Royal Caribbean Ship to Remain in Port Longer Due to Propulsion Repair

The Radiance of the Seas sailing scheduled to depart from Vancouver on April 26, 2024, has been postponed, with a new departure set for April 28. However, passengers have been asked to board the ship as scheduled and spend the first two days of the cruise in port.

Royal Caribbean Alters Schedule of Radiance of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International has announced a change to the Radiance of the Seas departure schedule. Originally slated to set sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 26 to start a summer season in Alaska, the ship will now depart on April 28.

The postponement is due to ongoing propulsion repairs that caused Radiance of the Seas to cancel port calls on this week’s repositioning journey from Los Angeles to Vancouver.

Royal Caribbean said in a letter to booked guests, “While repairs for the technical issue that we encountered on our previous sailing are still underway, we discovered that we’re going to need some extra time to get the ship in tip-top shape for you.“

The ship cancelled port calls in Astoria, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia, to head straight to Vancouver to address the issue, but repairs are taking longer than anticipated to correct. With continued propulsion issues, the ship’s maximum speed of 25 knots was drastically reduced to 16, delaying the repositioning cruise’s arrival.

Royal Caribbean added, “We’re terribly sorry for this last-minute change. We understand this news is disappointing, but we hope you’ll join us on the alternate itinerary planned.”

Itinerary Changes Will Keep Passengers on Board Docked Ship

The revised 7-night Alaska itinerary will see Radiance of the Seas spend two extra days in Vancouver, with passengers aboard the ship while it remains in port for repairs. The ship will depart at 4 p.m. on April 28 to begin its journey.

Originally slated to sail to Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan on the roundtrip voyage, Radiance of the Seas will now offer a scenic cruising of the Inside Passage before reaching Ice Strait Point, Alaska, on April 30 and Ketchikan on May 1.

The ship will cruise through the Inside Passage a second time before concluding in Vancouver on May 3. This altered route eliminates the call in Juneau, initially slated for April 28.

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The delay is compounded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection restrictions, necessitating the terminal’s closure at 5 p.m. on boarding day. While the boarding process is not be affected and proceeded as planned on April 26, guests cannot leave the ship once they have checked in and are boarded.

In response to the delay, the cruise line has extended activities available to guests. These include special curated programs to entertain guests staying on the ship during the extended stay in Vancouver. The opening of the onboard shops and casino will occur after setting sail on April 28.

“Our Activities Team is putting together some incredible programming to entertain you,” said the cruise line.

The original setback for Radiance of the Seas began on April 23, forcing the ship to bypass stops and head directly to Vancouver in hopes of arriving ahead of schedule. The early arrival was planned to allow for the necessary maintenance and repairs before the Alaskan sailing.

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Passengers currently onboard the weakened ship have been assured the ship remains seaworthy and safe, albeit slower, and were provided full refunds for pre-shore excursions in the missed ports as onboard credit, as well as a 50% refund of the cruise fare, also as onboard credit.

Passengers aboard the Alaskan cruise have not been offered compensation or refunds.