A Big Redeployment Twist Shakes Up Mariner of the Seas Plans
Key Aspects:
A redeployment has cancelled Mariner of the Seas sailings in 2007.
Guests received a letter informing them of the change and outlining options.
It comes as Royal Caribbean is moving Freedom of the Seas to sail from the UK instead.
Thousands of Royal Caribbean cruisers just had their plans shaken up as two 2027 sailings aboard Mariner of the Seas have been cancelled due to a new summer redeployment.
Earlier this month, the larger 3,926-passenger Freedom of the Seas’ 2027 deployment was moved to Southampton, cancelling over 20 Caribbean and South American cruises in the process.
And it now looks like we have a clear picture of what’s happening with the slightly smaller 3,344-passenger Mariner of the Seas, now moving away from the UK for that time.
Affected Mariner of the Seas passengers received a letter informing them of the redeployment.
“As part of our ongoing itinerary planning process—which sometimes requires flexibility due to scheduling, port agreements, or operational needs, Mariner of the Seas will be redeployed for our Summer 2027 season,” the letter reads.
“As a result, your… sailing has been redeployed. We know how much effort goes into planning your vacation and apologize for the inconvenience.”
The first affected itinerary is a 15-night transatlantic sailing departing on April 24, 2027 from New Orleans, Louisiana. This cruise was to stop at Grand Bahama Island, Ponta Delgada, Vigo in Spain, and Paris (Le Havre) before docking in Southampton in the UK on May 9, 2027.
The second itinerary was a 17-night transatlantic cruise departing October 18, 2027, from Southampton, hitting La Coruna, Vigo, Lisbon, Madeira, and Nassau before docking in New Orleans.
The redeployment moves the 139,863 gross ton ship out of Southampton, swapping in the slightly larger Freedom of the Seas in its place.
Redeployments are common, and can be caused by any number of factors, from overbooked ports to unforeseen shifts in supply and demand. In December 2025, Cruise Hive reported a similar redeployment for three Freedom of the Seas sailings in the second half of 2026.
Royal Caribbean has not yet released details of this Mariner of the Seas redeployment, but it will be interesting to see what new itineraries come. While the original cancelled itineraries were still listed on the Royal Caribbean website as of April 1, 2026, they were unavailable to book.
What Options Do Affected Guests Have?
Affected passengers have a few options to resolve the change. They can automatically move to a comparable cruise departing on the same date, cancel for a full refund, or re-book any other Royal Caribbean sailing with no additional fees.
However, if they choose to rebook on another cruise that’s more expensive than the original, guests must pay the difference.
If guests request a cancellation and refund, only the cash amount paid will be refunded. Crown and Anchor Society loyalty points and future cruise credit will be returned in their original form and won’t be paid out in cash.
Guests who opt to automatically move to another comparable sailing do not have to do anything on their end.
The April cruise will be automatically moved onto a new 17-night Mariner of the Seas cruise departing April 24 from New Orleans, stopping in Miami, Casablanca, Tangier, Seville, and Malaga, disembarking in Barcelona.
An altogether different experience from the original sailing, featuring none of the original ports and even disembarking in a different country.
The October cruise, meanwhile, will be switched to a 12-night Freedom of the Seas sailing leaving Southampton on October 18. This cruise features some of the same stops as the original Mariner of the Seas sailing, such as La Coruna and Vigo, but swaps Lisbon, Madeira, and Nassau for Ponta Delgada and disembarks in Miami instead of New Orleans.
Guests who choose to be automatically moved to these sailings will only be charged their original fare or prorated to the lower fare and be placed in either the same stateroom or a comparable one.
Passengers choosing to rebook or refund must inform Royal Caribbean of their decision by April 14, 2026.
A Big Redeployment Twist Shakes Up Mariner of the Seas Plans