Anchors awaiiiit a second.
Royal Caribbean has nixed an upcoming Alaska cruise after 1,700 passengers already spent two days on board while it remained docked in Vancouver.
The cruise line first informed passengers via email on Aug. 22 that an unspecified technical issue meant their seven-night cruise on the Serenade of the Seas would be scaled back to five nights to allow more time for repairs, with an offer of a refund, according to CruiseCritic.
The departure was also pushed back from Aug. 30 to Sept 1, but passengers were invited to board and use the ship as a hotel until it left port.
Some 1,700 passengers boarded early — just to be told on Tuesday that the voyage was canceled because repairs were still not finished. They were given until midnight Wednesday to disembark.
“To accommodate ongoing maintenance, we’ve had to cancel our sailing,” Royal Caribbean Group confirmed to USA Today. “We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience and have worked with them to adjust their travel plans.”
Passengers who boarded will be given full refunds — as well as a 100% future cruise credit — and a pro-rated refund for dining and beverage packages, the report said.
The company didn’t offer any information about what the technical issue entailed or indicate whether it would affect the ship’s next departure, scheduled for Sunday.
Arielle Anderson, a 28-year-old mom, told USA Today her family had “been looking forward to this since Christmas.”
“And we were devastated then because we really wanted to go to places in Alaska,” the South Carolina-based lawyer told the outlet.
Passengers also sounded off about the Titanic-sized inconvenience on message boards.
“Oh my, what a disaster. Glad I canceled and didn’t board. Still waiting for my cruise fare refund though,” one cruiser who nearly booked passage on the Serenade of the Seas.
Others were hoping to receive word about their own trips on the horizon.
“I wonder what they are planning for the next cruise, and future cruises since we’re scheduled for the end of September when they reposition her,” a user wrote.
The Serenade of the Seas, a 961-foot behemoth that took its maiden voyage in August 2003, has 12 decks and a capacity for 2,490 passengers and 891 crew.
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