Storms Extend Royal Caribbean Sailings and Prompt Itinerary Changes
A nor’easter and a hurricane led to late schedule adjustments, affecting guests’ return plans.
A nor’easter and a hurricane forced Royal Caribbean ships to remain at sea longer than expected, according to the report. The storms developed quickly, prompting itinerary changes only days before the affected sailings were scheduled to conclude.
Royal Caribbean informs guests of schedule changes by email and text message, while travel agents also receive updates that they can pass along to clients. The report said the cruise line offered some compensation for rebooking flights, but the amount may have covered change fees without fully offsetting differences in airfare.
According to the report, storm-affected cruises are more commonly delayed, rerouted or adjusted by removing port calls than canceled outright. It also noted that Royal Caribbean applies cancellation penalties after the final payment date.
