Royal Caribbean Passengers Face Another Major Cruise Reroute

Royal Caribbean has redirected another cruise ship to Canada after worsening weather disrupted plans for a five-night holiday to Bermuda, just days after passengers aboard Oasis of the Seas experienced a similarly dramatic change.

Independence of the Seas was due to depart Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on 24th October 2026, taking passengers south to Bermuda for an overnight stay. Instead, the ship will head north to Saint John, New Brunswick, where considerably cooler autumn conditions await.

The decision follows the rerouting of Oasis of the Seas, which departed from the same port on 18th October. Passengers on that sailing had booked a week visiting Florida and the Bahamas but found themselves travelling to Halifax, Nova Scotia, instead.

The two changes mean thousands of Royal Caribbean passengers have had their warm-weather cruise plans replaced with Canadian destinations within the space of a week.

A third Royal Caribbean vessel, Harmony of the Seas, has also had its itinerary altered because of unfavourable weather forecasts. However, its passengers are still expected to visit all their originally scheduled destinations in the Bahamas.

Bermuda Cruise Replaced With An Overnight Stay In Canada

Passengers booked aboard Independence of the Seas received notification of the change on Thursday evening, 22nd October, giving them less than two days to adjust their plans before departure.

Royal Caribbean explained that weather conditions along the US East Coast were making the original route to Bermuda unsuitable.

In its communication to guests, the cruise line said:

“After exploring all of our options, we’ve decided to sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada for an overnight stay instead.”

The original itinerary included a visit to King’s Wharf at Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard, with the ship scheduled to arrive at 9am on Monday, 26th October, and remain until 5pm the following day.

That would have given passengers roughly 32 hours in Bermuda, allowing time for beaches, sightseeing and other activities across two days.

The replacement destination provides a comparable overnight stop, but in a very different setting.

Under the revised schedule, Independence of the Seas is expected to reach Saint John at approximately 10.30am on Monday, 26th October, and remain until 2.30pm on Tuesday, 27th October.

Saint John is a port city on Canada’s Bay of Fundy, known for its historic streets, waterfront attractions and the powerful tides that produce the Reversing Falls phenomenon.

Although the city offers opportunities for sightseeing, it is a substantial departure from the Bermuda holiday passengers originally booked.

Late October also brings a considerable temperature difference between the two destinations, potentially leaving guests who packed beachwear and light clothing needing warmer layers for their time ashore.

The itinerary change affects the 3,858-passenger Freedom-class ship as a whole, with no alternative Bermuda visit planned for this sailing.

Compensation Offered To Passengers

Royal Caribbean has announced refundable onboard credit for passengers affected by the cancellation of Bermuda.

Unlike the compensation arrangements announced for Oasis of the Seas earlier in the week, the credit for Independence of the Seas is calculated per stateroom rather than per guest.

The amounts are:

Inside staterooms: $150
Ocean-view staterooms: $200
Balcony staterooms: $300
Suites: $500
Third and additional guests in a stateroom: an extra $50 each

All amounts are in US dollars.

Guests who purchased Bermuda shore excursions through Royal Caribbean will have those bookings cancelled automatically, with the payments returned to their onboard accounts.

Any unused refundable credit at the end of the cruise will be returned to the payment card linked to the account.

The compensation provides some financial recognition of the disruption, although passengers who selected the sailing specifically to visit Bermuda will no longer be able to experience their planned destination.

The change has been prompted by hazardous marine conditions developing off the eastern United States.

A National Weather Service gale warning covering waters between the US coast and Bermuda forecast strengthening winds over the weekend of 24th and 25th October.

Wind speeds were expected to reach 25 to 35 knots on Saturday, with gusts and sustained conditions potentially reaching 40 knots into Sunday. Wave heights across the affected waters were forecast to range from seven to 19 feet.

The unsettled conditions follow Post-Tropical Cyclone Josephine and have complicated cruise itineraries across the region.

For Royal Caribbean, avoiding the affected waters means sending Independence of the Seas north rather than attempting its planned Atlantic crossing.

Oasis Of The Seas Passengers Faced A Similar Surprise

The Independence of the Seas announcement follows an even more extensive itinerary change aboard Oasis of the Seas.

That ship departed Cape Liberty on 18th October for a seven-night voyage originally scheduled to visit Port Canaveral, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau.

All three destinations were removed after Royal Caribbean determined that deteriorating conditions made the planned route unsuitable.

Instead, passengers were sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with just one Canadian port call replacing the three originally advertised destinations.

Guests received the news on the evening before departure, leaving little opportunity to make alternative arrangements or change what they had packed.

The first revised itinerary also offered limited opportunities to explore Halifax.

Oasis of the Seas was initially scheduled to arrive at 6pm on 20th October and leave at 8am the following morning. Passengers were also initially advised that they would not be allowed ashore during the overnight stay.

Royal Caribbean subsequently extended the visit until 6pm on 21st October, providing a full day for sightseeing.

The cruise line offered passengers onboard credit ranging from $200 to $600 per guest, depending on their accommodation, alongside a future cruise credit worth 50% of the fare paid.

Those arrangements were considerably more generous than the onboard credit announced for Independence of the Seas, reflecting the different compensation packages offered for the two sailings.

Oasis of the Seas was scheduled to return to Cape Liberty on 25th October, one day after Independence of the Seas began its own revised Canadian voyage.

The disruptions have not been limited to those two ships.

Vision of the Seas also had its Bermuda itinerary replaced with a visit to Saint John after departing Baltimore on 17th October.

On that occasion, the late change meant passengers were unable to leave the vessel during its Canadian port call.

The repeated diversions demonstrate the extent to which unsettled weather has affected sailings from the US East Coast, particularly those travelling towards Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Harmony Of The Seas Changes Plans But Keeps Its Ports

While Independence of the Seas passengers have lost their planned Bermuda visit entirely, guests sailing on Harmony of the Seas face a less significant disruption.

Royal Caribbean has rearranged the itinerary for the ship’s five-night cruise departing Port Canaveral, Florida, on 24th October.

The change was communicated to passengers the day before embarkation, following forecasts of deteriorating weather around the Bahamas.

Rather than cancelling destinations, Royal Caribbean has adjusted the order of its port calls to reduce the likelihood of encountering the worst conditions.

Harmony of the Seas was originally scheduled to spend Sunday, 25th October, at sea before visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay on Monday and Nassau on Tuesday.

Under the revised arrangements, Nassau becomes the first destination, with the ship scheduled to visit from 7.30am until 5.30pm on Sunday, 25th October.

Monday will instead be spent at sea, while the CocoCay visit moves to Tuesday, 27th October, from 7am until 5pm.

The ship’s final sea day and return to Port Canaveral on Thursday, 29th October, remain unchanged.

For passengers, this means the planned destinations are still included, even though the rearranged schedule could affect restaurant reservations, spa appointments and other activities booked around the original port days.

Royal Caribbean has said that shore excursions purchased through the cruise line will be transferred to the new dates where possible.

If an excursion cannot be rescheduled, it will be cancelled and the cost refunded through guests’ onboard accounts.

Weather forecasts suggested thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to 30mph around CocoCay on the originally scheduled Monday visit, while conditions near Nassau were also expected to deteriorate on Tuesday.

Moving the Nassau visit forward is intended to allow Harmony of the Seas to reach the port before the strongest winds arrive.

The revised schedule also gives the ship an opportunity to visit CocoCay as conditions are expected to begin improving.

Unlike the passengers aboard Independence and Oasis of the Seas, those sailing on Harmony are therefore still expected to enjoy the same destinations they booked.

Nevertheless, the changes underline how quickly cruise schedules can be affected when severe weather develops across several parts of the Atlantic.

For passengers departing from New Jersey in particular, the disruptions have been unusually substantial, with two major Royal Caribbean ships sent to Canada instead of the warmer destinations featured in their original itineraries.

With both cruises altered shortly before departure, guests have been left facing holidays that differ considerably from the experiences they had planned.