The Radiance of the Seas Battles with Propulsion Problems

Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas is currently facing propulsion issues. As a result, the 2001-built vessel will be unable to visit some of the scheduled ports of call during its current sailing.

“The Radiance of the Seas is experiencing a technical issue with one of its propulsion systems, resulting in a slower maximum speed,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement sent to guests onboard.

“Unfortunately, this means we’re no longer able to make our scheduled calls. We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused by this unexpected situation,” the company added, noting that while the ship is sailing at a slower speed, it remains seaworthy and safe.

After sailing from Los Angeles on April 22, 2024, the ship is offering a repositioning cruise to Vancouver, in Canada’s British Columbia. The four-night sailing included visits to Astoria and Victoria.

Due to the propulsion issues, the Radiance of the Seas is now sailing directly to Vancouver, where it’s scheduled to arrive on the evening of April 25, 2024.

“Our departure process will remain as scheduled on Friday, April 26, so there’s no need to reschedule your onward travel,” Royal Caribbean stated, adding that the early arrival is necessary to complete required maintenance onboard.

“Our teams are hard at work to correct this issue and our current progress is meeting our timeline. However, we’ll need to be docked to complete the required repairs,” the company said.

“At this time, we intend to sail as planned on April 26, 2024, and we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way,” Royal Caribbean added, mentioning guests sailing back-to-back.

Passengers currently onboard will be compensated for the last-minute change with a refund of 50 percent of the cruise fare paid in the form of an onboard credit, the company said in the statement.

Any pre-paid shore excursion booked for Astoria and Victoria is also being refunded as an onboard credit, Royal Caribbean added.

“All these credits can be used anywhere onboard, and any remaining, refundable amounts at the end of the sailing will be reimbursed to the credit cards on file,” the company explained.

The Radiance of the Seas saw cruises canceled in 2023 due to propulsion issues. At the time, the vessel remained out of service for two weeks while repairs were carried out.