Key Aspects:
- Liberty of the Seas has had yet another change for the August 21 sailing and will not visit St. Maarten.
- Guests have been given $150-400 (USD) of onboard credit as compensation, depending on stateroom type.
- Of the ship’s original itinerary, only the visit to San Juan has remained the same through three different changes.
Guests aboard Liberty of the Seas aren’t too happy with their 9-night schedule. The ship’s plans have now changed three different times for two different reasons, the last change happening after guests were already onboard.
The ship’s original itinerary was a Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean sailing. Hurricane Erin made the visit to Bermuda impossible, and as the storm grew, Liberty of the Seas needed to remain in Bayonne, New Jersey, longer than expected.
This made it impossible for the ship to visit Philipsburg, St. Maarten. This meant another port was cancelled.
Several weeks ago, Labadee, Haiti, was changed when Royal Caribbean extended the pause on visits to the private destination due to local violence.
This means that of the ship’s original four ports, only one now remains intact: San Juan, Puerto Rico.
As published, the original itinerary was:
- Thursday, August 21 – Depart Cape Liberty
- Friday, August 22 – Day at Sea
- Saturday, August 23 – Kings Wharf, Bermuda
- Sunday, August 24 – Day at Sea
- Monday, August 25 – Philipsburg, St. Maarten
- Tuesday, August 26 – San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Wednesday, August 27 – Labadee, Haiti
- Thursday, August 28 – Day at Sea
- Friday, August 29 – Day at Sea
- Saturday, August 30 – Arrive Cape Liberty
Instead, Liberty of the Seas is now sailing a very much adapted schedule:
- Thursday, August 21 – Embark Cape Liberty
- Friday, August 22 – Depart Cape Liberty
- Saturday, August 23 – Day at Sea
- Sunday, August 24 – Day at Sea
- Monday, August 25 – Day at Sea
- Tuesday, August 26 – San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Wednesday, August 27 – Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
- Thursday, August 28 – Day at Sea
- Friday, August 29 – Day at Sea
- Saturday, August 30 – Arrive Cape Liberty
Following the extended time in Cape Liberty and cancellation of St. Maarten, Royal Caribbean did provide onboard credit as an acknowledgement of guests’ disappointment.
Guests with interior or ocean view staterooms received $150 (USD), while those in balcony staterooms received $200. Suite guests were compensated with $400 in credit.
An additional $25 was added to each total for any third, fourth, or fifth guests booked in the same stateroom.
Furthermore, any pre-booked tours arranged through Royal Caribbean for Bermuda or St. Maarten were automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.
Guests Reactions to So Many Changes
Many guests onboard Liberty of the Seas are understandably frustrated with the changes. While everyone understands the need for safety, the frustration stems from what seems to be poor timing.
The announcement of remaining at Cape Liberty was not made until the ship’s muster drill had been completed. At that time, there was no option for guests to consider cancelling for a refund.
Royal Caribbean did try to improve the situation with complimentary shuttles to Manhattan and Jersey City while the ship remained docked. This gave guests an opportunity for further exploration if they wished.
The cruise line does reserve the right to change or cancel ports as needed for poor weather. This is clearly outlined in Section 7(b) of the Cruise Ticket Contract.
“[Royal Caribbean] may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, or destination.”
This is a standard contract provision for all cruise lines. Weather is certainly outside the cruise line’s control, and safety is always the primary consideration.
Fortunately, many guests enjoying their much-adapted time aboard Liberty of the Seas are understanding.
“While I’m super disappointed, it’s still a vacation,” one guest said. “I’m just glad I’m off work for almost 2 weeks!”
“I’m here for the ship, if you cruise in August this is part of the chance you take,” another guest noted.
Read Also: Cruising During Hurricane Season – What You Must Know!
The busiest weeks of the Atlantic hurricane season are from mid-August through early October. The season’s peak activity is generally around September 10.
While Erin has been the first named storm of 2025, she has certainly made her mark on the cruising world with more than 20 ships impacted.
From the Caribbean to Bermuda to Europe, different cruise lines have all had to adjust their itineraries around the storm.
At this time, Erin has degraded to a post-tropical storm. Her remnants may still bring rough weather toward Iceland and the UK over the next few days.
For the moment, the rest of the Atlantic basin is relatively calm, but cruise lines will always be alert and watching for developing storms.
