Royal Caribbean, TS Irma, Itinerary Changes, Cruise Cancellations, Humanitarian Effort

9/11/17 at NOON EDT (next update at 6 PM EDT)

Irma is now a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph. It is currently located just west of Gainesville on the Gulf Coast, moving north/northwest at 18 mph. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday.

We are mobilizing ships and supplies to help people in need. In coordination with the US and local governments we are dispatching ships to St. Thomas and St. Maarten and stand ready to assist Key West, and other locations. Adventure of the Seas made a humanitarian stop in St. Maarten on Sunday and Majesty of the Seas will make humanitarian calls in St. Thomas and St. Maarten to provide supplies and also assist in transporting evacuees in St. Maarten to safety. Additionally, we have Empress of the Seas ready to assist Key West once the impact of the storm is known.

Florida airports are slowly getting up and running. For the most up-to-date information please visit the FAA website at fly.faa.gov.

The following sailings are canceled:

Empress of the Seas: September 13 Cuba cruise
Majesty of the Seas: September 15 Bahamas cruise

We are cancelling these cruises to utilize the ship for humanitarian efforts in areas of the Caribbean with urgent need.

For both the Empress sailing on 9/13 and the Majesty sailing on 9/15, the cruise fare and fees will be 100% refunded to the original form of payment, and we are also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 1-800-256-6649.

The following sailings are being modified:

Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
The new departure date is Wednesday, 9/13 and will sail a 4-night itinerary, with an overnight in Nassau, Bahamas.

Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise
The new departure date will be on Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel, Mexico. To give you additional time to travel to the port, we expect to begin boarding at 5 pm.

Oasis of the Seas: September 10 Eastern Caribbean cruise
The departure date will be on Wednesday, 9/13 and will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel, Mexico. We know these changes are disappointing, and we are truly sorry for the storm's impact on your vacation. Should you choose to sail with us on Allure, Harmony or Oasis, we will provide you with a refund of 50% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, and an additional 50% future cruise credit.

Enchantment of the Seas: September 11 Bahamas cruise
Our departure date remains Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 3-night itinerary to the Bahamas. To give additional time to travel to the port, we are planning to begin boarding at 5 pm. Our new itinerary will include one port call in Nassau, Bahamas. Given the impact of Irma on Key West, the port will not be open to guests, but we will likely make a humanitarian stop to assist our neighbors with essential supplies to help them recover from Hurricane Irma. Should you choose to sail with us we will provide you with a refund of 25% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, as well as a 25% future cruise credit.

Given the changes to these sailings, if you are unable to travel and need to cancel your cruise, we will provide you with a 100% future cruise credit. Pre-booked shore excursions will be refunded to your original form of payment, and you will have the ability to book excursions in our new ports of call once onboard.

Given Hurricane Irma's impact to St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Key West, we will be working on alternative ports for future sailings until these islands have fully recovered. All itinerary changes will be communicated with these guests directly.