Royal Caribbean Cancels Anthem’s Upcoming Cruise

Royal Caribbean Cancels Anthem’s Upcoming Cruise

Royal Caribbean International cancelled the upcoming cruise of the Anthem of the Seas, which was scheduled to depart from Sydney on January 27, 2026.

As part of its winter season sailing from Australia, the 2015-built vessel was set to offer a ten-night itinerary to New Zealand.

According to a statement sent to booked guests, the cruise is no longer going ahead due to a technical issue.

The ship is now expected to arrive in Eden later this week, where it will dock for repairs.

“The Anthem of the Seas experienced a technical issue on its last sailing, and we’re returning to begin required maintenance,” Royal Caribbean explained.

The company added that it won’t be able to complete these needed repairs before the January 27, 2026, cruise.

“We know how much time and effort go into planning your cruise, and we’re truly sorry for this disappointing news,” Royal Caribbean continued.

The company stated that affected guests will be fully reimbursed, receiving a 100% refund of the cruise fare, as well as taxes, fees, pre-paid packages, gratuities, amenities, and shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean.

“Additionally, to make up for this, you’ll also receive a 25 per cent Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to be used towards a future sailing departing within one year,” Royal Caribbean added.

The company also said it will reimburse non-refundable, pre-purchased travel fees incurred, such as flight, hotel, train ticket, or rental car expenses.

Guests will be able to claim refunds for up to $200 per person for domestic flight changes or up to $400 per person for international flight changes.

Royal Caribbean is also reimbursing up to $250 per stateroom for up to two nights of hotel accommodation and up to $100 per person, per day for incidentals.

Anthem’s cancelled cruise was set to visit five ports of call in New Zealand, including Picton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

The 4,202-passenger ship was also set to offer scenic cruising at Fjordland National Park before returning to Sydney.

Royal Caribbean Offers Incentives for Guests to Change Utopia Booking

Royal Caribbean Offers Incentives for Guests to Change Utopia Booking

Royal Caribbean International is offering incentives for guests willing to change their cabin categories for the August 25, 2025, cruise onboard the Utopia of the Seas.

According to a statement, passengers may receive perks when moving their bookings for ocean view or interior staterooms.

“Ahead of our Utopia of the Seas, August 25, 2025, sailing, we are looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel arrangements,” Royal Caribbean said.

“If your plans are set in stone, please mark this email as ‘Read,’ and gear up for your upcoming adventure, although there are some pretty sweet options below,” the company continued.

Guests are being offered two options, including moving their bookings for an ocean view stateroom and receiving a 50 per cent refund of the cruise fare paid.

Passengers can also receive a 100 per cent refund of the fare paid for the booking when moving to an interior stateroom.

“We’ll move you to one of our cosy interior staterooms, and Royal Caribbean International will fully refund the cruise fare paid on your current booking, including non-refundable deposits,” the company explained.

Royal Caribbean said that the special offer, which was sent to select guests, is valid for a limited time and subject to availability.

Sailing from Port Canaveral, the Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to offer a short cruise to the Bahamas on Aug. 25, 2025.

The four-night itinerary features visits to Nassau, as well as Royal Caribbean’s private island destination of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, the Utopia of the Seas entered service in 2024 as the sixth ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class.

The 5,714-guest vessel has operated a year-round schedule of short cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral since debuting.

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

The Anthem of the Seas recently completed ten years of service for Royal Caribbean International, having been delivered to the company on April 10, 2015.

As a sister to the 2014-built Quantum of the Seas, the vessel was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Following a delivery ceremony in Bremerhaven, the Anthem sailed for the English port of Southampton to kick off its maiden season.

Before welcoming its first paying guests, the 158,000-ton ship was named by actress Emma Wilby at a special ceremony that took place at its homeport on April 20, 2015.

Sailing round-trip from Southampton, the Anthem offered a series of itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe as part of its maiden season.

The 4,204-guest vessel was later repositioned to the United States for cruises departing from New York Harbour.

For its North American debut, the ship sailed from Cape Liberty Cruise Port to Bermuda and the Caribbean, as well as Canada and New England.

After additional seasons in the United Kingdom and the New York metropolitan area, the Anthem of the Seas recently repositioned to the Pacific Ocean for cruises to other destinations.

As part of a ship shuffle, the vessel debuted in Southeast Asia during the 2024-25 winter, offering cruises from Singapore.

Earlier this year, the Anthem kicked off its first summer deployment in Alaska, offering seven-night cruises that sail from Seattle and also include visits to destinations in Canada.

Before debuting on the West Coast, the vessel also underwent a routine dry dock in Singapore, which included minor updates to staterooms and public areas, as well as technical maintenance.

In mid-October, the ship will reposition to the South Pacific for its inaugural season in Australia. Sailing from Sydney, the Anthem offers itineraries to a wide range of destinations, including Nouméa, Picton and Airlie Beach.