Key Aspects:
- Radiance of the Seas temporarily lost power after departing Cozumel on May 16, 2026.
- Guests reported the ship went dark and drifted for a period before propulsion was restored.
- Passengers also reported the ship had returned to Cozumel before the outage to deal with a medical emergency.
Passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas experienced an unsettling night at sea after the ship temporarily lost power while sailing through the Gulf of Mexico following its May 16, 2026, call in Cozumel.
The incident occurred during the vessel’s current four-night Western Caribbean cruise sailing roundtrip from Tampa, Florida.
Guests onboard began posting updates online around 10:00 p.m. local time, shortly after the 90,090-gross-ton ship carrying up to 2,143 guests reportedly went dark in the evening, finding themselves in pitch blackness.
“On Radiance now and power went off about 15 minutes ago, engines at a full stop,” shared one passenger on Facebook who is onboard the vessel.
Multiple passengers described public areas suddenly losing lighting while the vessel drifted without propulsion for a short period of time. Some passengers tracking the ship’s movement through cruise mappers noticed the ship slowing significantly after the outage.
Within an hour, guests returned to social media to share that the captain had announced power was restored and the ship was expected to regain its schedule, with more reports that the ship had drifted for some time and power was lost a second time before the full restoration.
Cruise Hive’s tracking data now shows Radiance of the Seas sailing through the Gulf of Mexico at approximately 17 knots, or about 20 miles per hour, on course for Tampa, where it is scheduled to conclude its voyage at 7:00 a.m. on May 18.
Royal Caribbean has not yet publicly commented on the incident or confirmed what caused the temporary power loss, which some passengers reported resulted in an in-the-dark acoustic dance party with guests shining flashlights to provide light.
“Seems to be all good to go now and no problems through the night,” added another passenger on May 17.
Ship Returned to Cozumel Before Outage
The power interruption unfolded during one of Royal Caribbean’s shorter Gulf sailings aboard the Radiance-class vessel, which regularly operates out of the Port of Tampa during the spring and winter cruise seasons.
Built in 2001, Radiance of the Seas is part of the cruise line’s older Radiance class. Its current itinerary departed Tampa on May 14, 2026, with a single scheduled port stop in Cozumel before returning to Florida.
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The ship spent 12 hours in Cozumel on May 16 before departing at 5:00 p.m. Guests later noticed the vessel changed course and returned to Cozumel about an hour later following a reported medical emergency onboard.
One passenger commenting online said the emergency involved “an older woman and her husband, who got off,” though Royal Caribbean has not publicly confirmed details surrounding the guest’s condition.
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After leaving Cozumel for the second time, passengers said the ship then experienced the temporary blackout about an hour later. While passengers described the turnaround and outage as unsettling, no itinerary changes or delays have been announced.
Passengers scheduled to sail on Radiance of the Seas’ subsequent voyage, a 5-night journey to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, departing at 4:00 p.m. on May 18, 2026, should not expect any delays.
