Royal Caribbean International has informed customers who have booked the next cruise on September 12, 2022 of Specter of the Seas that the vessel has been fully chartered and that existing reservations should be cancelled.

Affected passengers have several options for replacement crossings with additional compensation, or can opt for a full refund instead.

Specter of the Seas Reservations canceled

The departure of September 12, 2022 for the Quantum-Ultra Class Specter of the Seas was to be a 3 night ‘Ocean Getaway’ round trip from Singapore, non-stop.

In a letter sent to affected guests, Royal Caribbean International only explained that the ship had now been chartered.

“We regret to inform you that the Spectrum of the Seas voyage sailing on September 12, 2022 has been chartered”, the communication read. “We would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause to your scheduled vacation plans.”

Various compensation offers are available to passengers for this now canceled cruise.

Select 3 and 4 night cruises on Specter of the Seas are available as replacement voyages throughout September, and customers’ cruise fares will be protected should they choose to rebook on any of these selected sailings. If the price of the new booking is lower than the price of the original September 12 cruise, the lower price will be honoured.

Customers can also transfer their reservation to any other Royal Caribbean International cruise, without penalty charges. Current fares will apply and passengers will be responsible for any price increases for the new cruise booking.

Guests who rebook on a new cruise will also receive $100 (USD) per suite or $50 per standard cabin as onboard credit, depending on the cabin category of the original booking. An additional $25 onboard credit will also be given to third and fourth passengers originally booked in the same cabin.

All new bookings must be made by August 1, 2022 to qualify for Price Protection and Onboard Credit.

Guests who choose not to rebook will receive a full refund of their cruise fare or the portion of the fare already paid. If guests booked the now canceled cruise with future cruise credit, the credit will be returned to their guest accounts, with any additional monies returned to the original form of payment.

Any prepaid shore excursions, internet packages, spa services or other onboard arrangements will also be automatically refunded.

Refunds are being processed on July 20, 2022 and should be available to customers within seven days.

Charter Sailings Cancel Public Bookings

While the ship will still be sailing on September 12, the cruise is no longer available for passengers to book as the ship has been fully chartered. This means that all cabins have been filled or reserved for a specific group, organization, business or event, and are not open for public reservations.

Charter cruises, although infrequent, do take place several times a year, especially with such a large and popular cruise line as Royal Caribbean International. The cruise line has already hosted more than 10 charter departures since the cruise restarted in mid-2021with more already on the schedule.

Often a cruise ship is chartered several months before the departure date to allow for more publicity so that the cabins can be sold to the participating group, but shorter lead times are possible if the ship is chartered by a single company or a private group.

Earlier this year, Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the seas canceled a cruise for a charter end of October.

Although Royal Caribbean recommends that ships be chartered at least a year in advance to allow plenty of time and avoid numerous disputes and reschedulings, the cruise line seeks to notify passengers as soon as possible when a vessel is chartered and existing reservations are affected.