Key Aspects:
- Typhoon Halong is delaying Ovation of the Seas by two days as the ship heads for Tokyo, Japan.
- The current sailing is extended while the next cruise will be shortened to stay safely away from the storm.
- Guests on both sailings will receive compensation and assistance to adjust their travel plans.
Guests onboard Ovation of the Seas are getting a significantly longer cruise than they had planned. Typhoon Halong, which currently has sustained winds of 115 knots (135 miles per hour) and a track close to Japan for the next few days is forcing a change to the ship’s schedule.
The ship’s 16-night transpacific cruise that departed Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 was due to arrive in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, October 9. Because of the storm’s strength and track, however, that arrival will not be possible.
“As previously announced by our Captain, along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we have been tracking the progress of Typhoon Halong, which will pass very close to southern Japan,” the cruise line informed guests aboard. “As a result, the Port of Tokyo will be closed, and we’ll have to delay our return to our homeport.”
This means Ovation of the Seas will now remain at sea for on Thursday and Friday, October 9 and 10, with an anticipated arrival to Tokyo on Saturday, October 11 at approximately 6:30 a.m.
Royal Caribbean is providing 60 minutes of complimentary internet access for each stateroom so guests can contact their family members or friends to alert them to the delay. Guests can also use this time to rearrange their post-cruise travel plans, including airlines, rail, or hotels.
If guests booked flights through the cruise line, no rearranging is necessary as the Royal Caribbean Air2Sea Team will make those changes automatically. Individual details will be provided to guests as they are confirmed.
Anyone who booked independent airfare can email change receipts and booking information to the cruise line for reimbursement up to $200 (USD) for domestic changes and $400 for international changes.
Compensation is also being provided onboard. Guests have the option to extend their drink and wi-fi packages for the extra two days at reduced rates: $35 per person, per day for the deluxe drink package and $14 per person, per day for the refreshment package. Soda packages are being extended for no cost.
Guests will also receive two extra loyalty points for Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society for the extra two days of the sailing, a nice bonus on top of their now longer cruise.
Next Sailing Delayed
Because Ovation of the Seas is unable to return to Tokyo on time, the next sailing is also understandably delayed.
Royal Caribbean has reached out to guests booked on the October 9, 2025 departure to alert them to the change. The 11-night sailing to Singapore will now be a 9-night cruise instead, with two port cancellations to make up for the loss of time.
“Our sailing will now embark on Saturday, 11 October,” the email notification confirmed. “Because of this, we’ll have to skip our visit to Nagasaki, Japan, and Jeju (Seogwipo), South Korea, and enjoy two Sea Days instead.
The ship was to have visited Nagasaki on Saturday, October 11, which is now embarkation day in Tokyo. The visit to Jeju was to have been on Sunday, October 12, which the ship now needs to make up for lost time on the way to Singapore.
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The visits to Hong Kong on Wednesday, October 15 and Saigon on Saturday, October 18 are unchanged at this time. Ovation of the Seas should arrive in Singapore on schedule on Monday, October 20.
Guests are advised to delay their arrival to the cruise terminal in Tokyo by 30 minutes to ensure a smooth embarkation due to possible immigration delays. All guests must, however, be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 5 p.m. on Saturday.
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Because of the shortened cruise, Royal Caribbean is refunding two pro-rated days of cruise fare to guests’ onboard accounts, as well as a two-day refund of any pre-purchased daily packages, including dining, drinks, internet, and gratuities.
The cruise line will also reimburse guests for airfare changes or provide up to $250 (USD) per night for two hotel nights for pre-cruise stays.
Guests on the now-shortened sailing will still receive full loyalty points for the original 11-night cruise.
