Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas is currently experiencing technical difficulties that have forced the cancellation of the ship’s next sailing, her November 9, 2024 departure. The ship is homeported from Shanghai and the now-cancelled voyage was to have been a 4-night cruise with visits to Jeju and Nagasaki.
Guests booked on the upcoming cruise were notified of the cancellation and offered compensation for the disappointment.
“Unfortunately, due to a technical concern on our current sailing, we will be delaying our return to Shanghai (Baoshan), China. As a result, we will need to cancel our sailing altogether,” the notification read. “We know how much time and effort go into planning your cruise, and we’re truly sorry for this disappointing news.”
In the meantime, the ship remained at the Yokohama Daikoku Pier for repair work during her current 7-night cruise, meaning her return to Shanghai is significantly delayed. The weeklong cruise departed Shanghai on Saturday, November 2, with visits to Kyoto and Yokohama.
Guests have remained onboard the ship throughout the repairs, but were unable to debark for explorations ashore. The ship’s international crew members, however, have offered additional activities and worked hard to ensure everyone is enjoying their cruise despite the difficulties.
Now, the 169,379-gross-ton, Quantum Ultra class ship seems to have finished the repair work and is making her way back to Shanghai, but will not arrive until late Sunday, November 10 or early on Monday, November 11.
The nature of the “technical concern” has not been disclosed. As the ship is currently moving at her top speed of 22 knots (25 miles per hour), the propulsion system is either not involved or has been successfully repaired.
As cruise ships are incredibly complex engineering projects, any number of systems – navigation, air conditioning, safety, restaurant operations, etc. – could have required repairs that were unable to be completed at sea.
Spectrum of the Seas is homeported from Shanghai through early December, at which time the ship will move to Hong Kong to offer a series of Japan itineraries, including overnight calls to Okinawa and visits to other top ports.
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Of special interest is the ship’s January 3, 2025 departure, which is a 4-night sailing to Nha Trang, Vietnam.
In mid-January, Spectrum of the Seas will return to Shanghai and will remain homeported there through November 2025. The ship can welcome 4,246 travelers at double occupancy, or up to 4,905 passengers when fully booked.
Refunds and Credit Offered
It can be incredibly disappointing for travelers to have their cruise cancelled, especially at such short notice. Royal Caribbean is providing significant compensation for the inconvenience, however.
All passengers will receive a 100% refund of their cruise fare and all associated taxes, fees, and pre-paid packages such as drinks, dining, or gratuities. Any flights or transfers purchased through Royal Caribbean as well as travel protection through the cruise line will also be fully refunded.
Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment within 14 days of the end of the now-cancelled cruise. Travelers should note, however, that some financial institutions may take longer to make refunds available.
In addition, all travelers will also receive a 50% future cruise credit for a future Royal Caribbean sailing. The new cruise must be booked by November 9, 2025, and the credit can be applied toward any available sailing on any ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
If guests booked independent airfare, the cruise line will consider reimbursement of travel change fees up to $200 (USD) for domestic travel and $400 for international travel. Receipts must be submitted for review to be considered for reimbursement.
Hopefully, the repairs are successful and Spectrum of the Seas will continue sailing full speed ahead to welcome guests without difficulties on her upcoming sailings.
