Royal Caribbean Changing Cancellation Penalty Schedule

Royal Caribbean is changing its cancellation penalty schedule, which will go into effect on October 11, 2026, and when new cruises open for booking tomorrow, September 29, 2026.

Royal Caribbean said that the reason for the change is to streamline, consolidate, and simplify its North America cancellation penalty structure.

This new schedule will go into effect on October 11, 2026, except for all new Alaska, Hawaii, Pacific Coastal, and Transpacific 2028 sailings that open on September 29, 2026, for bookings. These new cruises will be subject to Royal Caribbean’s new cancellation penalty structure right away.

All existing cruises that are open for bookings will remain under their current policy until October 11, 2026.

So what is Royal Caribbean changing? 

Updated Cancellation Penalty Schedule

For cruises that are four nights or less, Royal Caribbean is not making any changes to its cancellation penalty schedule.

Previously, Royal Caribbean had tiers for cruises five to 14 nights in length and one for sailings 15 days and longer. Now, the cruise line will have tiers for cruises five to nine nights in length and one for sailings 10 nights and longer.

For cruises that are five to nine nights in length, the cancellation penalty for cancelling 75-89 days before the cruise will move to 25% to 50%.

For cruises that are 10 nights and longer, the cancellation penalty for cancelling 61-119 days before the cruise will be 50%.

The chart below shows the different tiers for cancelling a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Updated Deposit Structure

• Cruises 1-5 nights: $100
• 5-night cruises to Bermuda: $250
• Cruises 6-9 nights: $250
• Cruises 10 nights and longer: $450

Also, beginning October 11, the existing 3rd and 4th guest cancellation policy will be automatically enforced within Royal Caribbean’s reservation system.

While the policy remains unchanged, applicable cancellation penalties for 3rd and 4th guests will no longer be waived. Moving forward, the system will calculate and apply the appropriate penalty percentage to the canceled guest’s cruise fare based on the booking’s penalty status at the time of cancellation.

The cruise line said that this enhancement helps ensure consistent application of the policy across all reservations.

This penalty policy is only for cruises from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.