Royal Caribbean International has made the difficult decision to cancel the current voyage of the Radiance of the Seas. Despite passengers already on board for a shortened sailing, the company announced on Saturday that the cruise would not proceed as planned.
In a letter sent to guests aboard the ship, Royal Caribbean expressed regret over the situation: “As you are aware, our teams have been vigorously working to have the Radiance of the Seas prepared to set sail on our shortened April 26, 2024 sailing. Despite our best efforts, circumstances beyond our control have delayed our sailing further. As a result, we’ll regrettably have to cancel our cruise.”

The 2001-built ship, which has been facing a technical issue since its previous cruise, was originally scheduled to depart from Vancouver on April 28 for a shortened cruise to Alaska. While the visit to Juneau had to be cancelled, the Radiance was still planned to visit Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point before returning to Vancouver on May 3.
Passengers were informed that they had to disembark the ship on April 28 due to the cancellation. Royal Caribbean assured guests that those who booked flights or transfers through the company had their arrangements automatically rescheduled. Additionally, they offered assistance with independent hotel arrangements through a section of their mobile app.
Affected guests will receive a full refund of 100 percent of the amount they paid for the cruise fare, along with a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) that can be used for a future booking. To help with onward travel plans, Royal Caribbean provided free internet access for guests and kept its bars open while passengers were disembarking.
Furthermore, Royal Caribbean stated that they would reimburse any travel change fees, up to $250 for domestic travel and $400 for international travel. Additionally, they committed to reimbursing up to $250 for hotel costs per stateroom, per night, for two nights as guests make their way home.