Royal Caribbean cancels cruise after ‘Anthem of the Seas' suffers propulsion issue

Royal Caribbean International has announced the cancellation of a 10-night New Zealand voyage aboard the Anthem of the Seas.

Authorities cite that the ship suffered major propulsion issues, forcing it to limp back to port at reduced speed.

The technical problem occurred during the vessel’s current South Pacific cruise.

According to the satellite data, a 168,666-ton ship was travelling at just 14 knots. This shows that the ship's speed was significantly below its top speed of 22 knots. This delays its return to Sydney, Australia, from its scheduled time of 6:30 a.m. (local time) to approximately 4:00 pm (local time) on Tuesday, January 27.

Due to this, Royal Caribbean has cancelled the ship’s next voyage that was scheduled for January 27 from New Zealand.

Crew confirmed that the repairs couldn’t be completed in time.

Apologising to the guests, the company stated in an official statement, “We know how much time and effort go into planning your cruise and we’re truly sorry for this disappointing news.”

The exact nature of the issue has not been officially confirmed but industry analysts stated that there’s a problem with one of the ship’s Azipod propulsion units.

Will passengers get a refund after the Royal Caribbean ship was cancelled?

Passengers will receive a 100% refund of their cruise fare, taxes, and prepaid packages. As compensation, they will also be given 25% future cruise credit. Royal Caribbean will refund up to $400 per person for international flights and up to $250 per stateroom for hotel expenses.

Guests already on board have been offered free communication tools and extensions of their beverage and internet packages. They are advised not to book flights that depart Sydney before 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.