Royal Caribbean Ship Boarding Pushed Back, Guests Unhappy

It’s been a tense weekend for guests eager to board Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas on Monday, December 15, 2025. On Friday, the cruise line announced that the ship would be delayed returning to Port Canaveral due to expected high winds, but it wasn’t until Sunday evening that the length of that delay was confirmed.

“As a reminder, our previous sailing is returning to Port Canaveral later than originally planned due to high winds in the area,” the notification reminder explained.

“Please stick to your updated window as arriving earlier may have you turned away until your adjusted time. Parking, and the terminal, will only open once our previous guests have finished debarking.”

The updated cruise terminal arrival times are 6.5 hours later than originally planned with guests not beginning check-in until 5 p.m. for the first arrival window that was to have been at 10:30 a.m.

The latest cruise terminal arrival, originally 2 p.m., is now 8:30 p.m. The cruise line is alerting guests not to arrive later than 8:30 p.m. as everyone must be checked in and onboard Utopia of the Seas by 9 p.m.

Some Benefits Refunded

Because of the delay and how it impacts the exclusive benefits of The Key, Royal Caribbean is also refunding 30% of the purchase price to guests who pre-paid for that elite package.

The Key offers priority ship boarding during embarkation, stateroom carry-on luggage delivery, and an exclusive welcome lunch with a signature menu from 12-1:30 p.m. Because of the delay, none of those coveted embarkation day benefits will be available.

The rest of The Key benefits remain intact, including discounts on select onboard activities and spa services, dedicated show seating, and debarkation benefits.

No other refunds, including for specialty dining packages or beverage packages, appear to be offered, though it is possible this may be updated once guests are able to board the ship.

Why Aren’t Other Ships Impacted?

While the early notification of Utopia of the Seas‘ delay has given guests time to plan for their late departure, it has also generated significant suspicion and questions.

Multiple guests on a Facebook group dedicated to the sailing have wondered why three other cruise ships have no apparent delays returning to Port Canaveral Monday morning, yet Utopia of the Seas will be so far behind schedule.

“Strange that all the other ships are still coming in on time,” one guest noted.

“Why can CARNIVAL and DISNEY arrive on time and Royal can’t. Scratching my head,” another guest wondered.

Three other cruise ships will be at Port Canaveral on Monday, December 15: Disney Wish, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Freedom.

It is critical to note, however, that Utopia of the Seas is by far the largest ship in port that day, at 236,500 gross tons and 16 decks tall.

Read Also: Gross Tonnage of a Cruise Ship – What Does It Mean?

Disney Wish is second in size but only 15 decks tall and 144,000 gross tons, making her more maneuverable.

Carnival Glory and Carnival Freedom are both sister ships in the Conquest class with 13 decks and just 110,000 gross tons.

The larger a cruise ship is, both in terms of height with number of decks as well as its gross tonnage, the more inertia it has and the more challenging it can be to maneuver and control in high winds. This means Utopia of the Seas is by far at the greatest risk on Monday morning.

According to Windy.com, winds at the time Utopia of the Seas was originally planned to be docking on Monday morning are expected to be roughly 30 miles per hour with gusts as high as 40-42 mph.

In comparison, winds at 3 p.m. will be only about 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. This will be much safer for the cruise ship to manage, particularly in the narrow channel at Port Canaveral.

Both Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line are undoubtedly monitoring the weather for their respective arrivals and will make any changes they deem necessary for the safety of their guests, ships, and crew members.