Yet Another Royal Caribbean Ship Oversold Days Before Sailing

Royal Caribbean has oversold yet another Allure of the Seas cruise, and is contacting guests just a week before embarkation with enticing offers to switch or cancel their sailing.

Allure of the Seas Oversold Again

Just a week after Allure of the Seas was oversold for its April 30, 2023 departure, Royal Caribbean International is once again reaching out to guests about another overbooked cruise – now the May 14, 2023 departure.

“We’re sorry to inform you that due to an unexpected inventory error, your scheduled Allure of the Seas May 14th, 2023 sailing is currently oversold,” the email reads.

The impacted cruise is a 7-night roundtrip Western Caribbean sailing from Galveston, calling on Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico. This is the only itinerary Allure of the Seas is currently sailing, though the port order varies depending on the departure date.

Guests are being offered generous options for last-minute compensation, with three choices to consider. If guests prefer to remain booked as-is on the oversold sailing, they can disregard all offers. But which choice is best for which guests?

Different Cruise, Different Ship

The first option is for guests to move to Voyager of the Seas for a similar 5-night sailing departing either June 3 or June 17. Both sailings will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel, but not Roatan.

Travelers who choose this option will not only move to their selected Voyager of the Seas cruise, but will also receive a 100% refund of their Allure of the Seas fare, plus $300 (USD) of non-refundable onboard credit for Voyager of the Seas.

Whereas Allure of the Seas is an Oasis-class ship weighing in at 225,282 gross tons with a guest capacity of 5,492 at double occupancy, Voyager of the Seas is a much smaller Voyager-class ship at 138,194 gross tons and with a double-occupancy capacity of only 3,114. Measured by weight, Voyager of the Seas is 39% smaller than Allure of the Seas, and 43% smaller by guest capacity.

Same Cruise, Same Ship

The second option offered is to lift and shift the cruise to an identical but later Allure of the Seas sailing. Two departure dates are available for this option – July 16 and July 30. Because the new sailings are on the same ship, for the same cruise length, and with the same itinerary, no further compensation – refund or onboard credit – is offered with this option.

Cancellation and Refund

Guests on the oversold sailing can completely cancel their cruise to receive a 100% refund, as well as a 100% future cruise credit (FCC) valid for any upcoming Royal Caribbean sailing. The FCC will be valid for any cruise departing by May 15, 2024, giving guests a full year to plan a new getaway.

Which Option to Pick?

Ultimately, while each offer can be attractive, each guest’s choice will depend on their specific needs, vacation plans, and travel flexibility. The cruise line also insists that guests do not need to select any of the offers, and can instead keep their original booking as-is.

“This special offer is time-limited and subject to availability. If you’re happy to be excluded from the special offer, please disregard this email – no further action is required,” the email explains.

Staying on the same cruise with no changes will appeal most to guests with specific or complicated travel plans, such as for a honeymoon or large family getaway, when multiple staterooms may be involved, or arranging time off work for alternative dates may be challenging.

Furthermore, just because guests opt-in to one of the alternatives, they may not be selected for the special offer. Guests must first apply for the offer, then wait for updated confirmation.

“If you’re not contacted by us, you will remain booked on your existing Allure of the Seas sailing,” the email concludes. Which offer would you choose, or would you keep your original plans? Discuss your options in the Cruise Hive Boards!