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Royal Caribbean! What’s Going On?

What is going on with Royal Caribbean? They seem to be sailing through some choppy waters right now.

First, a glitch in the system caused the cruise line to overbook Wonder of the Seas…for the second time.

A second glitch offered a new premium VIP package called The Premier Pass for $88.99. Essentially, it is a package identical to a package offered by its sister brand, Celebrity Cruises. It covers two passengers and includes priority boarding, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in the stateroom, laundry service, unlimited internet access, dinner with the ship’s officers, and a food and wine pairing. However, that offer was retracted with apologies and money refunded to those who may have purchased it. 

A third glitch was Royal Caribbean’s offering of the Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark tour for $64.99. Since the excursion usually runs $249, cruisers jumped at the opportunity and booked it for their sailing. 

Once the glitch was discovered, Royal Caribbean quickly informed guests of the error and canceled those purchases. They refunded the purchase to the original method of payment and offered their apologies in the form of a $50 onboard credit. Oh, and they increased the regular price of the Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark tour to $309. 

Last but certainly not least and also not the result of a glitch, Royal Caribbean canceled the April 1 sailing of Mariner of the Seas. 

The five night Western Caribbean cruise was canceled for routine maintenance and upgrades. Guests have been given the option to re-book or receive a full refund. 

The letter booked passengers received read, “We’re continuously working to enhance our ships and the many amenities they have to offer. Mariner of the Seas is currently undergoing dry dock for routine maintenance and exciting, which will require some extra time for these upgrades to be completed. Regrettably, this means our April 1st, 2023 cruise has been canceled. We know this news is disappointing, and we apologize for the impact on your cruise.”

Hopefully, Mariner of the Seas will quickly return to service, someone at Royal Caribbean will figure out what is going on with the system glitches, and they’ll experience smoother sailing soon.