Cruises often get canceled for reasons that the cruise line can't control.
That could be a mechanical issue or problematic weather. Every cruise line gets hit with these problems and will always make the decision to opt for the safest choices for its passengers and equipment.
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On the surface, that's what Royal Caribbean appears to have done when it unexpectedly canceled a cruise at 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 was damage to one of our tender boats, which also serves as a lifeboat. This leaves the ship over capacity for the number of available lifeboat seats in the event of an emergency in our next sailing. Unfortunately, this means we’ll be unable to welcome you onboard," read the email which was obtained by Cruise Industry News.
Cruise ships must have an available 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 an international convention and requirement that all passenger ships have to 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," according to 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 13, 2025. Additionally, they will cover non-refundable transportation costs, such as flights or rental cars, that were impacted by the cancellation," the blog, which is not owned by the cruise line posted.
While the cruise line has canceled some passengers' bookings, it does not appear to have canceled the cruise. Instead, it appears to have kicked off enough passengers in order to be in compliance with the lifeboat rules.
That seems like an odd choice when the cruise line could have asked for volunteers and offered incentives to change sailings much like airlines do when flights are overbooked.
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Rhapsody of the Seas is sailing out of Puerto Rico. It's possible that some passengers would have happily accepted a different sailing out of another port in order to change.
Royal Caribbean has Symphony of the Seas, for example, sailing out of New York also departing on the same day (Sept. 15) Rhapsody is scheduled to sail. It has multiple sailing from Florida ports that leave on either Sept. 15 or 16.
The timing may have made moving passengers to new ships impractical but the cruise line certainly could have offered incentives for volunteers to move to a later sailing. That seems like a travel industry standard practice even if it's more challenging for a cruise line than an airline.
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According to the Royal Caribbean Blog, it remains unclear whether Rhapsody of the Seas was sailing at all although some passengers said their trip had been confirmed. The cruise line has not issued a public comment.
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