Key Aspects:
- The Port of Sydney, which is located in Nova Scotia, is clearing up confusion after Symphony of the Seas added and then quickly cancelled a port call.
- The port clarified that their two piers are safe and able to accommodate Oasis-class vessels, and that the visit was not cancelled due to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
- Symphony of the Seas has no plans to attempt another visit at this time, but three other Royal Caribbean ships will be calling throughout the month of October.
As every seasoned cruiser knows, port cancellations are not unusual. But when Symphony of the Seas cancelled her last-minute call to Sydney, Nova Scotia, on September 30, 2025, the decision was met with more speculation than normal.
According to local reports, the cruise port was inundated with an unusually high number of questions, comments, and emails seeking clarity and expressing concerns about the last-minute visit and cancellation.
It’s worth acknowledging that Symphony of the Seas was never actually supposed to sail to Sydney in the first place.
The cruise port was added to the itinerary at the last minute after the Oasis-class vessel switched from a 7-night Bahamas itinerary to a cruise to Canada in order to avoid Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda.
Once the plans were made, the city was full of excitement to welcome the Royal Caribbean ship for her inaugural call.
At 1,184 feet long and 228,081 gross tons, the 6,680-guest vessel would have been the largest cruise ship to ever dock in Sydney.
But almost as quickly as the call to Sydney was announced, Royal Caribbean cancelled what would have been an overnight visit.
The cruise line stated that the ship was reassigned to a different pier where it would be unsafe for a ship of this class to dock.
This has led to rumors that the port might not be safe for larger vessels, and the cruise destination wants to make it clear that their two piers are capable of accommodating the world’s fifth largest cruise ship and her sister ships.
“The Port of Sydney received a request on Friday, September 26, from Royal Caribbean for a call by Symphony of the Seas, diverted due to a hurricane in the southern region,” The Port of Sydney said in a statement.
“The port’s infrastructure was purpose-built to accommodate vessels of this scale, with both Liberty Pier and the Main Dock expansion designed specifically for Oasis-class vessels,” the statement continued.
The cruise destination then went on to acknowledge that the final decision on whether a cruise ship will visit a port lies with the ship’s Captain, and that they respect Royal Caribbean’s decision.
Holiday Was Not a Factor in Port Cancellation
Not only would Symphony of the Seas’ inaugural visit be historic, but it would likely have been a great day for profits for the businesses located in the port’s downtown area.
Many of these businesses made special arrangements to be open on September 30, which is a holiday in Canada called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
When the day came, the cruise ship floated around 18 miles off shore, but the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion was closed and locked – which created confusion on if the ship was docking or not.
It also added to speculation that the port call was cancelled due to the holiday.
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However, the port wants to make it very clear that it would have been up and running to welcome the cruise guests if the visit had gone ahead as planned.
“The Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion was closed following the cancellation in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day,” the cruise port confirmed.
“The closure was not the cause of the cancellation, and had a ship been in port, the Pavilion would have been open.”
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Plans were even in the works to include the passengers in recognizing the holiday, which honors the legacy of residential schools and the victims and survivors who went through them.
Although the 2018-launched vessel has no plans to attempt to return to Sydney at this time, the port will continue to work closely with Royal Caribbean.
Other Royal Caribbean ships like Vision of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, and Liberty of the Seas will visit multiple times before the end of October.
