Royal Caribbean International has canceled the bucket list sailing of many booked guests on Rhapsody of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas was to sail a series of itineraries that included a Panama Canal transit. The itinerary attracted many since it was a 7-night cruise through the Panama Canal Water Lock System that began and ended in Panama.
The cruise began in Colon, Panama, and visited Cartagena, Colombia before its transit through the Panama Canal. It then called on Puntarenas and Quepos in Costa Rica before disembarking in Panama City, Panama.
The Panama Water Lock System is one of the world’s greatest engineering systems and transiting the Panama Canal is a bucket list trip for many cruisers. Typically cruises that offer a full transit of the Canal are one way cruises that require at least a 14-day commitment onboard a ship.
The idea of a shorter cruise offering a full transit instead of a partial transit is unique and very popular. However, with no specific reason given, Royal Caribbean has canceled those itineraries and Rhapsody of the Seas is offering Southern Caribbean cruises.
The sailing will now be roundtrip from Colon, Panama and visit Aruba and Curacao along with the previously scheduled port in Cartagena.
Booked guests have three options to choose from:
Option 1 – Enjoy the new Southern Caribbean itinerary aboard Rhapsody of the Seas.
Option 2 – Rebook on any other Royal Caribbean sailing, on any ship, at any date.
Option 3 – Cancel for a full refund.
Even though no reason has been stated by Royal Caribbean other than “to enhance your experience” recent reports regarding the Panama Canal could give some insight. A CNBC report states that due to the recent drought the Panama Canal Authority has reduced the availability of booking transits and currently there are 154 commercial vessels waiting to cross the Panama Canal with an average wait time of 21 days.
While this measure is reported as temporary, Royal Caribbean may have been taking this news into consideration when they canceled the Panama Transit cruise. Radiance of the Seas has three longer one way transits planned with the first one being in October. If conditions do not change soon, could this sailing be affected?