RCI-Royal Caribbean has withdrawn more than 20 scheduled voyages that had been planned for the summer of 2027 aboard the ship Freedom of the Seas. The affected departures, originally scheduled between May and September of that year, included a range of Caribbean itineraries.
Passengers booked on the sailings were informed by email that their voyages would not proceed as scheduled. RCI explained that the cancellations resulted from its continuing review of deployment and itinerary planning, a process through which vessels are periodically reassigned according to operational requirements, demand levels and broader fleet considerations. In that context, the cruise line indicated that the vessel would be repositioned to Southampton for the 2027 season, with guests and travel partners to be contacted directly regarding the status of their reservations and the options available to them.
The canceled program included several Caribbean itineraries of varying duration. Among them were 9-night sailings calling at Aruba and Curaçao, 5-night cruises visiting the Dominican Republic and CocoCay, and shorter 4-night Bahamian voyages.
When a vessel is redeployed in this manner, the change of homeport typically requires the removal of previously scheduled itineraries and the cancellation of existing passenger bookings. To address the disruption, RCI has offered affected travelers a number of alternatives. One option involves automatic reassignment to a 4-night voyage departing Miami aboard Wonder of the Seas. Additional choices include shorter sailings on Adventure of the Seas or Jewel of the Seas.
Passengers who are unable to find a suitable alternative sailing may instead request a full reimbursement of the cruise fare already paid, together with refunds for prepaid services and amenities associated with the original booking.
The adjustments at Royal Caribbean follow a separate set of cancellations announced by Carnival Cruise Line, which recently withdrew 11 sailings planned for the autumn of 2026 aboard Carnival Firenze. In that instance, the company indicated that the cancellations stemmed from revisions to its itinerary plans and advised that affected passengers would be able either to rebook another voyage or receive a full refund.
Such adjustments are not uncommon within the cruise sector, where deployment schedules are periodically revised to reflect market demand, port arrangements and the broader positioning of a company’s fleet. In the present case, however, the withdrawal of an entire summer program aboard Freedom of the Seas has affected thousands of travelers who had secured their voyages well in advance.