Guests booked on a February 2023 Grandeur of the Seas sailing were recently informed by Royal Caribbean that the ship’s itinerary would be modified due to a technical issue with one of the ship’s engines. In a letter sent to guests, the cruise line informed guests of revised departure timings, a canceled port call, and changed timings in port.
The Grandeur of the Seas has encountered technical issues before. In August 2019, a propulsion system malfunction forced the ship to return to port for emergency repairs, resulting in the cancellation of a five-night cruise to Bermuda.
Engine Issues Impact Grandeur of the Seas Itinerary
Engine problems onboard the Grandeur of the Seas have forced Royal Caribbean to make several changes to the February 10, 2023 cruise sailing from PortMiami in Florida.
The modified itinerary for the February 10 sailing includes an earlier departure from Miami, with the ship now departing at 3:30 PM instead of 5:00 PM. Additionally, the planned stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been canceled, and the stay in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, will be shorter.
In the letter, the cruise line stated: “Due to speed limitations caused by a technical issue with one of the ship’s engines, we’ve had to modify our itinerary. We’ll now depart from Miami, Florida, at 3:30 PM, instead of 5:00 PM. Additionally, we’ll now have a Sea Day instead of visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico. While we will lose a little time in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, we’ve added extra time to explore Labadee, Haiti.”
The Grandeur of the Seas will now sail from PortMiami on February 10. The first port of call is Peurto Plata in the Dominican Republic, followed by a shortened call to St Croix on February 13. The call to St. Kitts will proceed as planned on February 14, as will the call to St Maarten the next day.
On February 16, the vessel will remain at sea instead of visiting Puerto Rico. Finally, the vessel will have a slightly extended stay in Labadee, Haiti, and return to Miami on February 19.
Grandeur of the Seas Previous Issues
The Grandeur of the Seas is a Vision-class cruise ship. The vessel is 73,817 gross tons and is the oldest cruise ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet. She was christened on December 13, 1996, and has space for 1,992 guests at double occupancy.
Whether it is due to her age, or other issues, one thing is sure. This is not the first time Royal Caribbean has been forced to change the Grandeur of the Seas itinerary.
In August 2019, A technical issue with Grandeur of the Seas’ propulsion system forced the cruise line to abandon a five-night cruise to Bermuda so the ship could return to port for emergency repairs.
Online reports also indicate that the reduced speed of the vessel is not a new occurrence, with the ship typically operating at about 18-19 knots on a typical voyage.
Passengers booked on other recent Grandeur of the Seas sailings have also reported adjusted itineraries due to engine issues. However, Royal Caribbean has also changed the departure time for the February 24 sailing to 3:30 PM, and the cruise ship will sail the same itinerary again on March 10.
