More than 24 hours after she was supposed to depart Vancouver to begin a 7-night Alaska Inside Passage sailing, satellite tracking data confirms that Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas finally began moving at about 6:30 p.m. local time.

The ship had initially departed Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal Sunday afternoon, but turned around and returned to the dock after just a couple of hours.

An undisclosed technical issue caused the ship’s delay, and engineering teams worked on the issue throughout the day on Monday, July 7.

Guests were required to remain onboard the vessel and were not permitted to explore Vancouver while they waited for updates on their sailing.

Unfortunately, updates were not easily forthcoming. Finally, the Royal Caribbean app was updated with a refreshed itinerary, confirming that the first planned port of call, Sitka, Alaska, was cancelled.

The remaining ports of call on the cruise were still planned, though the times in port for each one were slightly adjusted. Serenade of the Seas will now explore the Last Frontier as follows:

• Tuesday, July 8 – Day at sea (previously Sitka)
• Wednesday, July 9 – Scenic cruising through Tracy Arm Fjords; Juneau, Alaska from 2:30-9 p.m. (previously 2-7:30 p.m.)
• Thursday, July 10 – Ketchikan from 3-9:30 p.m. (previously 2:30-10 p.m.)
• Friday, July 11 – Prince Rupert, British Columbia from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (previously 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Saturday, July 12 – Day at sea
• Sunday, July 13 – Arrival back to Vancouver

While the time changes are not strongly significant at any one port destination, some shore tours will undoubtedly need to be adjusted slightly to accommodate the ship’s new schedule. If tours were booked through Royal Caribbean, these adjustments will be made automatically.

If tours are unable to be adjusted, guests will be notified individually of any cancellations, and refunds will be provided.

At this time, guests have not yet been informed of any onboard credit or pro-rated refund for missing Sitka. It is possible this may yet be forthcoming, but it would need to be approved and authorized from the cruise line’s headquarters.

On the previous sailing, her June 29 departure, Serenade of the Seas developed similar technical problems that required reduced speed and the ship skipped Icy Strait Point. For that disappointment, guests were provided an onboard credit equal to one day of their cruise fare.

It is entirely likely, though not confirmed, that similar compensation may be offered to guests currently onboard and finally setting sail on their Alaskan cruise vacation.

Has the Problem Truly Been Fixed?

Guests – both those onboard as well as passengers booked on upcoming sailings – are understandably nervous about whether or not the technical issue has been fully corrected.

Read Also: What Is the Best Time of Year to Cruise Alaska?

Of course, if it has, Serenade of the Seas should have smooth sailing and guests are in for amazing experiences as they visit different ports.

If the problem recurs, however, it is possible that additional adjustments may be necessary and more ports could be removed from the itinerary if the ship’s speed must be reduced.

This could then have a knock on effect to additional sailings, possibly even leading to full cruise cancellations. This happened with Radiance of the Seas during her Alaska season in 2024.

Serenade of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas are sister ships – could they be having similar technical difficulties? Time will tell, but Cruise Hive wishes the ship and everyone aboard smooth and safe cruising.

Sitka Cancelled for Delayed Royal Caribbean Ship, Other Ports Adjusted