Guests booked aboard upcoming sailings aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas will be delighted to know that the ship has been cleared to resume welcoming guests from September 15, 2023 and onward.
This follows the cancellation of two cruises as the ship underwent repairs to its propulsion system, which are now completed and the ship is able to sail its last scheduled Alaska itineraries of the season.
Radiance of the Seas Repairs Complete
The 90,0900-gross ton Radiance of the Seas is fit and ready to sail again, her propulsion issue having been fully repaired and ready to be thoroughly tested in the next few days. This confirms that the ship will be ready to welcome guests for her next sailing on Friday, September 15.
Royal Caribbean International has reached out to guests with the good news, and clarified some misconceptions about the repair work.
“Our Marine technical team has given us the green light and we’re thrilled to announce that Radiance of the Seas will be returning to service beginning with our September 15th sailing,” the announcement to booked guests read. “Thank you for your patience and continued understanding as we worked to resolve this issue.”
The 22-year-old ship developed propulsion issues at the end of August, which prompted the cancellation of the September 1 sailing on embarkation day. Despite repairs commencing as quickly as possible, the work took longer than anticipated and the September 8 sailing had to be cancelled as well.
Travelers booked on the September 15 sailing, however, have been waiting with great hope and anticipation that their cruise would move forward as planned, and are sure to be happy with the latest news.
It must be noted that at no time was the ship’s safety compromised in any way, and the vessel has remained seaworthy throughout the repairs.
“The propulsion issue only impacted our speed and ability to make it to ports on time,” the email to guests clarified.
With speed affected, the ship would be unable to move between planned ports of call with enough time to permit adequate time in port for guests to enjoy their visit.
Now, travelers will be able to enjoy their full schedule of 11 hours in Juneau, 10 hours in Skagway, 4 hours in Haines, 8.5 hours in Icy Strait Point, and 9 hours in Ketchikan.
Radiance of the Seas After the Alaska Season
The September 15 cruise is especially important, as it is Radiance of the Seas‘ last one-way cruise of the Alaska season, a 7-night sailing from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, Canada.
Along the way, the ship will visit five ports of call as well as enjoy scenic cruising near the majestic Hubbard Glacier before arriving in Vancouver on Friday, September 22.
Following this last southbound sailing, Radiance of the Seas will offer a single roundtrip 7-night Alaska sailing from Vancouver and will then reposition to Tampa, Florida via a pair of sailings – first an 8-night Pacific Coastal cruise and then a 16-night eastbound Panama Canal sailing.
Once in Tampa, the ship will offer a variety of Western Caribbean sailings visiting popular ports such as Costa Maya, Cozumel, Key West, and Roatan through the winter. Most of these sailings will be 4- or 5-night cruises, though some longer cruises to the Bahamas are on offer as well.
In early April, the ship will return to Vancouver, Canada via another pair of one-way repositioning sailings before beginning another season of alternating northbound and southbound Alaska cruises.
Radiance of the Seas can welcome 2,501 guests onboard, with more than 800 international team members to provide exceptional service and ensure every sailing is a memorable one.
