Royal Caribbean Ship Overbooked Again With Tempting Alternatives
Cruise passengers may spend months planning for their perfect oceangoing vacation, but what happens when too many travelers book the same vacation?
While cruise ships don’t often get overbooked, exactly that has happened to Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas for her May 15, 2025 departure from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.
The cruise line has reached out to booked guests with some very tempting options if they choose to adapt their plans, including refunds, rebookings, and future cruise credits.
“Ahead of our Allure of the Seas, May 15, 2025, sailing, we are looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel plans,” the email noted.
Three options were described. The first is to remain on the same sailing, but to move to a “cozy interior stateroom” (the cruise line’s description!). Guests would receive a full refund of the current booking, plus a $200 (USD) onboard credit.
Seriously? A full refund plus onboard credit, and you’re STILL on the cruise? That’s a great offer for anyone who doesn’t mind an interior cabin. While they can be “cozy” indeed, travelers still get all the same entertainment, dining options, and other onboard fun – a fantastic value.
The second option is to transfer to a 7-night Odyssey of the Seas cruise departing from Rome three days later, on May 18, 2025. This is a Greek Isles itinerary visiting Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, and Naples.
The original Allure of the Seas cruise was to have visited Naples, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and La Spezia – a significantly different experience, even though the two cruises are the same length.
Furthermore, the ships are also different in size and layout. The Oasis-class Allure of the Seas is larger and features different entertainment, including aqua shows, while the Quantum Ultra-class Odyssey of the Seas roughly 25% smaller.
To sweeten the deal, Royal Caribbean is offering a full refund of the first cruise to guests who transfer to Odyssey of the Seas. The cruise fare aboard Odyssey of the Seas is also completely covered, though travelers will need to pay taxes, fees, and gratuities.
The third option is for guests to simply cancel their Allure of the Seas cruise for a full refund, including any non-refundable deposits, taxes, and other fees.
These guests will also receive a 100% future cruise credit for the value of their original Allure of the Seas fare to be used on any upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise departing no later than May 15, 2026 – one year from their original sailing date.
If guests choose either the Odyssey of the Seas swap or simply cancel altogether, Royal Caribbean will also reimburse any non-refundable, pre-paid travel expenses such as hotels and flights.
Because the impacted sailing is just 10 days away, guests have a limited time to respond with their choice, if they prefer any change at all, and must make their selection no later than Wednesday, May 7.
To be clear, no guest is obligated to make any switch at all. If passengers prefer to remain aboard Allure of the Seas for their original cruise reservation, that is the default option and no change is necessary.
Not the First Overbooking for Allure of the Seas
The May 15, 2025 sailing is not the only overbooked sailing for Allure of the Seas in recent weeks.
Royal Caribbean previously offered similar options to guests booked aboard the ship’s April 24, 2025 cruise, which was also a 7-night Western Mediterranean sailing from Civitavecchia.
Interestingly, the same ship at nearly the same time of year – at the end of April and again two weeks later in mid-May, 2023 – also had overbooking concerns with similar deals offered to impacted guests.
But how do overbookings occur? Cruise lines occasionally do oversell staterooms based on their data analysis, knowing that it is highly likely there will be a certain number of cancellations in the days leading up to embarkation.
At other times, only certain categories of cabins may be oversold. This seems likely aboard Allure of the Seas, since the first option is to move guests to an interior stateroom, indicating there are several interior cabins still available.
Read Also: Cruise Ship Cabins to Avoid – Stateroom Booking Tips
If guests do select the stateroom swap, the cruise line will be able to fill in the original stateroom categories – balconies, oceanviews, or suites – without difficulty, and without forcibly cancelling any traveler’s itinerary.
But what if no one switches rooms? It is possible such swaps may become necessary, or else guests might be left wanting at the cruise terminal as the ship sails away, as happened aboard Quantum of the Seas in November 2023.
For me, the best option would be the first – a full refund, generous onboard credit, and still getting to take the cruise. As for the interior stateroom, while it wouldn’t be my first choice, it’s all the more reason to get out of the cabin and enjoy more time on deck!
Royal Caribbean Ship Overbooked Again With Tempting Alternatives