United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Fire forces Royal Caribbean to cancel more peak summer cruises
Royal Caribbean has been forced to cancel all cruises on the fire-damaged Grandeur of the Seas until mid-July.
The cruise line said the 2,446-passenger ship was not expected to return to service until July 12 due to the damage caused by a fire that broke out early on Monday morning during a Caribbean cruise.
All passengers booked on the cancelled sailings between June 7 and July 5 will receive a full refund and 25% of the fare they paid towards a future cruise with Royal Caribbean. Those who had planned to sail on May 31 will get a refund and 50% credit.
Company CFO Jason Liberty said the cancellation of the cruises during the peak summer season would cost the company about $22 million.
The ship, which left Baltimore on Friday, was heading to CocoCay in the Bahamas when the fire broke out at 2:50 a.m.
It took more than two hours to extinguish the blaze, but no-one was injured and passengers were able to disembark at Freeport.
The ship is now heading to Grand Bahama Shipyard for repairs.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Foreign Office issues travel advisory for winter sun destinations