Passengers on Oversold Cruise Offered Deal Most Co...

This story would possibly make you want you had booked an oversold cruise as a result of the deal Royal Caribbean simply supplied these impacted visitors is fairly wonderful.  However there’s additionally an argument to be made that the cruise line shouldn’t be overselling these staterooms within the first place.

Some passengers booked on Royal Caribbean’s Attract of the Seas Could 15, 2025 Western Mediterranean cruise departing from Civitavecchia (Rome) have been supplied some tempting choices on account of an overbooking state of affairs.

I do know some vacationers who wish to ebook flights they know are prone to be overbooked to allow them to get free flights, miles, and different perks once they volunteer to take a unique flight.  However now a cruise line is providing incentives to passengers many can have a tough time passing up.

Royal Caribbean has offered visitors on the overbooked ship with a really enticing provide: basically a free cruise, plus a full refund of their authentic fare.

This surprising provide was prolonged to some visitors booked in Oceanview staterooms or larger tiers on the Could fifteenth departure from Rome. Royal Caribbean requested for volunteers to modify or cancel their bookings to handle the overcapacity.

Listed below are the three choices visitors got:

1. Downgrade for a Free Cruise and Cash Again: Friends can transfer to an Inside stateroom. In return, they obtain a full refund of their authentic cruise fare AND a $200 onboard credit score. This implies they sail without spending a dime, get all their a reimbursement, plus additional spending cash.
2. Change Ships for a Free Cruise and Cash Again: Passengers can switch to a 7-night Greek Isles cruise on Odyssey of the Seas departing Could 18, 2025, from Rome. The fare for this new itinerary is totally lined, they usually obtain a full refund of their authentic Attract of the Seas fare.
3. Cancel for a Future Free Cruise and Cash Again: Friends can cancel their reservation completely. They’ll obtain a full refund of their authentic fare (together with non-refundable deposits) AND a 100% future cruise credit score equal to the worth of their authentic fare, legitimate for sailings via Could 15, 2026.

In all three situations, passengers obtain their authentic fare again. Choices one and two enable them to take a cruise instantly with out having paid the fare (successfully making it free), whereas choice three provides them the means for a free cruise at a later date utilizing the longer term cruise credit score, once more after receiving a full refund.

Royal Caribbean has additionally dedicated to reimbursing any non-refundable, pre-paid journey bills like flights or inns for visitors who settle for one of many different affords or cancel.

The cruise line emphasised these are voluntary choices, and visitors who didn’t reply would maintain their authentic reserving.

This isn’t the primary time the Attract of the Seas has confronted overbooking challenges round this time of 12 months, with related conditions reported for sailings in each 2023 and a previous April 2025 departure.

Whereas these cruisers should resolve if altering their authentic plans is price it, as somebody who didn’t ebook this explicit cruise, I have to say I’m a bit jealous of those choices.