Royal Caribbean suddenly cuts 20 cruises just days after Carnival canceled 11 sailings, report says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Saturday 21 March 2026 15:33 EDT


Royal Caribbean has canceled more than 20 scheduled sailings aboard its Freedom of the Seas ship for the summer 2027 season, just days after Carnival Cruise Line similarly canceled 11 future sailings.

The impacted Royal Caribbean departures were originally scheduled between May and September 2027 and included a range of itineraries from four‑night Bahamas trips to five-night trips in the Dominican Republic and nine‑night journeys calling in Aruba and Curaçao, according to the unofficial Royal Caribbean Blog and The Travel.

Royal Caribbean emailed passengers this week to announce that Freedom of the Seas will be redeployed to Southampton, England, for the 2027 season, canceling its previously scheduled home‑port sailings due to an “ongoing itinerary planning process,” according to the blogs.

“Deployment planning is dynamic and regularly reviewed based on demand, capacity requirements, and broader fleet considerations,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told The Independent in a statement. “As part of this process, we’ve made the decision to redeploy Freedom of the Seas to Southampton in 2027. Guests and travel partners are being contacted directly with details about their sailings and available options.”

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/travel/royal-caribbean-carnival-cancel-cruises-b2943187.html

[BidenRocks]

1. Translation?

We don't want to get blown up in the Carib.
England is more stable.

[LisaM]

3. Translation: Canadians aren't going to Miami.

The drop-off in Canadian tourism is huge, and Canadians have a lot of choices.

[Prairie Gates]

6. Agree that this is a big factor

[Whip-poor-will]

2. trumpfuckup

This is what to label every unintended consequence resulting from trump's Iran rape.

Have it handy it's going to be constant.

Gas prices it's a trumpfuckup

Close the shipping it's a trumpfuckup

No fertilizer it's a trumpfuckup

Snuffing 265 school girls intentional not a trumpfuckup but trump is fucked up

[TheRickles]

4. No mention of the underlying reasons in the Independent article.

But their online Commenters mention the higher price of fuel, and the fear that the ships' crews would encounter ICE agents in America. In addition to the drop in Canadian tourism.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The radio reports I heard over the weekened

did mention the current crisis -notably since this happened right after Carnival canceled with similar weasel wording, but people speculated about the why - especially the cruises going along coastal Mexico...

[Footay]

7. Nothing to see here

This happens all the time in this industry. Cruise lines evaluate bookings and redeploy ships to the areas with the potential to sell more.

Redeployments and itinerary changes are frequent and for numerous reasons. In fact, just this week Virgin Voyages changed the itineraries of four sailings for next February in order to have a 3-hour meetup and photo op with four ships in the middle of the Caribbean.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Yes but this time

there are actual hostilities going on in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with purported "drug boats" being blown out of the water in both locations.

You also have a U.S. aircraft carrier (docked in Greece at Crete for repairs) and its group in the Mediterranean and Red Sea (and some of the cancelled cruises were in that area, where an Iranian missile hit Cyprus).

Reduce the ships and you reduce the risk that an errant missile that someone figures fell "harmlessly" in the water, actually hits one of those ships. That is the whole issue with the Strait of Hormuz.

[Footay]

10. Not really.

Over 150 cruise ships sail the Caribbean yearly. Moving one, 20-year-old smaller ship to a different geographic location is insignificant and not related to anything you listed.

If anyone was worried about safety in the Caribbean, they would be moving the new, $2 billion mega ships carrying 7,500 people.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Stay tuned?

Royal Caribbean cancels five months of cruises on popular ship


(snip)

Along with Freedom of the Seas’ deployment update, Royal Caribbean may also shake up Miami sailings in summer 2027 with the debut of a brand-new ship from the port. The cruise line already announced that Miami-based Icon of the Seas will move to Galveston, Texas in August 2027. This makes way for the cruise line to likely launch its fourth Icon Class ship from Miami at that time. This has not yet been confirmed by the cruise line, however.

(snip)

A lot can happen between now and then.

[Footay]

19. This one definitely has a reason

Royal Caribbean just built a new $125 million terminal in Galveston to accommodate the larger class ship, which previously could not dock there. The Galveston port is growing quickly as it is a much more accessible location for those in the western states.

[RainCaster]

8. Given the threats Iran has made

I think of cruise ships as sitting ducks.

[flashman13]

11. Me thinks you might be on to something.

[WestMichRad]

17. Just a bit of a security problem, aren't they?

Yet another reason I’ll never be found on one.

[Maru Kitteh]

18. That was exactly my thought. Terrorism plus recession and fuel costs . . .

I think the prospects in next few years for cruise tourism are uncertain at best.

[FakeNoose]

21. In that case the 2026 cruises ought to be cancelled

... and keep the 2027 cruises on a "wait and see" basis.

[IbogaProject]

13. They aren't getting deposits

Last edited Sun Mar 22, 2026, 11:24 PM - Edit history (1)

And they know full well fewer bookings means they have to cut the number of cruses planned.

[BWdem4life]

22. Fewer.

[IbogaProject]

23. Thank you

I tried to improve my choice of words.

[2na fisherman]

14. Terror Targets

A mega-cruise ship holds about 7000 passengers. That represents a large amount of hostages or a tragic mass-casualty event for even a small cell of jihadist terrorists to target. They are defenseless. I wouldn't go on a cruise ship vacation now even if it was given away. Aside from that, no wonder they are cancelling some trips due to high fuel costs.

[pfitz59]

15. Failing monopolies

Most major cruise lines are owned by three parent companies: Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, with a few exceptions like MSC Cruises and Windstar Cruises.
Major Cruise Line Parent Companies
1. Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation is the largest cruise company in the world, dual-listed in the U.S. and UK, and owns nine major cruise brands. Its portfolio includes:
Carnival Cruise Line – family-friendly, budget-conscious cruises
Princess Cruises – premium experiences with destination-focused itineraries
Holland America Line – mid-sized ships with cultural enrichment programs
Seabourn – luxury small-ship cruises
Costa Cruises – European-focused cruises
Cunard Line – iconic ocean liners
AIDA Cruises – German market, casual cruising
P&O Cruises (UK) – British heritage cruises
P&O Cruises Australia – Australian market cruises
Carnival Corporation is publicly traded, meaning it is technically owned by its shareholders, with Josh Weinstein serving as CEO.
2. Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group, based in Miami and domiciled in Liberia, owns five key cruise lines:
Royal Caribbean International – large, innovative ships with family-friendly amenities
Celebrity Cruises – premium, modern luxury experiences
Silversea Cruises – ultra-luxury small-ship cruises
Azamara – boutique, destination-focused cruises
TUI Cruises – German market, joint venture with TUI Group
Royal Caribbean Group is publicly traded, with Jason Liberty as CEO.
3. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH)
NCLH, domiciled in Bermuda, operates three brands:
Norwegian Cruise Line – freestyle cruising with flexible dining
Oceania Cruises – upper-premium, destination-rich itineraries
Regent Seven Seas Cruises – all-inclusive luxury cruises
The company is publicly traded, with Harry Sommer as CEO.

[BradBo]

16. This feels l

This to me feels like Americans saving their money. Trumps needless economy move to distract.
It’s an Epstein thing ALL the way. Wag the Dog distraction.

[Deep State Witch]

20. The Price of Fuel

Has a lot to do with it. Since we're going on a cruise this summer in Europe, I've been watching some cruise bloggers. Even though these sailings are in the Caribbean, they're being impacted by the higher fuel costs for marine fuel. Those charges are either being passed along to cruisers as fuel surcharges, or the companies are cancelling cruises. La Lido Loca explains this pretty well.