Royal Caribbean makes controversial change, again
Some passengers are excited about this change, while others have been frustrated by it.
Many “loyal to Royal” cruisers have learned over the years that careful planning and early booking are a must if you want to secure the itinerary, stateroom type, and add-on amenities you want for your vacation.
These days, most experienced cruisers know that booking early will usually help you secure the lowest price for your cruise, too.
Related: Royal Caribbean quietly makes pricey beverage change
The days of scoring a last-minute cruise deal are mostly gone, with only a few exceptions this year like some of this summer’s Mediterranean and Alaska cruises.
Despite the higher prices that usually come with last-minute cruise bookings, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty revealed during the company’s Q1 earnings call that the cruise line has noticed more last-minute booking behavior recently. So rather than discount last-minute cruises, Royal Caribbean has been raising prices on near-departure cruises to drive higher profits.
This trend in last-minute bookings could also be a factor in the cruise line’s controversial decision to continue to make changes to this summer’s launch schedule for its next Icon Class ship.
These launch schedule changes have opened up some enticing opportunities for cruisers to add somewhat last-minute summer cruises on board Royal Caribbean’s highly anticipated Star of the Seas, which will debut in August from Port Canaveral, Florida.
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Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas launch schedule has been shifting for months
Many loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers who are diligent about planning their vacations far in advance were quick to book this summer’s inaugural sailing for Star of the Seas when it opened for booking back in December 2023.
Most of those cruisers wanted to be the first to sail on the new megaship, which will offer seven-night Caribbean cruises designed to compete with Orlando’s theme park vacations.
Originally, Star of the Seas’ first cruise was scheduled for Aug. 17, 2025, but Royal Caribbean later pushed the inaugural sailing back to Aug. 31, citing a delay in the ship’s expected delivery.
But early this year, it became clear that Star of the Seas would be ready to sail earlier in August after all.
Related: Video: Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas clears sea trials
Rather than change the date of the inaugural voyage again, Royal Caribbean decided to add two shorter “showcase sailings” before it.
For some Royal Caribbean cruisers who didn’t plan early enough to secure the ship’s inaugural sailing, this was great news. But at the same time, it frustrated some of the careful planners who booked the inaugural cruise to be the first to sail on the new ship on its full seven-night maiden voyage.
Some of those cruisers took the opportunity Royal Caribbean offered to switch their booking to the first showcase sailing so they could still be the first on board, but then, a few weeks later, the cruise line changed the launch schedule again.
Royal Caribbean adds more showcase sailings for Star of the Seas
In March, the cruise line announced that Star of the Seas would be ready to sail even earlier, and added another short showcase sailing on the ship departing on Aug. 20, 2025.
And now, they’ve done it again.
It turns out Star of the Seas will be delivered according to its original timeline after all, and now it will even debut one day earlier than the previously planned Aug. 17 inaugural voyage.
Related: Royal Caribbean designer reveals big changes coming with new ship
“To officially kick off our inaugural season, we have added in an additional 4-Night Star Showcase Cruise to Perfect Day [at CocoCay] on August 16, 2025, because we simply can’t wait to debut the world’s best family vacation,” the cruise line wrote in an email to travel partners.
So now, while the Aug. 31 Star of the Seas cruise is the first full-length sailing and still considered the inaugural voyage, there are a total of four short showcase sailings happening before it.
Although that may be a bit disappointing for some passengers who chose to stay on the original inaugural sailing, it’s sure to bring higher revenue for Royal Caribbean as it capitalizes on this year’s last-minute cruise booking trend with new sailings on a brand-new ship.
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