Approximately 1,700 passengers boarded Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas in Vancouver, British Columbia, for a seven-night Alaska cruise originally scheduled to depart August 30, 2026. The cruise was shortened to five nights with a delayed departure set for September 1, 2026.
Passengers boarded on September 1, expecting to sail to Alaska ports including Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Prince Rupert. The ship remained docked at the Port of Vancouver’s Lynnterm terminal due to ongoing maintenance issues that prevented departure.
Royal Caribbean canceled the entire sailing later on September 1, citing unresolved maintenance problems. Passengers were allowed to disembark by midnight
on September 2 and were offered full refunds, 100% future cruise credits, and reimbursement for eligible flight change fees.
While onboard, passengers had limited access to some ship areas; the casino was closed, while some bars were partially open. Some explored Vancouver during the wait. Passenger Arielle Anderson, a lawyer from South Carolina, said, “Everybody was kind of panicking, so we were all just sitting in one of the bar areas, and everybody was just on their phones. People were really upset because everybody was trying to find flights and hotels and stuff.” Some passengers stayed in vacation rentals near
Bellingham, Washington, or visited Whistler after the cancellation.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson stated, “To accommodate ongoing maintenance, we’ve had to cancel our sailing. We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience and have worked with them to adjust their travel plans.” Port of Vancouver spokesperson Alex Munro added, “The Serenade of the Seas experienced a technical issue and is temporarily docked at Lynnterm terminal while it undergoes repairs.”
The Serenade of the Seas had experienced related engine and technical problems during previous 2025 sailings from Vancouver. Repairs were completed in time for its next scheduled Alaska cruise departure on September
6, 2026.
