Rhapsody of the Seas Adds Port of Call to Already Packed Itineraries
Key Aspects:
Two upcoming Rhapsody of the Seas sailings are adding La Romana as an extra port visit.
The April 25 and May 2, 2026 cruises are the impacted sailing dates.
No ports are cancelled on either itinerary, and both are now packed with ports and zero days at sea.
How many sea days is the right balance among port visits for a 7-night itinerary? Cruisers may be divided on the issue, but one thing is certain: guests setting sail on Rhapsody of the Seas on Saturday, April 25 or Saturday, May 2, 2026 had better enjoy port visits.
The Southern Caribbean sailings were already packed with ports when they were originally planned, with just one day at sea.
Now, Royal Caribbean has reached out to booked guests to notify them of an itinerary change that adds another port visit, without removing any of the originally scheduled stops.
For the April 25 sailing, several of the visits are changed to different days to accommodate the addition.
“Your visit to Tortola, British Virgin Islands has been moved to Day 7, with arrival and departure times remaining exactly as originally planned,” the notification explained. “We’re also pleased to add a visit to La Romana, Dominican Republic on Day 2.”
La Romana is on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic and is known for stunning snorkeling and pristine beaches that are more exclusive and private than busier port destinations.
Rhapsody of the Seas will enjoy the visit to La Romana from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, the very first full day of the sailing.
That day was to have been the visit to Tortola, which is now moved to Friday, May 1, but still remains from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Originally, Friday was to have been the only day at sea on the sailing.
In order to sail between ports, the visit to Philipsburg, St. Maarten, has also been slightly adjusted. Originally, the ship was to have been in port from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 27. The 78,900-gross ton, Vision-class ship will still visit Philipsburg that day, but now from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead.
This is the same amount of time to enjoy St. Maarten, just shifted slightly later in the day.
Any shore tours for the impacted ports will be automatically rescheduled if they were booked through the cruise line. If guests have arranged independent tours, they will need to contact their tour operators for adjustments or cancellations as needed.
The changes to the May 2 departure are less extensive. For that cruise, which is already visiting Tortola, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Kitts, and St. Croix, La Romana was added on Friday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of the original day at sea.
No other adjustments have been made to the May 2 sailing at this time.
How Many Ports Are Too Many?
Guests are somewhat divided on the change and whether or not a port visit every single day of the sailing is a good schedule.
On a Reddit discussion about the April 25 cruise, guests are noting that the itinerary is packed, but the ports are good.
“Looks like it’s going to be an amazing cruise,” one commenter said. “I’ve never sailed out of [Puerto Rico] and the itineraries that sail out of there always look great.”
Other guests would prefer at least one sea day to break up a packed itinerary and allow for a slower, more relaxed pace. It’s true that guests could remain onboard the ship while in port when many of their fellow travelers are off the ship, but there are typically fewer options on sea days, such as the casino being closed due to port regulations.
Rhapsody of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s older, smaller ships and does not have nearly the features and amenities that the Oasis class or Icon class ships can boast. It makes sense that a port-heavy itinerary would be the perfect option for such a ship.
Rhapsody of the Seas Adds Port of Call to Already Packed Itineraries