Royal Caribbean has canceled more than two dozen sailings on its Freedom of the Seas ship — all scheduled for summer 2027.
"As part of our ongoing itinerary planning process - which sometimes requires flexibility due to scheduling, port agreements, or operational needs, Freedom of the Seas will be redeployed for our Summer 2027 season," Royal Caribbean said in an email sent to booked guests.
"We know how much effort goes into planning your vacation and apologize for the inconvenience," the cruise line continued in the emailed statement.
Freedom of the Seas was scheduled to operate 4- to 9-night cruises from Miami, Florida, to The Bahamas and Caribbean from May through September 2027.
Royal Caribbean is working closely with passengers to find a comparable voyage or offer full refunds of the paid cruise fare.
For example, guests aboard the Sept. 18 canceled sailing can choose from three alternative voyages:
- 4-night Perfect Day at CocoCay & Bahamas cruise on Wonder of the Seas
- 5-night Perfect Day at CocoCay & Eastern Caribbean cruise on Adventure of the Seas
- 3-night Bahamas Getaway cruise on Jewel of the Seas
"If moving to a sailing of equal length or longer, your original stateroom category price will either be protected at your original fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). Kindly note, this excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items," the email clarified.
"If moving to a shorter sailing, your cruise fare will either be adjusted to the new cruise fare rate OR prorated for the change in sailing nights, whichever option results in a lesser fare, and any overage will be refunded. This applies to the cruise fare only. Taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items will be at the prevailing rate."
Affected cruisers can also rebook any other Royal Caribbean sailing without paying the usual non-refundable deposit change fee. They are, however, responsible for any difference in pricing for the cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items.
Finally, Royal Caribbean stated that if passengers can't find a new cruise that works for them, they will issue a full refund of the paid fare and any prepaid amenities to the original form of payment.
Passengers have until April 1, 2026, to decide how they want to proceed. After that, if Royal Caribbean doesn't hear from them, they will be automatically moved to the first cruise option listed in their respective email. In this case, it's the 4-night cruise on Wonder of the Seas departing Sept. 20.
"Thank you for understanding, and we hope you find another cruise with us. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or looking to explore, relax, and recharge, we have no doubt your time with us will be nothing short of amazing," the email concluded.
The Freedom of the Seas cruise ship debuted in May 2006
The Freedom Class ship is known for its value, combining a wide range of onboard activities with affordable pricing compared to newer mega-ships like Icon of the Seas.
The ship features a kids' splash pad, non-smoking casino, hibachi specialty restaurant, water slides, FlowRider surf simulator, resort-style pool deck, and more.
Freedom of the Seas can accommodate around 3,926 passengers at double occupancy and measures 156,271 gross tons according to the company.
The cruise line's website shows that Freedom will sail from Miami, Florida, through April 2027. Her plans for summer 2027 are unclear amid the canceled cruises. However, she will continue sailing from PortMiami in Oct.
Read more: Where to stay in Miami before a cruise (with a shuttle)
Passengers rattled by the sudden change
Passengers booked on Freedom of the Seas were quick to voice their frustration across social media after learning that their cruises had been abruptly canceled.
"This is so frustrating when you book far in advance to lock in a price for a cabin that only has 2 rooms in that type and your options are basically rebook another cruise and the prices are significantly higher. What’s the point now of booking in advance? My option was [a] smaller ship where I’d have to take additional PTO OR I could pay $2k MORE for 2 less nights in my cabin on harmony with a boring Mexico schedule," wrote one passenger on Facebook.
"That frustrates the heck out of me when they do this. I had 3 ship sailings in a row cancelled 2 years ago. By the time it was announced [in] the UK we couldn’t rebook on the replacement as it was full. Then they wanted twice the amount to book a similar cruise. [Royal Caribbean] has become too unreliable for long cruises now," added another cruiser.
Someone else chimed in, "Freedom is my favorite ship in the fleet, but this is a bad look for Royal. So many disappointed people."
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
