Royal Caribbean is preparing to recommence cruises aboard the largest cruise ship in the world.
In an uncommon decision, the cruise line had earlier canceled Icon’s scheduled 7-night voyage set to depart on September 28th.
However, Icon of the Seas is now expected to resume its planned sailings starting October 5th, 2024.
The cruise line has notified passengers and travel agents with bookings on the upcoming cruise that all necessary repairs have been completed.
“As you may know, we were carrying out unplanned maintenance on Icon of the Seas, and we’re pleased to inform you that it is finished!”
On September 23rd, both guests and travel agents were informed via email that the entire sailing had been canceled due to “unplanned maintenance.”
The email did not provide details on the specific issue that impacted the ship or the type of maintenance performed.
Icon of the Seas generated significant attention this year when it debuted as the largest cruise ship globally, surpassing Wonder of the Seas in size, length, and gross tonnage, and introducing a new class of vessels for Royal Caribbean. At full capacity, Icon can accommodate 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members, totaling nearly 10,000 individuals.
This vessel, weighing 248,663 gross tons, operates 7-night itineraries from Port Miami to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
However, the cruise line indicated that the ship needed to stay docked for several days to complete the required work.
“While our crew is diligently addressing this matter as swiftly as possible, some work still needs to be completed over the coming days while the ship is docked,” the email stated.
Icon to Start Sailings Again on October 5th
Just one week after the unplanned maintenance, Royal Caribbean is optimistic that the ship is ready to set sail once more.
Guests booked for the October 5th cruise were notified that their voyage will proceed as planned, departing from the Port of Miami for a 7-night trip to the Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
“The ship is ready, our crew has missed our guests, and we eagerly anticipate resuming our regular itineraries starting with our October 5, 2024, sailing,” the email stated.
Read more: Two Royal Caribbean megaships in drydock at the same time
Currently, all planned sailings are continuing as scheduled.
This upcoming cruise will depart from Miami and make stops at St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
The cruise line expressed gratitude to guests for their patience: “Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.”
Further updates regarding sailings on Icon of the Seas will be communicated to passengers.
Refunds for Canceled Cruise
Royal Caribbean has issued apologies to guests on the September 28th sailing.
“We recognize the disappointment this news may bring and extend our sincerest apologies for the impact on your vacation plans.”
Passengers scheduled for the affected cruise will receive a full refund, including all associated costs such as taxes, fees, gratuities, amenities, pre-paid packages, and shore excursions.
Along with the full refund, Royal Caribbean is offering guests a Future Cruise Credit equivalent to 100% of the cruise fare.
Passengers can use this Future Cruise Credit within the next 14 business days to book another trip.
Essentially, travelers from the canceled cruise will receive all their payments back, plus an amount equal to their fare for future use.
For those who had booked travel arrangements, such as flights, passengers who made reservations directly through Royal Caribbean will have their flights automatically refunded.
Passengers who purchased flights and transfers separately will be reimbursed by Royal Caribbean, receiving up to $200 per guest for domestic travel and $400 for international travel.
What Issues Affected Icon?
Icon features 18 guest decks and 2,805 staterooms and is designed for guest comfort. The ship includes multiple engines that do not all operate simultaneously, allowing the cruise line to utilize various systems if one fails.
Despite this, the ship required repairs and was docked at the Grand Bahama shipyard to undergo maintenance.
Royal Caribbean has not disclosed the nature of the unplanned issue; however, many passengers speculate it may have been related to propulsion.
Guests aboard the September 21st sailing reported that the ship began losing speed after the maintenance announcements were made.
Additionally, the ship skipped a scheduled stop in St. Thomas to ensure it could return to Miami on time.
A Reddit user, ArrogantAlmond, shared from the ship: “I’m on Icon now, and we just found out we’re skipping St. Thomas (which was scheduled for Wednesday) because the ship has maintenance issues. We have to sail slower, so we need the added day to get back.”
Since propellers control a ship’s speed, a reduction in speed might indicate problems with the vessel’s Azipods or propulsion systems.
Such propulsion issues are not uncommon for cruise ships; earlier this year, a sailing on Radiance of the Seas was canceled due to similar problems that slowed the ship.
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