Royal Caribbean Announces Exciting Ship Swaps for the 2027 Southampton Season

Royal Caribbean International has announced that the Freedom of the Seas will replace the Mariner of the Seas for the 2027 season out of Southampton. Initially, the Freedom was supposed to operate from Miami in the summer of 2027, but those plans have been changed.

This shift means the Freedom of the Seas, accommodating up to 3,960 passengers and launched in 2006, will now offer cruises from Southampton, preserving the same dates and some itineraries originally planned for the Mariner. However, specific ports of call may have been adjusted or removed.

From May to October 2027, the Freedom will provide a series of cruises to Northern and Western Europe. Royal Caribbean stated, “As part of our ongoing itinerary planning process, which sometimes requires flexibility due to scheduling, port agreements or operational needs, the Mariner of the Seas will be redeployed for our summer 2027 season.” The company also expressed apologies for any inconvenience caused to guests who had booked voyages.

Passengers affected by this change have been given three options: they can switch their reservations to other cruises within the Royal Caribbean portfolio without incurring non-refundable deposit change fees, although they will need to pay any fare differences. Alternatively, they can cancel their booking and receive a full refund. For those who prefer to stay on the ship, they will be automatically moved to similar staterooms on the Freedom of the Seas.

While there hasn’t been a new deployment plan for the Mariner of the Seas, it is currently scheduled for a trans-Atlantic crossing to the Mediterranean ahead of the summer 2027 season. This 17-night repositioning voyage will leave New Orleans on April 24, 2027, and will visit ports in Morocco and Spain before arriving in Barcelona, including stops in Casablanca, Tangier, and Málaga.

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