Royal Caribbean has contacted guests of one of its cruises to offer a refund, following an itinerary change that created a backlash amongst guests.
Ovation of the Seas was due to offer a 9-night cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu on 6th October 2023, but the itinerary has been adjusted to take into account the tragic events happening in Maui.
Originally, the cruise was changed to remove the port visit to Lahaina, Maui, and instead offered calls at Victoria, BC and Seattle, Washington.
While guests are broadly understanding of the reasons to cancel the port visits to Maui at this time, many felt upset by the fact that their cruise to Hawaii would now not include any stops on the islands.
Royal Caribbean has now contacted guests to offer them the chance to cancel their cruise without penalty if they would prefer a full refund.
The cruise is within the 60-31 day window before sailing, and as such guests who cancelled would have incurred a 75% penalty fare for their cruise cancellation.
But the change has seen Royal Caribbean remove this for guests, if they would rather not sail on the ship with the updated itinerary.
We’ve looked closely at other Hawaiian ports, but due to its size, Ovation only had 2 other options in Hawaii, which were not available for many reasons – including the port being already occupied and even the Ironman triathlon blocking ocean access…Nonetheless, we know this isn’t how you planned your cruise to go. So, we’re providing the option to cancel your cruise with no penalties.
Royal Caribbean email to affected customers
There is no timeline for Maui to reopen to cruise passengers, and any other cruises to the destination will be reviewed over the coming months. The wildfires on the island have caused mass devastation and only essential travel to the island is permitted at this time.
Anyone with a booking on a cruise to Hawaii is advised to monitor their emails for updates from their cruise line.
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Had to call about refund. Never received a second email about refund.