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Royal Caribbean pushes back relaunch of Empress of the Seas again
Tuesday, 22 Apr, 2016
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Due to further delays in the renovation of the Empress of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International has cancelled an additional seven sailings.
The line had scrapped its first six cruises from late March due to the overrun and now adds sailings scheduled for April 25, April 30, May 5, May 9, May 14, May 19 and May 23 to the cancelation count.
The ship’s refurbishment has proven to be more complex than expected, the company said.
"As work has progressed, we learned that more significant infrastructure and physical improvements across the ship’s multiple galleys and provisioning areas were needed to meet our high standards," a Royal Caribbean statement said.
"We decided that instead of simply repairing the five galleys, we would completely rebuild them, starting from scratch with entirely new infrastructure and all new equipment, at a cost of $10 million."
The 1,800-passenger ship had rejoined the Royal Caribbean fleet after sailing for sister brand Pullmantur.
Ship renovation work began in February.
The line said guests booked on the canceled sailings can get a full refund.
They can also rebook for the same cruise fare on sister ships Majesty of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas through June 27 or take a later sailing on the Empress of the Seas until July 23.
All guests who rebook will be given onboard credit.
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