Royal Caribbean Ship Delayed Two Days for Urgent Maintenance

Guests booked aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas are facing a two-day delay after the cruise line determined the ship requires urgent maintenance in Vancouver.

The 90,090 gross-ton ship was originally meant to depart on a 7-night Alaska voyage from Vancouver on August 30, 2026. The sailing was scheduled to visit Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Prince Rupert, along with cruising through the Inside Passage and Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier.

In a letter, the cruise line informed guests that this sailing would be heavily altered to accommodate unplanned maintenance. 

“Due to necessary maintenance requiring additional time in Vancouver, British Columbia, we will now depart on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 9:00 PM,” the letter reads. “We’re sorry for this inconvenience and have worked on options available to you and an updated itinerary.”

The new 5-night itinerary departs from Vancouver two days later than planned on September 1. The shortened itinerary also sees the removal of some key destinations.

Visits to Sitka, Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier, and Juneau have been cancelled. The cruise will now sail the Inside Passage, then visit Ketchikan and Prince Rupert, followed by a second day of Inside Passage cruising, before returning as scheduled on September 6.

The latest unexpected maintenance delay comes a little over a year after Serenade of the Seas experienced technical problems during its 2025 Alaska season. Cruise Hive reported at the time that a June 29 sailing was forced to operate at reduced speed and skip Icy Strait Point.

The following July 6 voyage then returned to Vancouver just hours after departure and ultimately sailed more than a day late. This delay also forced the cancellation of Sitka.

Royal Caribbean has not indicated that the current maintenance is related to those earlier technical issues. No reason for the current unplanned maintenance was provided in the letter to guests.

Guests Have A Few Options

Given the substantial itinerary changes, Royal Caribbean is offering guests two choices. They can continue the sailing with compensation or cancel their cruise.

Guests who choose to continue on the sailing will receive onboard credit equivalent to two days’ cruise fare per guest. Any unused credit will be refunded to the guest’s on-file payment method at the end of the sailing.

They will also receive an additional future cruise credit equivalent to two days’ cruise fare per guest. These can be used to book any future Royal Caribbean sailing. Prepaid packages and gratuities will get a prorated adjustment.

The cruise line will also reimburse the additional two hotel days or airfare change fees. It will reimburse up to $300 per stateroom, per day for hotels or up to $200 per guest for domestic airfare. For international flight changes, Royal Caribbean will reimburse up to $400.

If guests do not want to change their travel plans, Royal Caribbean will allow guests to board Serenade of the Seas on August 30 or August 31 and use the ship as a hotel while it remains in Vancouver.

However, as the ship will be in port, shops and the onboard casino will be closed. Guests will not be allowed to go ashore after boarding due to immigration regulations. Some bars, lounges, and spa services will remain available, with details provided onboard.

Guests can also cancel this sailing. Those who cancel will receive a full refund as well as a 25% future cruise credit based on cruise fare paid. This future cruise credit can be applied to any Royal Caribbean sailing departing by September 1, 2027.

Prepaid purchases and gratuities will also be fully refunded. Royal Caribbean will reimburse airfare change fees up to $200 for domestic flights and $400 for international flights per guest. Hotel reimbursement is only available for those remaining on the cruise.