Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean is seeking volunteers to give up their bookings on Voyager of the Seas’ September 4, 2026 Alaska cruise.
- Guests can move to select 2027 Alaska sailings with a 100% cruise fare refund and $200 onboard credit, or cancel for a full refund plus a 150% future cruise credit.
- Guests must apply by September 1, 2026. Those who do not participate will remain booked on the September 4 sailing.
Royal Caribbean is seeking volunteers willing to change their plans ahead of an upcoming sailing aboard Voyager of the Seas. The 137,276 gross-ton ship is set to embark on a 7-night Alaska cruise from Seattle on September 4, 2026.
The sailing will visit Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria along with scenic cruising through Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier before returning to Seattle on September 11. Some guests booked on that sailing received an email offering incentives for changing their booking.
“We are looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel arrangements,” the email reads. “If your plans are set in stone, please mark this email as ‘Read’, and gear up for your upcoming adventure – although, there are some pretty sweet options below.”
Guests are being offered two alternative options for the September 4 sailing. The first is to transfer to one of three similar 7-night Voyager of the Seas Alaska sailings from Seattle in 2027.
Two sailings, departing on August 27 and September 3, 2027, feature the same destinations listed for the September 4, 2026 sailing, including Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, and Victoria. The third alternative sailing, departing September 10, 2027, visits Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Victoria.
As for the incentives, guests who choose to accept this offer will also receive a 100% refund of cruise fare paid, excluding taxes and amenities.
Additionally, guests will get $200 in non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom as well as reimbursement for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses, including hotels and flights.
Effectively, selected guests who transfer would receive a free replacement cruise, along with the onboard credit. The tradeoff is that all three replacement options depart nearly a year later.
Guests Can Also Cancel For Future Cruise Credit
Alternatively, guests can choose to cancel the cruise entirely. If they choose this option, guests will receive a 100% refund of their current booking as well as reimbursement for non-refundable travel expenses.
In addition to these refunds, guests will also receive a future cruise credit of 150% of the cruise fare paid. This credit can be applied to any Royal Caribbean sailing departing by September 4, 2027.
As the future cruise credit allows guests to book an earlier (and potentially more expensive) sailing than the transfer option, the cancellation offer may be more tempting to some guests. Royal Caribbean specifies that these offers are limited and not guaranteed to all interested parties.
Guests have until September 1 to apply for the offers. Royal Caribbean says successful applicants will be contacted by phone or email. Anyone who hasn’t heard from the cruise line by September 2 remains booked in their existing stateroom.
Crucially, the offers are completely voluntary. Guests who aren’t interested don’t need to take any action and will remain booked in their existing stateroom.
Voyager of the Seas Has Faced Similar Situations Recently
While the cruise line did not specify a reason for the request, similar offers are typically used when a sailing has more bookings than available accommodations. Overselling is standard practice in the travel industry and occurs when travel companies anticipate that some customers will cancel before departure.
As recently as June 2026, Cruise Hive reported that the cruise line had contacted guests booked on a June 19 sailing aboard the very same ship. Guests were similarly offered incentives to transfer or cancel, including a full fare refund and future cruise credit.
Just a week after that offer was sent, guests booked on the ship’s July 17 sailing received a similar offer. Once again, the cruise line offered future cruise credit and refunds to tempt guests to change or cancel.
The September 4 offer marks yet another instance this summer of Royal Caribbean seeking volunteers to change bookings aboard Voyager of the Seas. However, the cruise line has not confirmed whether the upcoming sailing has been oversold.
