Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas is currently experiencing problems with its propulsion system. Because of this, the ship, built in 2001, can’t visit some of its planned stops during its ongoing cruise.
Royal Caribbean explained that a technical problem with the ship’s propulsion system is causing it to move slower than usual. “Unfortunately, this means we can’t make our scheduled port visits. We apologize for the inconvenience this unexpected issue may cause,” the company stated in a message to passengers. They assured everyone that although the ship is moving slower, it is still safe to sail.
The ship left Los Angeles on April 22, 2024, for a repositioning cruise to Vancouver, British Columbia, with planned stops in Astoria and Victoria. However, due to the propulsion issues, it will now go directly to Vancouver, arriving on the evening of April 25, 2024.
Royal Caribbean assured passengers that the departure on April 26 would go ahead as planned, so there is no need to change any travel plans. The ship needs to dock early in Vancouver to carry out necessary repairs. “Our team is working hard to fix the problem, and we are on track to complete the repairs while docked,” the company added. They committed to keeping passengers updated, especially those on back-to-back cruises.
Guests on board will receive a 50 percent refund of their cruise fare as onboard credit for the inconvenience. Additionally, any pre-paid excursions for Astoria and Victoria will be refunded as onboard credit. Royal Caribbean also noted that any unused credits would be refunded to the credit cards on file at the end of the cruise.
This isn’t the first time Radiance of the Seas has had propulsion issues. In 2023, similar problems led to canceled cruises and the ship being out of service for two weeks for repairs.