Bad weather that caused flooding in Spain in early November is bringing repercussions to a future cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas.
After heavy rains and winds delayed the vessel’s routine maintenance dry dock schedule, guests set to embark on the 137,276-gross-ton ship’s November 24, 2024, voyage will need to wait a little longer.
The ship sailing from Barcelona will now depart on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, instead of Sunday.
In a letter, Royal Caribbean informed passengers of the changes. “Due to adverse weather impacting our ability to complete our current drydock operations, Adventure of the Seas will be arriving in Barcelona two (2) days later than we initially planned.”
Originally slated to embark on a 13-night transatlantic journey from Barcelona to Port Canaveral, Florida, on a repositioning cruise, the updated schedule has now been shortened to 11 days.
Additionally, the voyage that included calls in Valencia, Malaga, and Cadiz, Spain, and Madeira (Funchal), Portugal, will now only make one call during its sailing, visiting Madeira on November 29. However, the cruise line said the arrival and departure times will be updated.
Guests have been advised to arrive for boarding at their originally scheduled time. All aboard is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on November 26.
The ship cannot extend the sailing for affected passengers, as Adventure of the Seas is kicking off its winter season in the Caribbean on December 7, 2024, the day of arrival into Port Canaveral.
Adventure of the Seas will then sail 6- to 8-day cruises to the Western and Eastern Caribbean through April 2025 with currently controversial stops in Royal Caribbean’s private destination in Labadee, Haiti, where political unrest has caused bans on airline arrivals to the island.
This is the second Royal Caribbean ship that is delayed due to weather conditions in dry dock. Voyager of the Seas, which recently completed routine maintenance and inspections earlier this month, was also supposed to sail from Barcelona to Port Canaveral on a 16-night transatlantic cruise that was delayed by a day.
Guests on that November 11, 2024, sailing also missed a call in Valencia to keep the vessel on schedule to arrive for her Caribbean season, scheduled to begin on November 26.
Refunds, Credits, and Compensation
Royal Caribbean, acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the delay, has announced compensation for affected guests. Each passenger will receive a refund equivalent to two days of their cruise fare as onboard credit, as well as the original 13-night sailing points for Crown and Anchor Society loyalty points.
Guests with prepaid packages, including beverage, dining, VOOM Internet, and gratuities, will also receive prorated refunds as onboard credits. These can be used throughout the voyage and any unused refundable amounts will be automatically reimbursed to guests’ original form of payment within 14 days of disembarkation.
Read Also: What Is a Transatlantic Cruise?
Passengers who need to change travel plans due to the pushed back departure will also receive up to $200 for domestic and $400 for international change fees per person for flights or one-night hotel accommodation, up to $250.
Excursions in Valencia, Malaga, and Seville have also been cancelled with passengers who booked through Royal Caribbean automatically receiving refunds. Guests who booked private excursions should contact the providers to cancel and receive refunds.
