Cancelled repositioning cruises after Ovation of the Seas extends season

by Bernadette Chua

Ovation of the Seas

The launch of the world’s most technologically advanced ship was embroiled in a row today after 4,500 passengers who had waited to be among the first on board were told their cruise had been axed.

The extension of Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas season in Australia was blamed for the cancellation of the repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore.

The news was officially broken today in a letter from the line to passengers – and immediately, Social Media carried a stream of angry posts.

The repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore was to have left on January 23, 2017.

A statement announcing the Australian extension until February 20th – which gives Australians four more cruises aboard the brand new megaliner – was published today. The cancellation was given just one line at the end of the statement.

The story surfaced on Cruise Passenger’s Facebook page and many passengers have since taken to social media to express their outrage.

Passengers are complaining that they still have not been contacted by Royal Caribbean and only found out after travel sites broke the news of the Ovation’s season extension.

“OVATION OF SEAS Cruise CANCELLED to Singapore – thanks for nothing Royal Caribbean haven’t even told us yet – heard from a friend we booked travel agent, Royal Caribbean reply they will tell us in a few days whether we get a REFUND or CREDIT – NOT HAPPY RC. Waiting for MANAGER to call me back,” passenger Sue Druery wrote.

Ms Druery said when she contacted the line about the situation, Royal Caribbean staff could not tell her anything.

“I was so looking forward to it – I can’t believe that I only heard it on the grape vine and when I rang Royal Caribbean, they didn’t even know – they can’t tell us anything what a joke. It’s such an expensive cruise and I can’t believe how badly this has been handled. People would have booked flights and accommodation as it was a Sydney to Singapore cruise,” Ms Druery wrote.

Suzie Woods, who contacted her travel agent said, “My travel agent is waiting to hear & will let me know. She had no idea until I told her after seeing these posts!”

Ms Woods said she would also have to cancel her cruise as Australian schools resume at the end of January.

Donna Arthur wrote, ““My booked accommodation did not require prepayment, but I am out $1000 on non refundable airfares.”

Royal Caribbean said, “Guests who are booked on the 23 January 2017 repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore will be contacted directly and offered first choice of sailings to rebook, including the revised repositioning itinerary scheduled for four weeks later.”

Guests received a letter from the line which said, “This unfortunately does mean that there will be changes to the 23rd January 2017 repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore that you currently have reserved. Whilst we can confirm the new departure date for this repositioning cruise will be 20th February 2017, we are currently in the final stages of confirming the new itinerary and therefore we are not yet ready to make any changes to your existing booking.
We would however, like to assure you that you will have the first opportunity to move to the new repositioning cruise – or an alternate cruise of your choice. Rest assured the new and amended voyage itineraries will not be made available for general sale until you have been accommodated.
We thank you for your patience whilst we finalise the details for the extended season and we will be in contact very soon to confirm the options available to you including the revised repositioning itinerary. We understand you will want to start making changes to your air and accommodation however we recommend no changes are made until we confirm the itineraries and are in contact with you to finalise your options.”

 

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7 thoughts on “Cancelled repositioning cruises after Ovation of the Seas extends season”

  1. Please make one of the cruises for 14 days as this is what we want or replace ours for two cruises in a row like back to back

  2. What about the repositioning passengers who have already paid their deposits and their return airfares back from Singapore?????????????????
    Who’s going to pay for any out of pocket expenses with changing flights, hotels and pre booked holiday leave.
    Not everyone will be able to get the time off to suit Royal Caribbean grab for more money.

  3. Unfortunately we are booked on the cancelled cruise. I have not been contacted from RCI. I spoke to my travel agent who is waiting on more information. This is not the first time I have had a cruise cancelled from Royal Caribbean. I had a cruise booked from La to Mexico that was cancelled 2 weeks before we were due to fly out from Sydney to LA. They offered us $100 to change our flights to catch the ship from Miami as the cruise was staying in the Caribbean. the cost to change flights was much more than the $100 they offered and of no use to us as we had other plans booked for the end o the cruise including domestic flights and accommodation for 4 weeks of travel. That was all the compensation they offered to us. Totally put a dampener on a holiday that was booked totally around their cruise. if the cancellation was because of a ship malfunction you of course would be disappointed but understanding, but when it is because they can make more money if they cancel its not a good enough excuse. even more so when it is a re-positioning cruise that of course passengers have to book international flights to even get home. I have always been a loyal RCI passenger and have a high club status with their crown and anchor club. But this has really pushed me to move to another cruise company.

  4. Ovation of the Seas is being handed over to Royal Caribbean from the shipbuilders this weekend (April 2016). The ship will visit the UK briefly and then travel to China where it will spend most of the summer of 2016 before re-positioning to Australia.. How can anyone booking a cruise to take place in January 2017 expect to be “among the first on board” as stated in your intro? Furthermore, as the statement from Royal Caribbean makes clear, guests booked on the now-cancelled January 23 2017 sailing from Sydney to Singapore will be given the first chance to book on the re-scheduled itinerary. Where is the reaction from passengers now being given to cruise on Ovation as a result of her season in Australia being extended?

  5. ROYAL CARRIBBEAN what on earth – cancelled our DREAM, cruise on OVATION OF THE SEAS for profit purposes. We only heard on the grapevine. No call from TA and Royal Carribbean don’t know anything despite numerous attempts to find out. We are being told nothing about our OPTIONS. They said wait 2 weeks. WHY this is a profit making decision – ARE WE GETTING A 14 DAY CRUISE which we paid for I personally don’t care about ITINERARY WE JUST WANT TO GO ON OVATION People are very upset. ADVISE OUR OPTIONS.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. This same thing happend to me and my family. We had booked On RCI Explorer of the Seas on her repositioning 28 Apr 2016. This was to be her cuise dept Fremantle – Singapore. We had booked in Aug 2014 for this cruise. Then in April 2015I began hearing rumours on Cruise Critic, then other passengers on this cruise saying they had been offered alternate cruises or redunds. Now I had still not heard anything from my TA. So I called my TA mid May and my TA said no cruise hadn’t been cancelled. Said would do a chase up with RCI. Then within 24hrs I receive email from TA that they rec’d stating cruise is cancelled amd offering me a choice of 3′ substitute cruisesnor money back. And I only had 4’days to make a decision or lose everything. The letter I rec’d was a week old already, yet they hadn’t sent it to me and my TA till I called and complained

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