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If your travel plans have changed, you may need to cancel your Royal Caribbean International cruise booking. The cancellation process is generally straightforward, but the amount you receive back depends on several factors, including your fare type, cruise length, how close you are to the sailing date, and where you made the booking.
Royal Caribbean allows eligible guests to cancel a reservation online through their Guest Account. If you booked through a travel agent, you generally need to work through that agent for the cancellation.
Before cancelling, check your booking confirmation and the cancellation terms that apply to your reservation. Some fares have non-refundable deposits, while other bookings may qualify for a partial refund depending on when the cancellation is made.
Yes. Royal Caribbean provides an online cancellation option for eligible bookings.
To begin:
Sign in to your Royal Caribbean Guest Account.
Open Manage Reservation.
Select the cruise reservation you want to cancel.
Follow the cancellation instructions shown on the screen.
Review any applicable cancellation charge or refund before completing the process.
Submit the cancellation request.
Keep the cancellation confirmation for your records.
Royal Caribbean states that eligible refunds are normally processed back to the original payment method within 7 to 10 business days. The actual refund depends on the cancellation policy applicable to your fare and the time remaining before departure.
Log in to your Royal Caribbean Guest Account and locate your cruise under your reservations.
You can also use Royal Caribbean's reservation lookup option if you need to access a booking.
Before confirming cancellation, review:
Cruise length
Sailing date
Fare type
Deposit terms
Amount already paid
Applicable cancellation charges
Whether your booking was made directly or through a travel agent
This step is important because cancelling a booking does not necessarily mean receiving the entire amount you paid back.
Select the cancellation option associated with your reservation and follow the instructions provided.
Make sure you are cancelling the correct reservation before submitting the request.
The system may show information about applicable cancellation charges and the amount that may be refunded.
Do not assume that the original booking amount will automatically be returned.
Complete the cancellation process and save the confirmation email or cancellation reference.
Keeping this information can be useful if you later need to check the status of your refund.
Yes, but the process is different.
If you booked your cruise through a travel agent, Royal Caribbean's booking conditions state that the travel agent should handle the cancellation. Travel-agent bookings may also be subject to additional cancellation fees imposed by the agency.
Contact the same travel agent that made the reservation and ask them to submit the cancellation.
Before authorizing cancellation, ask:
What is the Royal Caribbean cancellation penalty?
Does the agency charge an additional cancellation fee?
How much will be refunded?
Is any portion of the payment non-refundable?
When should I expect the refund?
Will any future cruise credit be issued?
There is no single cancellation fee for every Royal Caribbean booking.
For bookings covered by Royal Caribbean's U.S. and Canada cancellation schedule, the standard cancellation charge depends on the length of the cruise and how many days remain before sailing.
| When You Cancel | Cancellation Charge |
|---|---|
| 75 days or more before sailing | No charge, except applicable non-refundable deposits |
| 74–61 days | 50% of total price |
| 60–31 days | 75% of total price |
| 30 days or less | 100% of total price |
| When You Cancel | Cancellation Charge |
|---|---|
| 90 days or more before sailing | No charge, except applicable non-refundable deposits |
| 89–75 days | 25% of total price |
| 74–61 days | 50% of total price |
| 60–31 days | 75% of total price |
| 30 days or less | 100% of total price |
| When You Cancel | Cancellation Charge |
|---|---|
| 120 days or more before sailing | No charge, except applicable non-refundable deposits |
| 119–61 days | 25% of total price |
| 60–41 days | 50% of total price |
| 40–25 days | 75% of total price |
| 24 days or less | 100% of total price |
These figures apply to the published U.S. cancellation schedule. Royal Caribbean specifically notes that different cancellation policies may apply to bookings made outside the United States and Canada.
A non-refundable deposit is different from a standard refundable deposit.
Royal Caribbean states that certain fare programs require a non-refundable deposit. If you cancel such a reservation, the deposit can be retained as a cancellation penalty.
For a non-refundable deposit booking cancelled before final payment, Royal Caribbean says the deposit is held as a penalty while additional payments may be refunded, subject to the applicable terms.
Therefore, check whether your reservation was booked under a non-refundable deposit fare before cancelling.
Possibly. The answer depends on the cancellation terms for your booking.
Royal Caribbean's published U.S. policy provides for different cancellation charges depending on the cruise length and cancellation date. In some circumstances, cancelling sufficiently far before departure can avoid a cancellation charge other than applicable non-refundable deposit amounts.
Applicable taxes and fees may also be refundable under the published terms.
The exact amount should therefore be confirmed against your reservation rather than estimated from the cruise fare alone.
Royal Caribbean says that when a refund applies, guests should generally allow 7 to 10 business days for the refund to be processed back to the original payment method.
The processing period can therefore begin after the cancellation has been successfully submitted.
If the expected period has passed and the refund has not appeared, review your cancellation confirmation and contact Royal Caribbean or your travel agent.
If multiple people are travelling under one reservation, do not assume that cancelling one guest has the same effect as cancelling the entire reservation.
The applicable booking terms determine how changes or cancellations involving individual guests are handled. If you only need to remove one passenger, contact Royal Caribbean or your travel agent before cancelling the entire reservation.
This can help prevent an unintended cancellation of the other guests on the booking.
Cancelling the cruise and cancelling additional pre-cruise purchases are not necessarily the same process.
Royal Caribbean says guests can cancel eligible pre-cruise products such as:
Shore excursions
Beverage packages
Specialty dining
Spa services
These can be managed through My Royal Cruise, subject to the applicable cancellation conditions.
Specialty dining can have separate deadlines and cancellation charges. For example, Royal Caribbean states that some specialty dining cancellations made within 24 hours of the reservation time can incur a per-person fee, with some venues having higher charges.
Travel protection may provide additional options depending on the plan and the reason for cancellation.
Royal Caribbean's Travel Protection information states that covered cancellations can qualify for reimbursement of unused prepaid trip costs under the insurance portion of the plan, while its separate cancellation feature may provide future cruise credit for certain other cancellations. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply.
If you purchased travel protection, review the plan terms before cancelling so you understand which benefits may apply.
If your plans have changed but you still want to cruise, cancellation may not be your only option.
Depending on your fare and booking circumstances, you may be able to make a qualifying change to your sailing instead. Royal Caribbean's terms can include specific rules and fees for changing a booking, so compare the applicable change terms with the cancellation consequences before taking action.
For a non-refundable deposit booking, Royal Caribbean specifically advises guests who want to change the ship or sailing date to contact Royal Caribbean if they booked directly, or their travel advisor if they booked through an advisor.
Last-minute cancellation can result in a significant penalty.
Under the published U.S. cancellation schedule, cancellations made 30 days or less before departure are subject to a 100% cancellation charge for cruises of 1–14 nights. For cruises of 15 nights or longer, the 100% charge applies at 24 days or less before sailing.
However, your actual booking may be governed by different terms depending on your country, fare, promotion, or cruise product.
If an unexpected event has occurred, check your travel protection coverage and contact Royal Caribbean or your travel advisor promptly.
Cancellation rules can vary by country.
Royal Caribbean's U.S. cancellation information specifically states that bookings made outside the United States and Canada may be subject to different cancellation policies.
For example, Royal Caribbean publishes separate booking conditions for various markets, with different cancellation schedules and requirements.
Therefore, international guests should use the booking conditions associated with their country of residence rather than automatically applying the U.S. schedule.
Use this quick checklist before submitting your cancellation:
Sailing date: How many days remain?
Cruise length: Is it 1–4, 5–14, or 15+ nights?
Fare type: Is the deposit refundable?
Total paid: How much have you already paid?
Cancellation penalty: What amount will Royal Caribbean retain?
Travel protection: Do you have cancellation coverage?
Travel agent: Was the booking made through an agency?
Extras: Have you purchased excursions, dining, drinks, or spa services?
Refund method: Where will an eligible refund be sent?
Confirmation: Have you saved proof of cancellation?
Checking these items first can help you understand the financial effect before you finalize the cancellation.
A non-refundable deposit can significantly affect the amount you receive back. Check your booking terms first.
Cancellation penalties generally increase as the sailing date approaches under the published U.S. schedule.
Deposits, promotional fares, travel protection, and additional purchases can have separate conditions.
Cancelling the cruise does not necessarily mean every excursion, dining reservation, or other purchase is automatically cancelled under the same rules. Review those purchases separately.
If your reservation was made through a travel agent, contact the agent and have them handle the cancellation according to the applicable booking terms.
Yes. Royal Caribbean allows eligible guests to access their reservation through their Guest Account and follow the online cancellation process.
Not necessarily. Your refund depends on the fare, cruise length, cancellation date, deposit terms, and applicable booking conditions.
A non-refundable deposit can be retained when the booking is cancelled. Royal Caribbean's published terms explain that additional payments may be refundable in certain circumstances before final payment.
Royal Caribbean says eligible refunds generally take 7 to 10 business days to process back to the original payment method.
Yes, but you should contact the travel agent that made the booking. Additional agency cancellation fees may apply.
Yes. Royal Caribbean's published U.S. cancellation schedule uses different cancellation periods for cruises of 1–4 nights, 5–14 nights, and 15 nights or longer.
Eligible pre-cruise purchases, including shore excursions, can be cancelled through My Royal Cruise under their applicable terms.
Your travel protection may provide benefits for eligible cancellations. Coverage depends on the plan, reason for cancellation, and applicable conditions.
Depending on the booking and fare conditions, a change may be possible. Contact Royal Caribbean or your travel advisor to determine the applicable change rules and fees.
Yes. Royal Caribbean states that bookings made outside the United States and Canada may have different cancellation policies.
Cancelling a Royal Caribbean International booking is usually straightforward, but the financial result depends heavily on your specific reservation. You can generally begin an eligible direct booking cancellation through your Royal Caribbean Guest Account, while travel-agent bookings should be handled through the agent.
Before cancelling, check your fare type, non-refundable deposit terms, cruise length, sailing date, cancellation penalty, travel protection, and any separate pre-cruise purchases. Royal Caribbean says eligible refunds are generally processed within 7–10 business days, but the amount refunded depends on the cancellation terms that apply to your booking.
The safest approach is to review the terms attached to your reservation before submitting the cancellation, particularly if your sailing date is approaching or your booking includes a non-refundable deposit.
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