Serenade of the Seas Drops Scenic Day, Adjusts Port Times on Alaska Cruises
Cruise travelers often plan their oceangoing getaways a year or more in advance, looking forward to their carefully chosen itineraries and highly anticipated ports of call.
It can be frustrating, then, when guests receive notifications just days before sailing that their cruise has been altered and port visits changed. That is just what is now happening to guests booked aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas for her June 22, 2025 departure.
The impacted sailing is a 7-night Alaska Inside Passage itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver, British Columbia. While most of the cruise remains unchanged, the final port visit – Ketchikan, Alaska – as well as scenic cruising has been adjusted.
“To prevent any potential delays and ensure a timely arrival to Vancouver, British Columbia, we’ll sail directly to Vancouver instead of having a second scenic cruising day,” the email notification explains.
The final two days of the cruise were to have been scenic cruising, but now the ship will instead head directly to Vancouver.
Furthermore, the arrival and departure in Ketchikan, a lovely rustic port destination with a world famous lumberjack show many cruise guests enjoy, is now changed as well.
“We’ll now arrive at 11:30 a.m. and we’ll depart at 6:00 p.m.,” the email confirmed about Ketchikan. “Not to worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to explore everything this beautiful destination has to offer!”
The original schedule had Serenade of the Seas arriving in Ketchikan at 1 p.m. and leaving at 8 p.m. The adjusted schedule reduces the ship’s time in port by 30 minutes and could impact guests who might have arranged private tours for their visit.
Any pre-paid shore tours booked through Royal Caribbean are being adjusted automatically. If the tours cannot operate on the revised schedule, they will be cancelled and guests will receive a full refund for those excursions.
The rest of the weeklong itinerary, including calls to Sitka, Juneau, and Skagway, as well as scenic cruising in the iconic Tracy Arm Fjord, is not changed.
Other Departure Dates Impacted
Multiple sailings for Serenade of the Seas are similarly impacted. Guests booked on the ship’s June 8, 2025 and August 10, 2025 departures have received similar notices, though the time in Ketchikan will now be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for both voyages.
The September 7, 2025 itinerary will visit Ketchikan from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
It is possible that other sailings for the 90,090-gross ton, Radiance class vessel may be impacted as well. The ship is homeported from Vancouver for the Alaska season through mid-September, and any booked guests should stay in close contact with Royal Caribbean about potential schedule changes.
Read Also: Alaska Cruise Ports – What Are Your Options?
Royal Caribbean has not offered details about why the schedule for Serenade of the Seas is being impacted, though such small changes are not of great concern to most travelers.
It is possible that a busy cruise port, port operational needs such as construction or maintenance, or even tidal schedules could all be factors in these minor changes.
Vancouver is expecting more than 300 ship visits this summer, bringing more than 1.2 million cruise passengers to the city.
There is no indication whatsoever that there is any mechanical trouble with Serenade of the Seas. Ships that develop engine problems or other propulsion difficulties often have similar schedule changes, but that is not the case for these adjustments.
Radiance of the Seas – sister ship to Serenade of the Seas – is also homeporting from Vancouver this summer, offering alternating northbound and southbound voyages. No changes have been reported for this vessel, and no other Royal Caribbean ships are homeported from Vancouver for the 2025 Alaska season.
Serenade of the Seas Drops Scenic Day, Adjusts Port Times on Alaska Cruises