Royal Caribbean is sending two Vision Class ships to Puerto Rico in 2026 and 2027.
Originally, Brilliance of the Seas was set to offer Caribbean cruises from Puerto Rico. However, Royal Caribbean decided to swap the ship. Now, Brilliance of the Seas will sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while Vision of the Seas will depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Similarly, Radiance of the Seas was scheduled to offer cruises from San Juan. In the cruise line's latest deployment swap, Radiance will move to Tampa, Florida, while Rhapsody of the Seas will take over the cruises from Puerto Rico.
Royal Caribbean let impacted travel advisors know about the change in an email.
"Our original plan for Brilliance of the Seas was to offer sailings in 2026 - 2027 departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Instead, Brilliance of the Seas will offer sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Vision of the Seas will offer the sailings from San Juan, Puerto Rico," the first notice reads.
The second email is similar, just indicating the Radiance and Rhapsody of the Seas will swap places.
Both continue, "We're truly sorry for the impact that this has on your clients' vacation plans."
Options for passengers on Brilliance or Vision of the Seas
Impacted cruisers booked on either Brilliance or Vision of the Seas have two options:
- Re-book any other Royal Caribbean sailing
- Receive a full refund of any paid portion of the cruise fare
For those who want to re-book another cruise vacation, Royal Caribbean will waive non-refundable deposit change fees.
That said, guests are responsible for the difference in cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items — think Wi-Fi, drink packages, shore excursions, spa treatments, etc.
However, if the reservation was already paid in full, Royal Caribbean will provide a refund of the difference within 14 business days.
If there is no suitable replacement, impacted passengers may request a full refund of any paid portion of the cruise fare, as well as non-refundable deposits and prepaid amenities.
The email states that if the cruise was booked using a Future Cruise Credit, Royal Caribbean will refund any new funds paid above the certificate amount and reinstate the original certificate.
Additionally, airfare booked through Royal Caribbean's Air2Sea program will be automatically refunded.
Options for passengers on Radiance or Rhapsody of the Seas
Impacted cruisers booked on either Radiance or Rhapsody of the Seas have a few options, depending on their sail date:
- Re-book a similar sailing
- Automatically move to the same sailing on Radiance or Rhapsody of the Seas
- Re-book another cruise on any Royal Caribbean ship
- Receive a full refund of any paid portion of the cruise fare
Option 1 only applies to guests aboard Radiance of the Seas on March 20 and 27, 2027, as well as April 3 and 10, 2027.
Passengers who choose this option will have the original stateroom category price protected or reduced to the current cruise fare rate — whichever is lower.
Note that this applies to the cruise fare only. Taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise items will be at the prevailing rate.
If the booking was already paid in full, Royal Caribbean will automatically issue a refund for the difference.
Guests booked on sailings outside of the aforementioned dates will be automatically moved to the same cruise aboard Radiance or Rhapsody of the Seas.
The process is easy, as Royal Caribbean will move them to a like-for-like stateroom, and their original stateroom category price will be protected.
However, they also have the option to re-book another cruise vacation, and Royal Caribbean will waive non-refundable deposit change fees. They will be responsible for the difference in cruise fare, though.
Finally, impacted cruisers can request a full refund of any paid portion of the cruise fare. No other compensation will be provided.
Guests on any of the four cruise ships have until October 15, 2025, to let Royal Caribbean know of their decision.
