Royal Caribbean makes an unexpected cruise cancelation decision

Cruises often get canceled for reasons that the cruise line can't keep watch over.

Which should be a mechanical issue or problematic weather. Every cruise line gets hit with these problems and will always make the choice to go for the safest choices for its passengers and equipment.

On the skin, which is what Royal Caribbean appears to have done when all of it of sudden canceled a cruise on the last minute.

Guests booked on the September 15 sailing of Rhapsody of the Seas received an email from the cruise line informing them their cruise had been canceled.

"On our previous sailing, there changed into damage to 1 of our tender boats, which also serves as a lifeboat. This leaves the ship over capacity for the collection of reachable lifeboat seats in the event of an emergency in our next sailing. Unfortunately, this suggests we’ll be unable to welcome you onboard," read the e-mail which changed into obtained by Cruise Industry News.

Cruise ships will have an reachable lifeboat seat for every passenger onboard.

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Cruise ships face strict rules

"The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is a global convention and requirement that every person passenger ships should abide by. It establishes all passengers know what to do in case of an emergency, and it requires that every soul onboard have a seat on a lifeboat," in accordance with the Royal Caribbean Blog.

Lifeboats have a specific capacity and a captain who knowingly violated this rule would be putting his license at risk.

"Royal Caribbean will issue a Future Cruise Credit equal to the total amount paid for the canceled cruise, valid until September thirteen, 2025. Additionally, they're going to cover non-refundable transportation costs, equivalent to flights or rental cars, that were impacted by the cancellation," the blog, which is now not owned by the cruise line posted.

While the cruise line has canceled some passengers' bookings, it does now not appear to have canceled the cruise. In its place, it appears to have kicked off enough passengers to have the flexibleness to be in compliance with the lifeboat rules.

That looks as if an odd choice when the cruise line may need asked for volunteers and offered incentives to alter sailings an even deal like airlines do when flights are overbooked.

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Rhapsody of the Seas is sailing out of Puerto Rico. It truly is possible imagine that some passengers would have happily accepted a distinct sailing out of the opposite port to have the flexibleness to alter.

Royal Caribbean has Symphony of the Seas, let's say, sailing out of New York also departing on the identical day (Sept. 15) Rhapsody is scheduled to sail. It has more than one sailing from Florida ports that leave on either Sept. 15 or sixteen.

The timing may need made moving passengers to new ships impractical on the opposite hand the cruise line definitely may need offered incentives for volunteers to move to a later sailing. That looks as if a commute industry standard practice despite the incontrovertible fact that it truly is more challenging for a cruise line than an airline.

Based on the Royal Caribbean Blog, it is still unclear whether Rhapsody of the Seas changed into sailing in any respect in spite of the incontrovertible fact that some passengers said their outing had been confirmed. The cruise line has now not issued a public comment.

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