Royal Caribbean International has reached out to guests booked on several sailings of Brilliance of the Seas in April and May 2025 to alert them to cancellations due to dry dock schedule changes.
The 22-year-old vessel is scheduled for a significant update at that time, but will now be entering dry dock earlier than planned. This means several voyages must be cancelled to accommodate the schedule change.
The most popular voyage impacted is the ship’s transatlantic sailing departing Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025.
That 15-night, one-way cruise was to have visited the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, and Spain before arriving in Portsmouth, UK on April 27, ahead of the ship’s removal from service. Royal Caribbean is offering several options to booked guests due to the unfortunate cancellation.
“The time and effort you took to plan your cruise is important to us, and we apologize for the inconvenience,” the email notification read. “Every aspect of your time with us should be enjoyable, so we’ve put together some alternative options that we hope will work for you and those in your party.”
Travelers may rebook on Brilliance of the Seas‘ new transatlantic voyage that will now depart Miami on April 7. The sailing is 14 nights rather than 15, and does not have the stops in the Bahamas or Bermuda.
While the ship will still be visiting Ponta Delgada in the Azores, the calls in Portugal and Spain are different. Furthermore, the voyage will end in Barcelona rather than Portsmouth.
If that option does not work, guests may also choose transatlantic options from Miami to Barcelona aboard either Allure of the Seas (departing February 10) or Explorer of the Seas (departing April 30).
Impacted guests can also opt to rebook on any other Royal Caribbean International sailing without any deposit change fees or other penalties.
Exact details of other compensation, including onboard credit, fare price protection, and additional options are being provided to guests and vary based on which cruise they were originally booked on and what type of stateroom had been reserved.
In addition to the transatlantic sailing that is being shifted a week earlier, the prior cruise – a 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary from New Orleans – will also likely need adjustment, as it was not scheduled to return to Louisiana until April 10.
After the ship’s time in dry dock, sailings departing on May 13 and May 21 have also been cancelled, with guests offered similar options and alternatives.
Why the Dry Dock Change?
Royal Caribbean International has not offered details about why the ship’s dry dock dates have been moved up.
“We’re taking Brilliance of the Seas into dry dock for routine maintenance and exciting improvements,” the email said with no further explanation.
The 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance-class ship has recently suffered propulsion issues while sailing in the South Pacific, which resulted in a cancelled sailing at that time. While repairs were made successfully, it is possible that a more permanent repair is now planned for the ship’s time in dry dock.
Shipyard operations, other fleet changes, labor and supply availability, and other factors can all influence dry dock schedules. Many of those considerations are out of the cruise line’s control.
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The exact updates planned for Brilliance of the Seas have not yet been announced. The ship’s last major dry dock refit was in 2013, though the vessel has undergone regularly scheduled maintenance updates in the years since.
The ship first debuted in 2002, and can welcome 2,140 guests at double occupancy or up to 2,543 travelers when fully booked.