As the tensions in Israel continue, Royal Caribbean International has elected to fully cancel the remainder of the season for Rhapsody of the Seas, which is currently homeported from Haifa, Israel. A total of seven sailings are impacted, and booked guests will be receiving refunds for their now-cancelled cruises.

Sailings Cancelled for Rhapsody of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International has updated its travel alert regarding Israel, now cancelling a total of seven sailings for the Vision-class Rhapsody of the Seas.

“We’ve been closely monitoring the geopolitical situation in Israel. With your safety and well-being in mind, and in conjunction with our Global Security Department, we’ve decided that we must cancel our upcoming Rhapsody of the Seas 2023 sailings,” the notification reads.

The complete list of impacted departure dates are: October 9, 13, 18, 23, and 27, as well as the November 1 and November 6 sailings.

All but the November 6 sailing were to have been 4- or 5-night roundtrip Greek Isles voyages calling on ports such as Limassol, Rhodes, Ayia Napa, and Santorini, depending on the exact departure date.

The November 6, 2023 cruise is the ship’s one-way departure from Israel to Barcelona, a 6-night sailing visiting Santorini and Palma de Mallorca along the way.

On Sunday, November 12, Rhapsody of the Seas will depart Barcelona on a 14-night, one-way transatlantic cruise to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, the ship will offer one short 3-night Bahamas cruise before moving to offer Southern Caribbean cruises from Colon, Panama and Cartagena, Colombia (with options for departures from both ports).

Refunds to Be Processed

All guests on the now-cancelled cruises from Haifa will receive full, 100% refunds of their cruise fare as well as associated taxes and fees. Any pre-paid, Royal Caribbean add-ons will also be fully refunded, including gratuities, drink or dining packages, shore tours, flights purchased through the cruise line, or Royal Caribbean Travel Protection.

Refunds will be processed back to the payment information on file within 14 business days, but the cruise line does note that some financial institutions may take longer to reinstate funds. This could be especially true for Israel-based banks.

“Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. And again, we apologize for this cancellation and any inconvenience caused by this,” the notification concludes.

If guests have made independent arrangements with tour operators, airlines, or other services, they will need to contact those providers separately to arrange for refunds or to investigate other options as available.

If travelers had used any Royal Caribbean future cruise credit (FCC) to pay for a now-cancelled cruise or related amenities, that original FCC will be reinstated and any additional charges will be refunded as described.

Other Royal Caribbean Ships and Brands Also Making Changes

Royal Caribbean International has also adjusted two sailings on the Quantum-Ultra-class Odyssey of the Seas to avoid Israel, substituting ports in Turkey and Cyprus instead.

Furthermore, Celebrity Apex has also adjusted its current itinerary, a 10-night Israel, Egypt, and Mediterranean sailing, to avoid both Israel and Egypt because of the regional violence. Celebrity Cruises is a sister line to Royal Caribbean International as both are owned by the Royal Caribbean Group, though they are operated independently.

TUI Cruises, another cruise line owned in part by the Royal Caribbean Group, has also cancelled calls to Israel for the next few weeks.

Any guests booked for a cruise visit to Israel in the next few weeks or months will want to stay in close contact with their cruise line – whether or not they are part of the Royal Caribbean Group – for updates on any itinerary changes, port adjustments, or outright cancellations at this troubled time.

Royal Caribbean International has shortened the amount of time guests booking longer sailings have to pay off their cruises by adjusting the final payment due date to 120 days before sailing. This only impacts longer cruises, and guests who already have bookings reserved will have no changes to their payment schedule, as only new cruise bookings are affected.

Payment Date Changes for Longer Cruises

Guests who book a longer voyage with Royal Caribbean International will now need to have their cruise fully paid four months before they set sail. The cruise line has implemented the new policy immediately for all sailings of 15 nights or longer, and has reached out to guests booked on longer sailings to notify them of the change.

“As of today, guests will now have up until 120 days prior to sailing to make their final payment for sailings that are 15 nights or greater,” the notification read.

It must be noted, however, that guests who already have confirmed bookings with the cruise line – with their deposits already paid – are not impacted by this change, regardless of when their cruise sets sail. The new final payment date is only in effect for new bookings moving forward.

Previously, final payment for longer cruises was due 90 days prior to sailing. This applied to all sailings of five nights or longer, while shorter 1-4 night cruises had to make final payment no later than 75 days before setting sail.

At this time, there is no change to final payment dates for any shorter sailings – only cruises of 15 nights or longer are affected.

Which Cruises Are Impacted?

Unlike luxury or expedition cruise lines that regularly offer lengthy sailings, Royal Caribbean does not offer such long sailings frequently. When 15+ night cruises are on offer, they are often repositioning sailings between cruise season, such as Brilliance of the Seas‘ current voyage, a 17-night transpacific cruise as the ship moves from Alaska to Australia.

Similarly, Radiance of the Seas is currently sailing a 16-night Panama Canal cruise as part of her repositioning from Alaska to Florida. That cruise has been affected by poor weather, tidal schedules, and other factors that have already cancelled a port of call.

On October 15, Anthem of the Seas will set sail on a 15-night transatlantic cruise from Southampton to New York as the ship finishes her European season and moves to the Big Apple to offer winter cruises to the Bahamas.

Why the Change?

There has been no explanation given about why Royal Caribbean has adjusted final payment dates, but it may be a deterrent for last-minute cruise cancellations.

Because these longer sailings are offered less frequently, they often sell out quickly as bookings fill up a year or more before the ship sets sail. Some travelers, however, may hold off on final payment until the last minute in case their plans change or they find a better option.

If those individuals do end up cancelling just 90 days before the departure date, it can be difficult for the cruise line to sell those cabins at such relatively short notice. Most travelers booking last-minute cruises are booking shorter sailings such as weekend getaways, not cruises that require two weeks or more off work and away from other commitments.

Deposits Also Increasing

Along with the change in timing for the final payment date, Royal Caribbean is also increasing the per person deposit amounts necessary to reserve a booking on these longer sailings.

Depending on the type of reservation made and any special deals applied to the fare price, deposits may be non-refundable. Higher deposit requirements, therefore, could be yet another type of deterrent against bookings being cancelled.

Currently, the deposit required for cruises of 10 nights or longer is $450 per traveler, and while the notification sent to guests does state “there will be a higher deposit amount required, per person, for new bookings made for sailings that are 15 nights or greater after today,” the amount of that new deposit has not been disclosed.

Any cruise traveler interested in a longer sailing with Royal Caribbean should carefully note the terms and conditions of their booking to be sure they understand these updated deposit amounts, when final payment is due, and potential cancellation penalties.

Following the recent cancellation of two Haifa, Israel departures for Rhapsody of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International has opted to cancel an additional sailing as the ongoing tensions in the region show no sign of relaxing.

The October 18, 2023 departure is now cancelled, and impacted guests are being contacted with further details.

Rhapsody of the Seas Cruise Cancelled

Royal Caribbean International has announced that the Wednesday, October 18, 2023 departure for Rhapsody of the Seas is now completely cancelled. Just days ago, the cruise line initially cancelled the October 9 and October 13 sailings as violence broke out in the region.

The October 18 cruise was to have been a 5-night Greek Islands cruise, roundtrip from Haifa, Israel and calling on Limassol, Cyprus and both Rhodes and Santorini in Greece before returning to Haifa on Monday, October 23.

“We know how much time and effort go into planning your cruise, and we’re truly sorry for this disappointing news,” the notification from Royal Caribbean read.

All guests will be receiving a 100% refund of their cruise fare, taxes, and fees. Furthermore, all pre-paid packages and amenities such as gratuities, beverage packages, shore tours, spa treatments, and onboard gifts will also be fully refunded, as will any flights booked through Royal Caribbean as well as Royal Caribbean Travel Protection.

Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment within 14 business days, but guests should note that some financial institutions may take longer to make those returned funds available.

If guests used a future cruise credit (FCC) to pay for the cruise, any new funds above that credit amount will be refunded, and the original FCC will be reinstated for use.

Travelers who have made independent flight, hotel, tour, or other arrangements will need to contact their travel agent or individual tour operators or service providers for cancellation and refund options, if applicable.

Will Future Cruises Be Cancelled?

The 78,878-gross-ton, Vision-class Rhapsody of the Seas is currently homeported from Haifa, Israel, but only has a few sailings left in the season before repositioning. Still intact are the ship’s October 23 and 27 departures, as well as the November 1 departure. Each of those cruises is a roundtrip voyage from Haifa.

On Monday, November 6, 2023, the ship is scheduled to depart Haifa with a one-way voyage to Barcelona, visiting Santorini and Palm de Mallorca along the way. From Barcelona, Rhapsody of the Seas is set for a 14-night transatlantic cruise to Fort Lauderdale departing November 12, visiting ports in Spain, the Canary Islands, and the Bahamas before arriving in Florida on November 26.

From Fort Lauderdale, the ship will offer a single short Bahamas cruise before relocating to Colon, Panama, where she will remain homeported for the winter, offering Southern Caribbean sailings.

It is possible that the remaining cruises from Israel may yet be cancelled, depending on how the ongoing violence progresses in the coming days. Guests booked on those upcoming sailings should stay in close contact with their travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to ensure they receive updates and notifications.

Other Cruise Lines Cancelling as Well

In addition to the cancellations for Rhapsody of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has also adjusted the itinerary for Odyssey of the Seas to avoid Israel.

Several other cruise lines have cancelled either port visits to Israel or cruises departing from the nation for the time being. MSC Cruises has cancelled several sailings and visits by MSC Musica and MSC Sinfonia, and Celebrity Cruises has adjusted two itineraries for Celebrity Apex to avoid port visits in both Israel and Egypt.

Likewise, luxury line Celestyal Cruises has removed all calls in Israel through the end of November. For now, any cruise travelers with visits planned for Israel in the next few weeks and months should stay alert for itinerary changes and adjustments.

Guests booked aboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas‘ January 7, 2024 departure are being notified of an itinerary change for an unusual reason. Instead of weather concerns, port conditions, propulsion issues, or other common reasons for a schedule change, the ship is being rerouted to a different port for refueling.

With this schedule adjustment, one port of call is changed completely and others are reordered for a more efficient route.

Wonder of the Seas Itinerary Change

The Oasis-class Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise departing Port Canaveral, Florida on January 7, 2024. The cruise length and overall sailing region is unchanged, but the ship will no longer be visiting St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and will instead visit San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“To assist in the refueling process, we’ll now visit San Juan, Puerto Rico instead of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas,” the email to guests explained. “Additionally, we’ve swapped the days we’ll visit Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. This means we’ll still enjy these beautiful destinations – just in a different order!”

The original itinerary called for the first day of the cruise to be spent at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas, followed by a day at sea before arriving in St. Thomas on January 10. St. Maarten followed on January 11, then two full days at sea before returning to Port Canaveral on January 14.

Now, the ship will first enjoy two days at sea and St. Maarten will be the first port of call on January 10, followed by San Juan on January 11. After another day at sea, the ship will spend January 13 at CocoCay before arriving back at Port Canaveral as originally scheduled on Sunday, January 14.

Wonder of the Seas will remain the largest cruise ship in the world until her fleet mate, Icon of the Seas, debuts in late January 2024. The 236,857-gross-ton Wonder of the Seas can welcome 5,734 guests at double occupancy, or up to 6,988 travelers when fully booked.

Shore Excursion Adjustments

All pre-paid shore tours booked through Royal Caribbean for the now-cancelled visit to St. Thomas are being automatically refunded to guests’ original form of payment. If travelers have booked independent tours, they should contact their tour operator or travel agent for cancellation options or rescheduling for the shifted visit days at other ports.

Tours for both CocoCay and St. Maarten are being appropriately rescheduled for the correct day and time for the adjusted itinerary.

As a matter of note, in addition to the day changes, the port time for CocoCay has been shifted by one hour and Wonder of the Seas will now be in port from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. as originally scheduled.

Guests should also note that according to the original schedule, Wonder of the Seas was to have been the only ship visiting CocoCay on January 8, but will now be joined by Freedom of the Seas on January 13. It is possible that Freedom of the Seas‘ schedule may be shifted in the weeks to come in order to provide a more exclusive experience for all visitors.

The time in St. Maarten has not been changed and remains from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., albeit on Wednesday rather than Thursday.

Wonder of the Seas is currently homeported year-round from Port Canaveral, offering alternating Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean 7-night sailings, all of which call on CocoCay.

While the adjusted itinerary is an Eastern Caribbean cruise, the Western Caribbean voyages call on Cozumel, Roatan, and Costa Maya along with CocoCay.