Oversold Cruise – Would You Take Any Of These Three Offers?

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Passengers booked on the Allure of the Seas for its 24th April sailing out of Civitavecchia (Rome) are being offered a surprising opportunity to rethink their plans – and walk away with generous perks.

Allure of the Seas

In a move reminiscent of airlines seeking volunteers to give up overbooked seats, Royal Caribbean is proactively reaching out to guests with enticing options: transfer to another sailing for free, accept a downgraded cabin with bonuses, or cancel altogether with full compensation and a future cruise credit.

In an official communication, the cruise line acknowledged the potential overcrowding of the 5,484-passenger vessel and extended the offer to guests willing to adjust their travel.

Three Flexible Alternatives

Guests willing to make a change can:

1. Transfer to a Different Cruise for Free

Royal Caribbean is offering passengers a chance to move their reservation to another 7-night Allure of the Seas sailing – either 18th May from Barcelona, or 29th May from Rome – and sail at no additional cost. These guests will receive a 100% refund of their original fare and take the new cruise for free.

Alternatively, travelers can shift to a 25th May sailing aboard Odyssey of the Seas to the Greek Isles, also departing from Rome and visiting Santorini, Mykonos, Naples, and Ephesus (Kusadasi).

2. Cancel and Be Compensated

Guests may opt to cancel their 24th April cruise entirely and still receive a full refund and 100% Future Cruise Credit for a later trip.

Royal Caribbean also promises to reimburse non-refundable travel expenses, such as flights and hotel bookings, making this option particularly attractive to those with flexible schedules.

3. Downgrade and Cruise for Free

Travellers booked in Balcony staterooms can choose to downgrade to an interior room. In return, they’ll receive a full refund, sail the original cruise for free, and also receive $300 in onboard credit per stateroom.

A Strategic Move for a Popular Ship

The Allure of the Seas, which recently underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment, remains one of Royal Caribbean’s most popular ships – and occasionally too popular for its own good.

This is not the first time the cruise line has made similar offers. In 2023, Allure of the Seas issued similar notices to passengers just days before scheduled sailings. Wonder of the Seas faced similar overbooking challenges during its debut seasons in late 2022 and early 2023.

While Royal Caribbean often anticipates cancellations and no-shows when planning capacity, every now and then all guests follow through – leaving the cruise line scrambling to adjust.

For those staying the course, Royal Caribbean’s message was simple: “If your plans are set in stone, please mark this email as ‘Read,’ and gear up for your upcoming adventure.”

With free cruises, full refunds, and onboard credit on the table, some passengers might find it tempting to say “bon voyage” to one cruise – and hello to a better one.

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2 thoughts on “Oversold Cruise – Would You Take Any Of These Three Offers?”

  1. Kim

    The Royal Caribbean Allure is FAKE. The cruise leaves Barcelona on April 27. Not Rome on April 24. Too many errors in this story. We are on the cruise and we’re given a royal up so there is no reason a guest would be asked to take an inside cabin. These are fake stories that should be vetted with the company before printing. Not just take a fake news story and reprint it.

    Reply
    • Jenni Fielding

      Hi. Thanks for expressing your concerns. Please be assured that we research stories fully before publishing. The ship departs from Rome on April 24 and then Barcelona on April 27. Royal Up allows you the option to bid for cabins, there are no guarantees that any upgrades are avaiable. If you have any other specific concerns, please do let me know. Jenni

      Reply

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