Royal Caribbean pushed back one of its planned deployments a little later.
An updated deployment schedule was posted today and it means a longer wait for the Seasonal Caribbean itineraries
The change came right after releasing the 2027 Alaska cruises, as originally scheduled.
Unfortunately, Seasonal Caribbean cruises were pushed back until the week of December 8. Previously, they were supposed to be released sometime during the week of November 17.
Seasonal Caribbean cruises refer to sailings on ships that aren't stationed in the Caribbean year-round. For example, during the summer, the vessel could offer European cruises before moving to Florida for the winter.
They did not make any other changes to the scheduled releases of new 7-night & short Caribbean year-round itineraries, or Northeast, California, and Texas cruises.
Moreover, Royal Caribbean has yet to reveal when it will open new Australia, China, and Singapore cruises from Oct. 2027 to April 2028 for booking.
The first batch of new 2027-2028 sailings was already released
On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean opened its 2027 Alaskan cruises for booking, officially kickstarting the fall deployment schedule.
The grand reveal was exciting, too. Four ships will sail to Alaska in 2027, including two Quantum Class ships. These vessels are the third-largest class in the fleet, and they're barely a decade old.
European cruises are expected sometime next week, likely Oct. 28, 29, or 30.
However, if you want to book a cruise earlier in the year, you are in luck. Royal Caribbean's early 2027 sailings are already available for booking.
This means that if you want to start planning a winter or early spring getaway, you can go ahead and secure your spot.
Two ships will likely be purposefully omitted from the deployment schedule
If you're hoping to book an inaugural cruise on Icon 4 or Oasis 7, the deployment schedule will likely be disappointing.
Historically, Royal Caribbean doesn't include brand-new ships as part of its regular deployments. Instead, they have their own special releases.
If, for instance, Icon 4 were to begin its career in Europe (as will Legend of the Seas in 2026), you should not expect it to be part of the European release next week.
As of Oct. 2025, we have very few details about the ships. For example, we don't know the names of either vessels or where they will initially sail from.
That said, construction is underway. Icon 4's keel was laid on Sept. 8, while Oasis 7's steel-cutting ceremony was held on Oct. 23.
What now?
Waiting for new deployments is frustrating, especially if you're someone who likes to plan in advance. There are, however, some things you can do in the meantime you keep you busy.
Let your travel agent know what kinds of sailings interest you, your availability, and what cabin category you'd like to book.
That way, once the new sailings are released, they can secure your spot as soon as possible. This is especially important for cruisers who want a suite, as the number of suites on each ship is limited.
Booking ahead is one of the easiest ways to save money on your Royal Caribbean cruise. Generally speaking, cruise prices are at their lowest when the itineraries are first released. Following the basic principles of supply and demand, they get more expensive as cabins get booked up.
That said, there are always outliers, and if you notice that your cruise fare has decreased after booking (before final payment), you can call Royal Caribbean (or notify your travel agent, who will call RC on your behalf) to request a price match.
