re keen to cancel or change to a special crusing.
“Forward of our Liberty of the Seas, Could 24, 2025, crusing, we need to see if you happen to and your journey get together have versatile journey plans. In case your plans are set in stone, please mark this electronic mail as “Learn”, and kit up in your upcoming journey,” Royal Caribbean wrote to booked friends.
“In case your journey plans are versatile, you might be able to reap the benefits of our particular supply,” the attractive message continued.
The primary possibility is for friends to switch to a special, pre-selected 2025 voyage – which incorporates 9-night sailings to Bermuda onboard Liberty of the Seas and 7-night cruises to the Bahamas and Good Day at CocoCay onboard Symphony of the Seas.
The entire chosen cruises set sail from Cape Liberty Bayonne in New Jersey – which is the place the overbooked voyage is predicated.
In appreciation of friends’ flexibility, they may obtain a 100% refund for his or her authentic crusing and the switch will come at no extra value – so they might basically be getting a free, longer cruise.
Along with the cruise fare, friends who select this feature may also be reimbursed for any non-refundable, pre-purchased journey bills, comparable to airfare and resort stays.
The second possibility is to cancel outright for a 100% refund and 100% future cruise credit score to e book an alternate Royal Caribbean crusing that embarks on or earlier than Could 24, 2026.
As soon as once more, any extra non-refundable journey bills will likely be refunded as a part of this supply.
Why Does This Maintain Occurring?
Whereas friends aren’t normally impacted by overbooking, the observe is frequent within the cruise business – because it permits cruise traces to maximise their occupancy and income even when some passengers cancel or “no present” on the final minute.
However for sailings that happen throughout peak season – comparable to round spring and summer time break – or with significantly thrilling itineraries, there could be extra demand than the model was anticipating.
Fortunately, sufficient friends normally take the cruise line up on their provides in order that the passengers who stay onboard can nonetheless get pleasure from their trip as they usually would.
Royal Caribbean followers may additionally be feeling a little bit of déjà vu proper about now – as this isn’t the primary time this 12 months that the cruise line has needed to attraction to friends on oversold voyages.
It occurred first for Attract of the Seas’ April 24, 2025, voyage – which was a 7-night Western Mediterranean crusing that was based mostly in Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.
Company had been once more given the choice to change to a special crusing and obtain a full refund or to cancel and obtain a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit score.
However on this case, friends in balcony cabins had been additionally given an extra choice to downgrade their stateroom class to sail in an inside stateroom – which might once more lead to a 100% refund.
Learn Additionally: Royal Caribbean Facilities You Ought to Pre-Ebook
Much more lately, Attract of the Seas’ Could 15, 2025, cruise from Rome discovered itself overbooked – and friends got the identical three choices because the Oasis-class vessel’s earlier packed crusing.
They might downgrade from a balcony cabin to an inside stateroom (this time for a full refund and a $200 onboard credit score!), change to a special crusing and obtain a full refund, or cancel their cruise to obtain a refund and a 100% future cruise credit score.
