Life at Sea's three-year cruise canceled; passengers awaiting refunds

Table Of Content

• News
• Marella Cruises Cancels Asia & Middle East Program, Reroutes Marella Discovery 2
• What is a tourist tax? Fees for foreign tourists at hot summer destinations
• MORE: Cruise lines offering longer journeys and new experiences despite setbacks
• MORE: 3-year cruise canceled weeks before setting sail, prompting passenger backlash

With four months to go until that portion of the Ultimate World Cruise is reached, there may yet be many factors to consider about whether or not the itinerary will proceed and the situation is evolving every day. A woman by the name of Adita (@aditaml2759) is currently onboard Serenade of the Seas and posting regular TikTok videos of her experiences, including a discussion of rumors that the sailing may end in Los Angeles. Designed with acres of glass offering panoramic vistas of sea, sky and land, Serenade of the Seas® is the perfect ship for scenery-scoping. Take in captivating views of Norway’s majestic fjords, gaze at glaciers in Antarctica, and soak up the sun and the sights while cruising through French Polynesia. And with top-notch restaurants onboard, every meal turns into a global taste-tour that’s as immersive as your Ultimate World Cruise. Your once-in-a-lifetime journey begins December 2023, embarking from in Miami on the first segment of the Ultimate World Cruise℠ — the Ultimate Americas Cruise.

News

A rise of attacks since October 2023 on commercial ships in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by the Houthis has greatly impacted tourism in the area. Royal Caribbean has been forced to cancel a cruise due to the conflict in the region of the Red Sea. Finally, less than two weeks before its third and final departure date, the voyage was canceled altogether. Several itineraries will be affected by the cancellation with the line’s Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas all due to visit Labadee in May. MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Cunard Line, and others are all keeping updated on the situation and will adjust itineraries if needed. “I don’t like putting rumors out there, but I think we also, the passengers that invested so much money and so much time to see the world, we deserve to know what is going on, what the plans are, what Plan B is,” she said.

Marella Cruises Cancels Asia & Middle East Program, Reroutes Marella Discovery 2

Some travelers may also lack specific vaccinations recommended or required to visit some African nations, such as yellow fever or malaria vaccinations. While there is much celebrating aboard Serenade of the Seas for the phenomenal itinerary to come, there are also some concerns. TikTok has been rife with reporting about and from the Ultimate World Cruise, which began on December 10, 2023, and will end on September 10, 2024. Many spectators online are treating it like a reality TV show in live time, feverishly sharing clips and commenting on any drama that occurs. "Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise will continue its current schedule as planned," the spokesperson said over email.

What is a tourist tax? Fees for foreign tourists at hot summer destinations

The second option is an “Africa and Greece” itinerary that cruises around Africa much more quickly with just three ports of call – a visit to the Seychelles, an overnight in Cape Town, and a stop in the Canary Islands. This option, however, includes an overnight in Alexandria, Egypt and extensive exploration of the Greek Islands during the last week of the segment. The following day, Life at Sea’s former CEO, Kendra Holmes — who had resigned just days before the sale fell through — informed guests that the cruise was canceled.

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Fortunately, Norwegian Dawn was cleared by additional health testing and able to continue sailing, despite a two-day delay. It’s official, Serenade of the Seas will be visiting 15 different ports of call along the southern and western coasts of Africa as the ship continues her 274-night Ultimate World Cruise. Passengers said they were told its most recent sail date was Nov. 30, CNN reported last month, though the brand told the outlet at the time that there was not a confirmed departure date or place. The sailing was originally going to take place on the MV Gemini ship, but Life at Sea later reportedly set its sights on the larger former AIDA Cruises ship AIDAaura.

The company’s website has not been updated as of Monday morning, and still has both a countdown to the start of the cruise and a link allowing people to reserve a cabin via wire transfer or credit card. Guests would enjoy visits to such unique destinations as Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Angola, Ghana, and Senegal, as well as more popular ports in South Africa and the Canary Islands. Royal Caribbean Group had already made changes to avoid the region when the Palestinians sparked a war with Israel on October 7.

Luxury line Silversea canceled a 17-night voyage from Mumbai to Athens aboard Silver Whisper, citing the geopolitical situation in the Red Sea region. The October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas led to a number of lines canceling port calls (see below), while the latest attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea in early 2024 has led to cruise lines canceling itineraries in that region. Ongoing unrest in the Middle East has led to a series of changes and cancellations to cruise line itineraries, with more lines opting to re-route their Red Sea itineraries, including World Cruises, away from the conflict. Instead of Royal Caribbean International simply deciding on a new itinerary and presenting it to passengers, those aboard the epic sailing were given the unprecedented opportunity to vote on two different options. The new route is the “Immersive Africa” itinerary option presented to passengers when it was decided the planned passage through the Red Sea and Suez Canal was no longer feasible, due to ongoing tensions in the region that are threatening marine traffic. "In collaboration with our Global Security team, we continuously monitor the situation in the region and make any necessary adjustments. Guests will be notified directly of any changes."

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One passenger told USA TODAY he and his wife were notified of the cancellation on Nov. 17, after they had already arrived in Istanbul with plans to board the ship on Nov. 11. A Windstar spokesperson told Cruise Critic, “Windstar staff are contacting all booked guests with an offer to move their sailing to a 2024 date. Other destination options being offered aboard Windstar’s ships are Caribbean, Tahiti, Costa Rica and Panama. In an abundance of caution, we have adjusted select itineraries of Silver Moon, Silver Spirit, and Silver Whisper. We are notifying guests and travel advisors of changes directly,” the cruise line said in a statement shared with Cruise Critic. Guests impacted by the now-cancelled segments, as well as travelers aboard, will be contacted with more information in the days to come.

While the exact vote tallies have not been revealed, the response seems to have been overwhelming. Guests had several days to ask questions and cast their votes, and the clear winner was the first option for a deeper exploration of Africa and more unique ports of call. "There has been no official communication from Royal Caribbean about this concern but as passengers, we have been talking amongst ourselves and with Royal Caribbean," McWilliams said. "Similar to weather conditions impacting our itinerary, I feel confident that Royal Caribbean will have our safety and best interest at heart when making these sort of decisions."

Life at Sea Cruises’ three-year cruise scheduled to set sail this month has officially been canceled. Royal Caribbean has cancelled all its planned May sailings to Labadee in Haiti due to continued unrest. Royal Caribbean International has responded to the rumors and confirmed that at this time, there are no changes to the planned Ultimate World Cruise itinerary. Choose one of four Ultimate World Cruise segments — each an unforgettable voyage of 60+ nights where you can wander and explore that corner of the globe. Inclusive Gratuities–Gratuities are included for stateroom, waiter, assistant waiter, and headwaiter in the amount suggested by Royal Caribbean Guidelines. An 18% gratuity on all beverages, mini bar items, spa and salon services purchased onboard is not included in the Inclusive Gratuities and will be automatically added to your account.

Join us for the entire Ultimate World Cruise, you’ll enjoy exclusive perks and amenities — all included in your adventure. So you can complement back-to-back discoveries onshore with all your favorite comforts onboard, plus thoughtful touches to elevate every moment. Deluxe Beverage Package – Deluxe Beverage Package is available for selected drinks only, and does not include room service, in stateroom purchases, mini bar items or souvenir glasses. Optional gratuities may apply to certain on-board purchases (such as spa, specialty dining and drinks above the package amount- see below). Receive 40% discount on bottled wine priced up to $100, and 20% discount on bottled wine priced above $100.

Valid passenger date of birth information must be provided at the time of booking before a beverage package will be applied. Celestyal Cruises, which maintains a presence in the region, said late Monday evening it would suspend calls to Israel on its sailings until the end of November. MSC says the changes were made due to the ongoing situation in Israel and uncertainty with countries in the surrounding area, as countries impose entry restrictions and governments issue travel warnings and advisories to various parts of the region.

On March 1, cruise line Miray International, which owns Life at Sea, officially started accepting bookings for the first-of-its-kind world voyage aboard its MV Gemini ship, but later decided that the vessel was too small for the cruise. Popular TikToker on the cruise, drjennytravels, shared footage from the cruise's town hall meeting on Friday and revealed that the ship will still travel to Dubai and then make its way around Africa in its third leg. However, she said that cruisers have the option to vote on what type of route they want to go on. Meanwhile, if the speculation about the sailing ending in Los Angeles were accurate – which it is not – that would mean the cruise would end on February 11, 2024, just two months after beginning on December 10, 2023. Furthermore, this would mean the “world” cruise would only have explored one small section of its diverse and detailed itinerary. It should be noted that Serenade of the Seas is not scheduled to enter the Red Sea until mid-May.