Royal Caribbean International’s Ultimate World Cruise is adjusting sailing routes and dates for the coveted visit to Antarctica due to rough weather across the Drake Passage in the next few days.

Guests onboard have been notified that the upcoming portion of the itinerary has been reversed in order to have the smoothest, safest cruising.

Itinerary Change for Ultimate World Cruise

Guests currently onboard Serenade of the Seas for the “Ultimate South America and Antarctica” portion of the famed Ultimate World Cruise have been notified of an itinerary change in the coming days as the ship heads for Antarctica.

“As announced by our Captain, we have decided to reverse the Antarctic part of our itinerary due to the weather conditions in the Drake Passage,” the notification read.

This will ensure the ship can still manage the scenic cruising in Antarctica as well as scheduled time ashore as permitted, while minimizing the effects of poor weather.

Instead of heading to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands after a stop in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, the ship’s itinerary now has Serenade of the Seas crossing the Drake Passage early and enjoying time in Antarctica – Gerlache Strait, Paradise Bay, Schollart Channel, and Dalhan Bay through the rest of this week and weekend, arriving in Port Stanley on Monday, January 15, 2024.

The call to Port Stanley was originally scheduled on Thursday, January 11, ahead of the Antarctica portion of the voyage. The time in port, however, has not changed, and will still be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., just on a different day.

This itinerary change will also allow Serenade of the Seas to take a more sheltered route if necessary, skirting around the worst weather for a more comfortable voyage.

The Drake Passage – the body of water separating Cape Horn, South America from Antarctica – can be some of the most hazardous ocean water on the planet, with strong currents, fierce winds, and heavy swells.

At the time when Serenade of the Seas was scheduled to be leaving Port Stanley and crossing the Passage, winds are forecast to reach approximately 30-32 knots (35-37 miles per hour / 55-59 kilometers per hour) along her planned route. Now, the ship will remain in a calmer region.

More Itinerary Changes Likely

The type of change now made for Serenade of the Seas is not uncommon. Cruise lines regularly change itineraries to avoid potentially dangerous weather, from simple squall lines to hurricanes.

These changes may take the form of shortened or cancelled ports of call, substitutions of alternate destinations, reversals of itinerary routes, swapping port days with days at sea, or even completely changing sailing regions – such as sailing to Canada instead of the Bahamas due to a storm system – if necessary.

Serenade of the Seas is just one month into her 274-night Ultimate World Cruise, having left Miami, Florida on December 10, 2023.

While the ship’s full itinerary and route has been carefully planned not only to visit amazing destinations – more than 150 ports of call in 65 countries on all seven continents – the schedule has undoubtedly been planned with regional weather patterns in mind as well.

Storms and severe weather can happen anywhere at any time, however, and it is likely that Serenade of the Seas will see various itinerary changes throughout the epic voyage. Hopefully, ports of call will be able to preserved, even if they must be rearranged.

Ultimately, the first priority of the ship is the safety and well-being of all guests and crew aboard, even if changes are necessary to ensure that safety.

Read Also: Royal Caribbean’s World Cruise Has Flooding Just 3 Weeks Into Voyage

The 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance-class Serenade of the Seas can welcome 2,490 guests aboard, and is also home to approximately 900 international crew members.

Not all guests aboard are staying for the entire 274-night Ultimate World Cruise – travelers could opt for different sections and segments as preferred – but for however long anyone is sailing on the ship, their experience will certainly be a safe and sensational one.

It’s been less than one month since Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas embarked from Miami, Florida, on December 10, 2023, but some passengers are already finding the cruise to be beneath their expectations because of alleged unfair treatment toward some of the guests. 

Not Happy About Pinnacle Guests

The 274-night sailing onboard Serenade of the Seas is the longest of its kind. When all is said and done, the cruise will have sailed to all seven continents, called at 150 destinations across 65 countries, and visited the 11 wonders of the world.

But drama is already brewing onboard Serenade of the Seas less than one month into the nine-month voyage. In a now viral video on the @UKsecrettravel channel on TikTok, a woman known as “Tea Captain” certainly had some tea to spill in a video titled “Ultimate World Cruise Guests Are Not Happy!,” which has been viewed 2.1 million times by the time of this publication.

You can watch the video below:

According to an unnamed source currently onboard Serenade of the Seas, some guests are unhappy with the cruise line treating certain passengers better than others.

Namely, Pinnacle members are receiving preferential treatment compared to other passengers on board. Pinnacle members are the highest tier of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program.

The TikToker’s contact alleges that Pinnacle members are being given special treatment and opportunities not available to other passengers, such as exclusive opportunities and not having to wait in line to board the ship.

“They’ve been invited to meetings in town halls, which all the guests haven’t been invited to,” says The Tea Captain. “Things that are going on in these meetings are affecting the ship.”

The source also says all Pinnacle members got to see the Northern Lights, but no other passengers were made aware of the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. The other issue at hand, per the travel influencer, is that “world cruisers” who are staying for the entire nine-month journey may be getting better treatment than “segmenters,” or passengers who are only onboard for a portion of the sailing. 

Read Also: Royal Caribbean’s World Cruise Has Flooding Just 3 Weeks Into Voyage

Approximately 700 passengers are completing the full nine-month sailing, but some cruisers are only joining the cruise for one of four segments, each of which still lasts for more than 60 nights, or on shorter nine to 28-night cruises wrapped into the World Cruise itinerary.

In her video, the Tea Captain reports that many of these segmenters are being excluded from social media group chats by other passengers because they were not completing the full cruise, causing them to miss out on opportunities during their time onboard. 

“So, to wrap up, a lot of segmenters on the cruise are really unhappy with how Royal Caribbean are handling the situation. They’re treating the guests completely differently when they’ve paid the same price,” the Tea Captain says to conclude her video.

What is Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society?

The Crown and Anchor Society is Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program to reward its guests. The more cruises someone takes with the cruise line, the more benefits they reap. 

Pinnacle members have the highest rank, which earns them extra benefits onboard Royal Caribbean cruises and why they may be getting extra perks on the Ultimate World Cruise. In fact, it’s quite normal for the major cruise lines to offer extra perks to their more elite loyalty members – a fact that was pointed out in many comments on TikTok.

Passengers earn points for every cruise they go on, which leads to a higher status within the society and more benefits. Every night spent on a Royal Caribbean in a normal stateroom earns one point, while each night spent in a suite earns two. 

All guests are automatically enrolled in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society after they complete their first sailing with the cruise line.

There are several tiers within the Crown and Anchor Society that are reached as points are gained. The lowest tier is Gold, which requires three points or one three-night sailing to reach. But avid cruisers can work their way up to the top tier, Pinnacle status, which requires 700 points.