A Royal Caribbean ship has changed plans due to a "technical issue" that has forced the vessel to reduce speed.
Guests aboard Allure of the Seas were informed today that their planned itinerary will be altered because of an issue with the ship's propulsion.
The 6-night cruise departed on May 24 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida was scheduled to visit Falmouth, Jamaica and Nassau, Bahamas. However, those plans won't work anymore.
The exact problem was not disclosed by the cruise line or the Captain, but passengers were told the ship would slow down and there will be a change in itinerary.
"We are currently experiencing a technical issue with one of our propulsion systems. While our team works to resolve this, we’ll be sailing at a reduced speed and will need to make a slight adjustment to our itinerary."
"We’re terribly sorry for this last-minute change. Please know that your safety and comfort are always our top priorities."
Now Allure of the Seas will skip Falmouth, and go to Nassau, Bahamas directly.
"Instead of visiting Falmouth, Jamaica, we’ll now sail directly to Nassau, Bahamas, where we are expected to arrive at approximately 7:00AM."
The new port hours are to be in Nassau between 7:30am to 5:30pm.
Afterwards, the ship will sail and do a sea day before returning to Nassau again on Friday, Day 6, as originally scheduled.
Allure of the Seas is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, with a double occupancy of 5,718 passengers. It's 1,187 feet long and revolutionized the cruise industry when it launched in 2010 just months after Oasis of the Seas did.
At the time of publishing this article, Allure had a speed of 11-12 knots, reflecting the reduced speed in the announcement.
A passenger onboard Allure of the Seas shared photos of the ships wake after the announcement was made. I'm not an engineer, but it appears the starboard azipod is not functioning.
To be clear, we don't know what the issue is and merely speculating at what the issue could be.
Azipods are multidirectional pods that drive the ship and can be rotated 360 degrees. They are the standard form of propulsion for all of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ships.
Most importantly, Allure of the Seas is still seaworthy and safe to sail on. This is why cruise ships have multiple azipods and backup systems to ensure the ship doesn't need all systems.
By reducing its speed, it reduces the strain on the other parts of the propulsion.
Excursions will be refunded
Any booked excursions through Royal Caribbean in Falmouth will be automatically refunded to the onboard account.
So far, there's been no other indication of compensation for the changed itinerary.
Sometimes when a ship alters its itinerary at the last-minute, passengers might receive some extra onboard credit as a gesture of good will. However, every instance when a ship's itinerary changes is different and there is no formal policy regarding this.
Ordinarily an itinerary that visits the same port twice in the same sailing might not be ideal, but Nassau has one major advantage.
Royal Caribbean recently opened its first Royal Beach Club there, an exclusive resort experience just for cruise line passengers.
There are multiple beaches and pools, along with included food and alcoholic beverages.
Now passengers have the opportunity to go twice to the beach club and double up on what's arguably one of Royal Caribbean's best new offerings.
Read more: I went to Royal Caribbean's two best beach clubs in one weekend
Propulsion problems sometimes happen on cruise ships
Engine troubles are not uncommon among cruise ships, as they can occasionally occur.
A ship like Allure of the Seas operates every week, offering cruises without any stops year-round. Nonetheless, propulsion problems are rare.
Allure of the Seas is not a new ship, but Royal Caribbean invests a lot of money into routine maintenance. In fact, Allure underwent a massive upgrade last year to not only add new venues to the ship, but also provide routine maintenance to its engines, propellors, and other primary systems.
Just like your well-maintained car at home, engine trouble can still occur.
It's common when there is an issue for the ship's speed to be affected and itinerary changed, rather than cancelling the entire sailing.
Maintenance can be done to the ship while in port if necessary, rather than pulling it out of service completely.
