Cruise ship oversold? Is that a thing?
It seems Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship was oversold in error.
Some Wonder of the Seas guests have been contacted via email with the news that the cruise was oversold and their staterooms are unavailable.
“We’re sorry to inform you that due to an unexpected inventory error, your scheduled Wonder of the Seas December 11th, 2022 sailing is currently oversold in certain stateroom categories,” the email read.
There is no explanation for the “unexpected inventory error,” but could be for a variety of technical reasons.
The cruise being affected is a 7-night cruise that departs on Sunday, December 11, 2022, from Port Canaveral. Its itinerary includes CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
Furthermore, the nature of the “unexpected inventory error” is not explained, but could be due to a number of factors, such as technical difficulties with the cruise line’s booking engine or website, miscommunication for group bookings, or other causes.
The affected Wonder of the Seas cruise is a 7-night sailing from Port Canaveral, departing on Sunday, December 11, and visiting CocoCay, the cruise line’s private island destination in The Bahamas, as well as St. Thomas and St. Maarten, before returning to Port Canaveral on Sunday, December 18.
Cruisers have a couple of options for compensation. Option 1 is to be able to cruise on December 11 but occupy an interior stateroom. The best part? The cruisers will also be refunded 100% of their cruise fare. So, same cruise, interior room, basically free as the guest will still pay applicable taxes, fees, and gratuities. Guests will also be responsible for onboard purchases and shore tours as would be expected. This option is only here until the interior cabins are gone.
If guests want this option they have until December 8th to fill out the appropriate information with Royal Caribbean. If enough guests take an interior cabin, problem solved. If enough guests do not want or are unable to select an interior room, bookings may be canceled.
What would you choose?