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If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise booked and your plans have changed, you may be wondering, “Is Royal Caribbean currently allowing cancellations?” Yes. Royal Caribbean currently allows guests to cancel eligible cruise reservations before departure. However, being allowed to cancel does not necessarily mean you will receive a full refund. The amount returned depends on your fare, cruise length, how far in advance you cancel, and the terms that apply to your country of residence and booking.
Royal Caribbean's that guests can cancel bookings before sailing, with cancellation charges generally increasing as the departure date approaches. Some fares also have nonrefundable deposits.
Below is a practical guide to help you understand the current cancellation rules and what you may receive if you cancel.
Yes. Royal Caribbean currently permits guests to cancel cruise bookings before the scheduled sailing date.
For eligible reservations, you can cancel online through your Royal Caribbean account. Royal Caribbean says guests should sign in, select the reservation under Manage Reservation, and follow the cancellation instructions. If a refund is due, the company says it generally takes 7–10 business days to process the refund back to the original payment method.
However, the cancellation cost depends on your booking conditions.
A cancellation may result in:
Therefore, you should check your specific reservation rather than assuming every Royal Caribbean booking has the same cancellation deadline.
Royal Caribbean generally calculates cancellation penalties according to how many days remain before the cruise begins.
For U.S. bookings, the current Royal Caribbean cancellation table varies according to cruise length.
For these cruises, the current U.S. policy states:
| When you cancel | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 75 days or more before sailing | No charge, except nonrefundable deposits |
| 74–61 days | 50% of total price |
| 60–31 days | 75% of total price |
| 30 days or less | 100% of total price |
Once the booking reaches the 100% penalty period, cancelling normally produces no cruise-fare refund.
For a 5- to 14-night U.S. cruise, the current schedule is:
| When you cancel | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 90 days or more before sailing | No charge, except nonrefundable deposits |
| 89–75 days | 25% of total price |
| 74–61 days | 50% |
| 60–31 days | 75% |
| 30 days or less | 100% |
This means waiting until the last month can significantly reduce or eliminate the amount you recover.
For cruises lasting 15 nights or more, the current U.S. cancellation schedule is:
| When you cancel | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 120 days or more before sailing | No charge, except nonrefundable deposits |
| 119–61 days | 25% |
| 60–41 days | 50% |
| 40–25 days | 75% |
| 24 days or less | 100% |
Longer cruises therefore have an earlier penalty schedule than shorter itineraries.
This is one of the most important details to check before cancelling.
If your reservation was made with a nonrefundable deposit, Royal Caribbean states that the deposit is not refunded. Outside the final-payment period, when a nonrefundable-deposit reservation is cancelled, the deposit is retained as a penalty while additional eligible payments may be refunded.
For example, suppose you paid a $500 nonrefundable deposit and later made another $1,000 in payments. If the cancellation occurs under circumstances where the additional payment is refundable, you could lose the $500 deposit while receiving the eligible portion of the remaining $1,000.
The exact result depends on your booking terms, so check the reservation before cancelling.
Yes. Royal Caribbean currently provides an online cancellation process for eligible reservations.
Royal Caribbean says that refunds, where applicable, are normally processed to the original payment method within 7–10 business days.
If you booked through a travel advisor, you should contact the advisor for booking changes or cancellation assistance rather than assuming Royal Caribbean can process the change directly.
Not necessarily.
Whether you receive a full refund depends on several factors:
Royal Caribbean specifically notes that promotional fares can have terms that modify standard cancellation policies.
That is why two passengers cancelling similar cruises could receive different refunds.
There is an important difference between you cancelling the cruise and Royal Caribbean cancelling the sailing.
If Royal Caribbean cancels a voyage, or delays embarkation by three days or more and you choose not to take the delayed or substitute voyage offered, Royal Caribbean states that you can receive either a refund or a future cruise credit.
Royal Caribbean says its practice may be to issue a future cruise credit automatically, but guests can contact the company to request a refund. Refund requests must generally be made within six months of the cancellation date or scheduled embarkation date, whichever comes first.
These rules are different from ordinary voluntary cancellation by the passenger.
Cancelling close to departure can be expensive.
Under the current U.S. policy, some Royal Caribbean cruises enter a 100% cancellation-penalty period 30 days or less before sailing, while longer cruises can reach the full-penalty period earlier.
If you are approaching your sailing date, don't assume that cancelling immediately is always your only option. Depending on your circumstances and booking terms, you may want to investigate:
A cancellation and a reservation change are not necessarily treated the same way.
In some circumstances, changing the ship or sailing date may be possible.
Royal Caribbean says guests who booked directly should contact its Consumer Outreach team for certain ship or sail-date changes. Guests who booked through a travel advisor should contact that advisor. Applicable change fees and additional payments may apply.
This can be worth investigating if you still want to take a Royal Caribbean cruise but cannot travel on the original date.
Royal Caribbean's cancellation terms state that applicable taxes, fees, and fuel supplement charges are refunded when a cruise is cancelled, subject to the terms that apply to the booking.
The cruise fare itself may be subject to cancellation penalties.
This distinction is important because the amount you paid for a cruise is not necessarily treated as one single refundable amount.
Cancelling the cruise does not automatically mean that every related purchase receives the same refund.
Royal Caribbean specifically says that separate terms may apply to:
You should therefore check each purchase separately before cancelling it.
For example, a cruise cancellation might be permitted while an independently purchased airline ticket has different refund restrictions.
Not necessarily.
Royal Caribbean states that its cancellation policies can differ for bookings made outside the United States and Canada. Guests should therefore check the terms associated with their country of residence and booking.
For example, Royal Caribbean publishes separate booking terms for different markets. Its U.K. cancellation information has different penalty periods from the U.S. policy.
Do not apply the U.S. cancellation table automatically to an international reservation.
A no-show is not the same as cancelling early.
Royal Caribbean's U.S. terms state that passengers who fail to board, or who cancel after the cruise has begun or disembark early, generally receive no refund or compensation.
If you know you cannot travel, it is generally better to address the reservation before departure rather than simply failing to appear.
Travel insurance can provide protection in situations where the cruise line's normal cancellation policy does not provide a full refund.
However, insurance coverage depends on the policy and the reason for cancellation. Buying travel insurance does not automatically make every cancellation refundable.
Before relying on insurance, check:
Royal Caribbean also notes that its travel protection program has separate terms and conditions.
For an online booking cancellation where a refund applies, Royal Caribbean currently says to allow 7–10 business days for the refund to be processed back to the original payment method.
The time for the funds to actually appear can also depend on the financial institution or payment method.
If the stated processing period has passed and you still do not see the refund, contact Royal Caribbean or your travel advisor and have your reservation details available.
Before pressing the cancellation button, review these items:
Determine whether your booking has a refundable or nonrefundable deposit.
Calculate exactly how many days remain before departure. Your cancellation penalty can change as the sailing date approaches.
Cancellation rules differ between markets.
Review flights, hotels, excursions, dining, transfers, and other prepaid services separately.
If your reason for cancelling may be covered, review the insurance terms before cancelling the reservation.
After cancelling, keep the cancellation confirmation and refund information for your records.
Yes. Royal Caribbean currently allows eligible guests to cancel cruise reservations before sailing. However, cancellation penalties may apply depending on the fare, cruise length and timing.
Yes. Royal Caribbean says guests can sign into their Guest Account, select their reservation under Manage Reservation and follow the cancellation instructions.
Not always. A cancellation penalty may apply, and nonrefundable deposits generally are not returned.
Outside final payment, Royal Caribbean states that the nonrefundable deposit is retained as a penalty, while additional payments may be refunded when applicable.
You can generally submit a cancellation, but the financial penalty may be substantial. Some U.S. cruise categories have a 100% cancellation charge during the final penalty period.
For eligible online cancellations, Royal Caribbean says to allow 7–10 business days for processing back to the original payment method.
If Royal Caribbean cancels the voyage, or delays embarkation by three days or more and you decline the delayed or substitute sailing, you may be eligible for a refund or future cruise credit under the applicable terms.
In some cases, yes. Royal Caribbean says certain ship or sail-date changes can be handled through its Consumer Outreach team, while guests who booked through travel advisors should contact their advisors. Applicable fees or fare differences may apply.
No. Royal Caribbean states that different cancellation policies may apply to bookings made outside the United States and Canada.
Royal Caribbean's U.S. cancellation terms state that applicable taxes, fees and fuel supplement charges are refunded when a cruise is cancelled, subject to the applicable terms.
So, is Royal Caribbean currently allowing cancellations? Yes. Guests can currently cancel eligible Royal Caribbean cruise reservations, including through the online Guest Account for applicable bookings.
The more important question is how much you will get back. Royal Caribbean's cancellation penalties depend on factors such as your cruise length, fare type, cancellation date and country-specific booking terms. Nonrefundable deposits can also be lost.
If you are considering cancelling, check your reservation's exact cancellation terms before submitting the request. If the reason for cancelling is covered by travel protection, review that coverage as well. And if you still want to cruise but cannot travel on your original date, investigate a possible sailing-date change before choosing outright cancellation.
For the most accurate decision, use the cancellation terms attached to your specific reservation rather than relying only on a general policy table.
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