Passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas encountered an unexpected hiccup during their Northern Europe sailing, with the ship arriving late to the Netherlands and cancelling a future port call in Norway due to ongoing onboard maintenance.
On 25th June 2025, the 154,407-gross-ton vessel arrived nearly three hours behind schedule into Rotterdam, cutting short what was meant to be a highlight port day for the 3,634 guests onboard.
The reduced visit meant that shore excursions to Amsterdam – an hour away by bus – were significantly impacted.
While the ship had previously enjoyed smooth visits to Oslo, Copenhagen, and Hamburg, things took a turn as guests were informed that maintenance had triggered speed restrictions, delaying arrival into Rotterdam from the scheduled 11 am to nearly 2 pm.
“We’ve had to make some adjustments to the times we’ll visit Rotterdam due to speed restrictions from ongoing maintenance onboard,”
Aurora Yera-Rodriquez, assistant vice president of guest experience at Royal Caribbean, in a letter to guests.
The ship still departed on time at 7 pm, giving passengers less than five hours in port, many of which were spent on buses or adjusting tour logistics.
While Royal Caribbean emphasized guest safety and downplayed the maintenance concerns, the reduced time ashore was a let-down for many.
Follow-Up Voyage Also Impacted
The maintenance delays aren’t isolated. Passengers booked on Independence of the Seas’ next sailing – a 7-night Norwegian Fjords cruise departing Southampton on 29 June 2025 – have also been notified of changes.
Due to the same speed restrictions, the ship will now skip its planned call to Ålesund on 1st July, and instead spend two full days at sea.
A replacement stop in Molde, Norway, is now scheduled for 2nd July, with arrival moved up by an hour.
As compensation, Royal Caribbean is issuing onboard credit as follows:
- $150 per stateroom (Interior and Oceanview)
- $200 per stateroom (Balcony)
- $400 per stateroom (Suites)
- An additional $25 per third and fourth guest in a stateroom
Additionally, all Royal Caribbean excursions for Ålesund have been cancelled and refunded automatically.
What’s Causing the Delays?
While Royal Caribbean has not publicly confirmed the exact nature of the mechanical issue, the speed restrictions, paired with the impacted itineraries, strongly suggest propulsion or engine-related maintenance. The ship is still operating safely, but not at full cruising speed.
This marks the second cruise in a row affected by the issue, and the situation is being carefully managed by the cruise line to limit further disruption.
It’s worth noting that Independence of the Seas already calls on Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam due to Amsterdam’s restrictions on cruise tourism, including a tourist tax hike and environmental regulations.
Rotterdam is now the default alternative port, but for this particular visit, even that substitution couldn’t avoid delay.
Independence of the Seas is still expected to return to Southampton on 29th June as planned to begin the next itinerary.
Guests onboard and upcoming passengers can track updates via the Royal Caribbean app and should expect communications in the event of further itinerary shifts.
While maintenance at sea is never ideal, Royal Caribbean’s swift communication and compensation offer are helping to smooth the experience for guests caught up in the disruption.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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