Guests setting sail aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas have received a further update about their delayed sailing. The new notification confirms that the ship will be missing a port of call on the 5-night cruise, but also details compensation being offered for the inconvenience.
Travelers looking to depart on the ship’s Saturday, July 13, 2024 sailing have already been informed that Mariner of the Seas will be delayed returning to Galveston. This is due to a medical emergency that necessitated the vessel backtracking significantly toward Cozumel.
Embarkation details have now been announced, complete with new arrival times for guests as well as changes in the ship’s itinerary.
“Due to a delay in our previous sailing, Mariner of the Seas will be arriving to the pier later than originally planned. We kindly ask that you arrive according to the new adjusted arrival windows,” the email notification confirmed. “Arriving to the terminal earlier than your adjusted time will result in you being turned away until your new time.”
Arrival windows have been shifted by 5-7 hours, depending on the original arrival time. For example, guests whose original arrival time was 10:30 a.m. are now asked to arrive at 5:30 p.m.
Guests with arrival windows from 2-2:30 p.m. are now asked to arrive at 7:30 p.m. Guests booked in suites, Pinnacle-level loyalty members, and those who have purchased The Key may arrive anytime after 5:30 p.m.
This shift in embarkation time will permit sufficient time for guests already onboard to debark and for parking areas to clear enough spaces for new arrivals without too many traffic snarls. Furthermore, crew members onboard Mariner of the Seas need enough time to clean and sanitize the ship before new guests embark.
All travelers must be checked in and onboard the ship no later than 8 p.m. for the vessel’s departure at 9 p.m., which was originally planned for 4 p.m.
If guests are flying in to the Galveston area with airfare or airport transfers through Royal Caribbean International will have their schedules automatically adjusted for the new embarkation times. The cruise line will also reimburse travelers up to $200 for any domestic travel changes or $400 for international changes if necessary.
Costa Maya Port Now Cancelled
The delayed embarkation and departure from Galveston isn’t the only change for Mariner of the Seas. Now, the ship will be unable to visit one of her ports of call on the 5-night cruise.
“As a result of our delayed departure, we’ll now skip our visit to Costa Maya, Mexico and enjoy a Sea Day instead,” the email explained.
The ship was to have visited Costa Maya on Monday, July 15, but the loss of several hours’ sailing time is too much to ensure an on-time arrival. The visit to Cozumel on Tuesday, July 16 is unaffected, however, and the ship will be in that popular Mexican port from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. – the same timing as originally planned.
Any shore tours booked for Costa Maya through Royal Caribbean International will be automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.
Furthermore, the cruise line is providing an extra $50 of onboard credit to each guest, which will automatically be added to their onboard accounts. While cruise lines are not obligated to offer such credit, it is often given as a goodwill gesture for such dramatic delays.
The 139,863-gross-ton, Voyager-class Mariner of the Seas can welcome 3,114 guests at double occupancy, or up to 3,807 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are 1,185 international crew members who work very hard to ensure everyone has a fun and memorable vacation, no matter how challenging the circumstances may be.