Royal Caribbean will need a little more time to finish scheduled work on Serenade of the Seas.
Serenade of the Seas was originally built in 2003, and is scheduled for dry dock maintenance in March 2025. Royal Caribbean routinely dry docks its ships approximately every five years to ensure the vessels operate at the highest standards.
These routine repairs also ensure Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships continue to sail safely. Most often, Royal Caribbean’s ships go into dry dock in Cadiz, Spain before returning to service.
Guests cruising on the March 9, 2025 sailing onboard Serenade of the Seas received an email from Royal Caribbean that their sailing has been cancelled due to unforeseen repair needs.
The cruise line stated, “We have discovered that Serenade of the Seas requires additional servicing beyond planned repairs and maintenance, which extends her currently scheduled dry dock period.”
“To ensure that we meet our high standards, and due to the availability at the shipyard, we must advance the dry dock schedule. As a result, we’ll be canceling our upcoming March 9, 2025, sailing,” continued the cruise line.
Serenade of the Seas is currently sailing in the Caribbean with itineraries throughout February 2025. The vessel is scheduled to sail on February 28, 2025 on a 9-night sailing to Panama and Costa Rica from Tampa, Florida. The round-trip sailing ends back in Florida on March 9, 2025.
Now, Serenade of the Seas will head to her dry dock earlier than anticipated. It’s likely that she will embark on a transatlantic sailing to Spain following the conclusion of her February 28, 2025 cruise; however, this has not been confirmed by the cruise line.
The next sailing on Serenade of the Seas after her dry dock is scheduled for April 13, 2025. The 16-night Panama Canal cruise itinerary, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and ends in Los Angeles, California, has not been impacted at this time.
Guests affected by the cancelled cruise have been offered three alternative options, along with compensation for the last-minute change. Royal Caribbean has set a deadline of February 5, 2025, for guests to make their selection.
“Thank you for understanding, and we hope you find another cruise with us. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or looking to explore, relax, and recharge, we have no doubt your time with us will be nothing short of amazing,” concluded Royal Caribbean at the bottom of its email.
Alternative Itineraries
In the email to impacted guests, Royal Caribbean expressed its regret for needing to cancel the sailing due to the unforeseen repair needs. However, alternative itineraries were provided for guests to choose during the similar timeframe.
The email reads, “We’re truly sorry for the impact that this has on your vacation plans. The time and effort you took to plan your cruise is important to us, so we’ve put together some alternate options that we hope will work for you and those in your party.”
In the communication, Royal Caribbean provided impacted guests with other itinerary options to choose from. These include the following sailings on other Royal Caribbean ships:
Enchantment of the Seas (From Tampa, Florida):
• 4-night cruises visiting Cozumel, Mexico (March 6th or March 20th).
• 5-night cruises visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico (March 1st, 10th, 24th, or 29th).
Grandeur of the Seas (From Fort Lauderdale, Florida):
• 5-night cruises visiting Labadee, Haiti, and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (March 2nd or 30th).
Voyager of the Seas (From Port Canaveral, Florida):
• 5-night cruise visiting Nassau, Bahamas, and Labadee, Haiti (March 22nd).
Guests that choose to book one of these alternative itineraries will be compensated with onboard credit for the inconvenience.
Royal Caribbean states that guests who choose a 5-night sailing will have their original stateroom category price either protected at the original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower).
If guests choose a 4-night sailing, their cruise fare will either be adjusted to the new cruise fare rate or prorated for the change in sailing nights, whichever option results in a lesser fare. Any overage will be refunded to impacted guests.
Guests that were already paid in full that have a newly reduced cruise fare will be provided with a refund for any price difference.
Onboard credit will be allocated to “sweeten the deal” based on cabin category, along with additional credit for each guest in the stateroom:
• $150 USD for Interior
• $200 USD for Ocean View
• $250 USD for Balcony
• $400 USD for Suites
• Plus $50 USD per additional guest in the same stateroom.
Cruisers will also be reimbursed for any non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees that are incurred. This includes flight, train ticket, or rental car fees. Royal Caribbean states they will cover up to $200 USD per guest for domestic changes and up to $400 USD per passenger for international changes. Guests must upload receipts for review and reimbursement.
Additional Options
If the alternative sailings do not work, Royal Caribbean will allow impacted guests to rebook another sailing with the cruise line. Any non-refundable deposit change fees will be waived for these guests.
The cruise line states, “Please know, you’ll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities (where applicable), and other non-cruise fare items. If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference.”
These guests will also receive reimbursement for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees that might be incurred for flights, train tickets, or rental cars. Again, Royal Caribbean will cover up to $200 USD per guest for domestic changes and up to $400 USD per guest for international changes.
Finally, guests that do not want to rebook have the option to cancel fully for a refund. Royal Caribbean stated, “If you can’t find a new itinerary that works for you and choose to cancel, we’ll be sad to see you go, but hope you’ll come back soon.”
“If rebooking doesn’t suit your plans, you can cancel your reservation for a full refund and receive a 20% Future Cruise Credit based on the amount you paid.”
Guests using Future Cruise Credit on the sailing will receive a refund for any new funds paid above the certificate amount and a new certificate will be issued. Those who booked airfare with Royal Caribbean will have flights automatically refunded.
For guests wishing to cancel, Royal Caribbean says no action needs to be taken. Those who do not make a decision by February 5, 2025 will have their reservation cancelled and refunded with Future Cruise Credit issued.
“As we work to complete these updates, you may see no action has been taken after the deadline has passed. Not to worry, we’ll update your booking accordingly,” confirmed the cruise line.
