Royal Caribbean Blames Speed Restrictions for Cancelled Icy Strait Point Visit
Key Aspects:
Royal Caribbean has removed Icy Strait Point from Anthem of the Seas’ May 7, 2027 Alaska cruise, citing speed restrictions.
The cancelled visit was replaced with a sea day, while Ketchikan’s scheduled stop has been shortened by two hours.
Affected Royal Caribbean shore excursions will be adjusted or cancelled, with refunds for cancelled tours issued within 14 business days.
Royal Caribbean has removed a port call at Icy Strait Point from the May 7, 2027 7-night, round-trip sailing of Anthem of the Seas from Vancouver, replacing it with a sea day. The cruise line cited speed restrictions as the reason for the itinerary adjustment.
The 4,180-guest ship was originally scheduled to visit Icy Strait Point on May 9, followed by scenic cruising at Hubbard Glacier and visits to Sitka and Ketchikan, returning on May 14. A guest shared a notice informing them of the change, received October 21, 2026, on Facebook.
“To comply with speed restrictions and maintain a comfortable sailing experience, we’ll enjoy an additional Sea Day in place of our visit to Icy Strait Point, Alaska,” the notice read.
In addition to the cancelled Icy Strait Point call, the final call in Ketchikan was shortened by two hours and will depart at 5:00 p.m. instead of 7:00 p.m. as originally scheduled. Hubbard Glacier scenic cruising as well as the port call in Sitka and return to Vancouver remain unchanged.
Royal Caribbean told guests that all prepaid shore excursions booked through the cruise line for Icy Strait Point will be automatically cancelled. Affected Ketchikan excursions will be rescheduled or cancelled, with refunds for all cancelled tours issued to the original form of payment within 14 business days.
This May 7 cruise marks the first sailing of the Quantum Class vessel’s 2027 Alaska deployment. Following this voyage, Anthem of the Seas will offer one-way, 7-night Alaska cruises between Vancouver and Seward through late September 2027.
Do We Know Why Speed Restrictions Are Affecting the Cruise?
Royal Caribbean’s explanation for the itinerary adjustment left questions about what exactly prompted the change. The guest who shared the notice on Facebook expressed frustration and confusion over how a speed limitation was not taken into consideration before the itinerary was announced.
“I understand that speed restrictions need to be followed, but I would think those factors would have been considered when planning the itinerary in the first place,” the guest said.
The cruise line has faced difficulties in the region due to cruising speed limitations before. For example, Cruise Hive reported in 2025 when Serenade of the Seas also skipped Icy Strait Point after a technical issue onboard forced the ship to sail at reduced speed.
In June 2026, Royal Caribbean came under scrutiny after the 168,666-gross-ton Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward with a dead, pregnant fin whale on its bow. This prompted the Center for Biological Diversity to issue a plea to the cruise line to adopt a mandatory policy to reduce its speeds when sailing in known whale habitats.
This plea was for the cruise line to voluntarily adopt the policy and did not represent any actual law being imposed. The request was given several months after the cruise line’s 2027 deployment was announced, though it has not been officially linked to the Anthem of the Seas changes.
Other speed restrictions are in place around Alaska and can sometimes change after itineraries are announced. Royal Caribbean has not identified which speed restrictions prompted the revised itinerary.
Royal Caribbean Blames Speed Restrictions for Cancelled Icy Strait Point Visit