Royal Caribbean has informed guests booked on a sailing onboard the world’s largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas, that their cruise has been oversold. Guests have been given the option to remain on the sailing or reschedule or cancel their cruise. 

Wonder of the Seas Overbooked, Again

Wonder of the Seas has been overbooked for the third time this year, with Royal Caribbean International again saying the overbooking was due to an unexpected inventory error, the same reason the cruise line gave in December 2022 and March 2023.

The affected cruise is a 7-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day sailing, scheduled from April 30 to May 7, 2023, from Port Canaveral, Florida, with stops in Coco Cay, Bahamas; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Royal Caribbean sent a letter to guests booked onboard the affected April 30 sailing, informing them of the error, and stating the following: 

“We’re sorry to inform you that due to an unexpected inventory error, your scheduled Wonder of the Seas April 30th, 2023 sailing is currently oversold. We’re aware that this may cause disruption to your booking, so if your travel plans are flexible, you may be able to take advantage of our special offer.”

The 236,857 gross tons Wonder of the Seas can accommodate 5,734 guests based on double occupancy. When all berths are filled to maximum capacity, the ship can host as many as 7,084 guests.

Options Offered to Guests

Guests have been offered three options: reschedule to a different sailing of the Wonder of the Seas and receive a full refund; cancel, and receive a full refund and future cruise credit; or remain booked on the April 30 sailing if they are unable or not willing to reschedule.

For those willing to reschedule, Royal Caribbean has provided two alternative sailings onboard the ship: July 9, 2023, or an August 20, 2023, 7-Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day sailing. Both sailings offer the same itinerary, with calls to Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Bahamas; St Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Alternatively, guests who choose to cancel will receive a 100% refund and a 100% Future Cruise Credit to book an alternate Royal Caribbean sailing. The Future Cruise Credit must be used for a new booking by April 30th, 2024.

Guests who used a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to pay for their reservation will have any new funds paid above the certificate amount refunded, and the original FCC will be reinstated and remain valid for a year from issuance.

Past Overbooking Incidents with Wonder of the Seas

Overbooking issues have occurred previously with the Wonder of the Seas. Earlier this year, the company apologized to guests who had booked a cruise sailing on March 12, 2023, for overselling the cruise during the busy and popular Spring Break period. 

Another overbooking incident took place in December 2022. Guests booked on the December 11, 2022, sailing of the Wonder of the Seas were informed that their cabins were not available.

On all three occasions, Royal Caribbean told guests just days before sailing and said the overbooking was due to unexpected inventory errors, language that Royal Caribbean uses more often when overbooking. 

What an “unexpected inventory error” is, is not clear, but it could be due to several factors, such as technical difficulties with the cruise line’s booking engine or website, miscommunication for group bookings, or other causes.

This is similar to another recent Royal Caribbean International oversold situation for an August cruise aboard the Vision-class Rhapsody of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean International has committed to vigorous environmental standards for its new Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island in Nassau, The Bahamas. The cruise line has outlined six cornerstones of its plan, each of which follows strong sustainability standards and meets the stringent environmental guidelines of The Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean Reveals Environmental Plans for Royal Beach Club

Great interest is growing in Royal Caribbean’s new Royal Beach Club, a 17-acre private resort scheduled to open on Paradise Island in 2025. Now, the cruise line has announced its environmental initiatives for the property, a series of six sustainability cornerstones.

Zero Waste-to-Landfill

First, the beach club will be free of all single-use plastics (straws, cups, utensils, stirrers, etc.) and will offer compostable items instead for all food and beverage venues. Furthermore, biodigesters will be used to reduce food and other organic waste to minimize refuse altogether.

Part of reducing food waste will be processing cooking oil into biodiesel for energy production, and other recyclables will be processed through local Bahamian companies focused on waste reduction.

100% Renewable Energy by 2030

In less than five years, Royal Caribbean has committed to have a net-zero carbon footprint for the Royal Beach Club. Innovations to reach this goal include utilizing natural shade as part of temperature regulation, installing low flow filters, and investing in other renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and hydro energy onsite and through partnerships with local companies.

No Dredging and No Overwater Cabanas

Ocean conservation is of high importance to all cruise lines, and Royal Caribbean is ensuring the ocean is preserved at the Royal Beach Club property by avoiding all dredging in and around Paradise Island, as well as not building any overwater cabanas. This will ensure protection of coral beds and marine life, and preserve the environment for all to enjoy for amazing snorkeling, diving, and other fun.

Furthermore, any temporary structures during the construction period, such as a floating pier, will be closely monitored and adjusted as necessary to ensure minimal impact.

Best Wastewater Treatment

A best-in-class wastewater treatment plant will service the Royal Beach Club property, processing 100% of wastewater generated onsite so there is no hazardous transportation to be concerned about. More than 95% of the treated water will be reused for appropriate purposes, and remaining byproducts after treatment will be composted for landscaping use right on the property.

Habitat Protection

The Bahamas has a unique and delicate ecosystem, and Royal Caribbean has pledged to help restore and protect it as part of the Royal Beach Club project. The western end of Paradise Island has several former residential properties neglected or abandoned, and these will be demolished and the native vegetation restored as invasive or non-native plant species are removed.

As the cruise line builds new structures for the resort, buildings will only be raised on previously altered property or areas with significant invasive or non-native species of plants.

Not only plants, but wildlife will also be monitored and protected during construction and the eventual operation of the property, which can help preserve the amazing biodiversity of the unique nation.

Local Monitoring

To avoid any hint of impropriety with how each environmental commitment is implemented, Royal Caribbean will use a Bahamian company to oversee all environmental monitoring and publicly report their findings. This will ensure that all interested parties remain informed and are able to stay abreast of new developments as the project proceeds.

Local Connections

With so many Bahamian connections from the very inception of the new development, Royal Caribbean International is clearly demonstrating its desire to work with local agencies and keep the best interests of The Bahamas in mind.

The public-private partnership between the cruise line and the island nation can be a productive one for both sides, while creating an amazing new property which will showcase not only the best type of beach vacation, but also the vibrant culture and and spirit of The Bahamas.

Planned to open in 2025 (an exact date has not yet been announced), the new resort is sure to be as popular and enjoyable as CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s complete private island in The Bahamas, located just 75 sailing miles (120 kilometers) from where Royal Beach Club will take shape.

Guests currently onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas have reported a man overboard alert, and tracking data shows the ship had paused for search operations in the past few hours.

This story is developing and more details will be added when confirmed.

Overboard Reported From Quantum of the Seas

UPDATE: Local news reports confirm that it is a male Australian passenger who has gone overboard from Quantum of the Seas. For privacy, the passenger’s name has not been revealed. The US Coast Guard has dispatched a Hercules helicopter to assist in search efforts, and a call has also gone out to the US Navy for further assistance.

The “oscar oscar oscar” alert was called aboard Quantum of the Seas shortly before midnight, late in the night of Tuesday, April 25, 2023 (local time). This alert signifies a person has gone overboard the ship, and emergency procedures are activated for search and rescue.

The cruise ship slowed and returned to the area of the alert before lowering several boats to the water to search for the person. Tracking data shows Quantum of the Seas diverting from her planned route approximately 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) south of Hawaii.

Guests onboard have reported that several announcements were made for a passenger to call Guest Services, which is one of the first steps to attempt to locate a missing person suspected to have gone overboard.

There is no confirmation at this time, however, whether the individual involved is a passenger or a crew member, nor are there any details of the individual’s gender, age, or the circumstances of the possible overboard.

The ship has now resumed course for Kona, Hawaii at a speed of 19 knots (22 miles per hour / 35 kilometers per hour).

The Current Sailing

Quantum of the Seas is currently sailing a 16-night, one-way cruise from Brisbane to Honolulu. The ship left Australia on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 with two port visits in French Polynesia before enjoying six days at sea on the way to Kona, Hawaii, where she is expected to arrive on April 27. The ship will conclude the cruise in Honolulu on Friday, April 28.

The overboard alert occurred during the fifth day at sea between French Polynesia and Hawaii. Because of the isolation of the area, search efforts will undoubtedly be challenging, but the proper authorities will be alerted to the situation.

At this time, there is no expected delay to Quantum of the Seas‘ itinerary or her arrival in Hawaii, as it is easy for cruise ships to make up time during days at sea.

Cruise ships have a number of procedures to activate in case of an overboard alarm, including reviewing security footage onboard and passenger headcounts to attempt to verify whether or not someone is missing.

Quantum of the Seas is repositioning to Seattle for the Alaska sailing season. While the current cruise only takes the ship to Hawaii, the next sailing is a 10-night voyage from Honolulu to Vancouver, and from there the ship will sail a 7-night one-way trip to Seattle, visiting Alaska ports before settling in at her summer homeport.

From Seattle, the 168,666-gross ton cruise ship will offer 7-night roundtrip “Alaska Adventure” sailings through September, with each cruise calling on popular ports in the Last Frontier such as Sitka, Skagway, and Juneau. In early October, the ship will again reposition back to Brisbane for South Pacific and Australia sailings through the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Quantum of the Seas is the first of the Quantum-class of ships and joined Royal Caribbean in 2014. The ship can welcome 4,180 guests at double occupancy, or as many as 4,905 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled. Onboard, 1,500 international crew members provide excellent service.

Cruise Hive wishes all guests and crew aboard the ship well and hopes the overboard alert may be a false alarm or that the individual is found safely.