Royal Caribbean Cancels Freedom of the Seas 2027 Caribbean Cruises

Cruise line moves ship to Southampton, England, triggering rebookings and refunds for thousands of guests.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 4:50pm

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Royal Caribbean has officially cancelled more than 20 scheduled voyages for the Freedom of the Seas in the summer of 2027, as the nearly 4,000 guest ship is being redeployed from Miami to Southampton, England for the 2027 season. The impacted routes originally included popular short and extended Caribbean cruises, and Royal Caribbean is providing affected passengers with options to rebook on comparable sailings or receive full refunds.

Why it matters

This move by Royal Caribbean is part of a broader trend of cruise lines aggressively shifting ship deployments to meet global demand, which can leave travelers whose vacations were planned years in advance suddenly having to rebook or receive refunds.

The details

The cancellations hit departures from May through September 2027, and the cruise line cited 'itinerary planning' and 'fleet considerations' as the reasons behind the decision to redeploy the Freedom of the Seas to Southampton. Affected passengers are being automatically moved to comparable 4-night sailings on the Wonder of the Seas out of Miami, or can look into 3 to 5-night options on the Adventure of the Seas or Jewel of the Seas. For travelers who can't find suitable alternatives, Royal Caribbean is issuing full refunds for all cruise fares and prepaid extras.

  • The cancellations hit departures from May through September 2027.
  • Royal Caribbean confirmed the changes this week.

The players

Royal Caribbean

A major cruise line that has decided to redeploy the Freedom of the Seas ship from Miami to Southampton, England for the 2027 season.

Freedom of the Seas

A nearly 4,000 guest cruise ship that is being moved from its home port in Miami to Southampton, England for the 2027 season.

Wonder of the Seas

A Royal Caribbean ship that is being offered as a comparable alternative for passengers whose Freedom of the Seas cruises were cancelled.

Adventure of the Seas

A Royal Caribbean ship that is being offered as a comparable alternative for passengers whose Freedom of the Seas cruises were cancelled.

Jewel of the Seas

A Royal Caribbean ship that is being offered as a comparable alternative for passengers whose Freedom of the Seas cruises were cancelled.

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What’s next

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The takeaway

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