This story might make you wish you had booked an oversold cruise because the deal Royal Caribbean just offered these impacted guests is pretty amazing. But there’s also an argument to be made that the cruise line should not be overselling these staterooms in the first place.
Some passengers booked on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas May 15, 2025 Western Mediterranean cruise departing from Civitavecchia (Rome) have been offered some tempting options due to an overbooking situation.
I know some travelers who like to book flights they know are likely to be overbooked so they can get free flights, miles, and other perks when they volunteer to take a different flight. But now a cruise line is offering incentives to passengers many will have a hard time passing up.
Royal Caribbean has presented guests on the overbooked ship with a very attractive offer: essentially a free cruise, plus a full refund of their original fare.
This unexpected offer was extended to some guests booked in Oceanview staterooms or higher tiers on the May 15th departure from Rome. Royal Caribbean asked for volunteers to switch or cancel their bookings to manage the overcapacity.
Here are the three options guests were given:
- Downgrade for a Free Cruise and Money Back: Guests can move to an Interior stateroom. In return, they receive a full refund of their original cruise fare AND a $200 onboard credit. This means they sail for free, get all their money back, plus extra spending money.
- Switch Ships for a Free Cruise and Money Back: Passengers can transfer to a 7-night Greek Isles cruise on Odyssey of the Seas departing May 18, 2025, from Rome. The fare for this new itinerary is completely covered, and they receive a full refund of their original Allure of the Seas fare.
- Cancel for a Future Free Cruise and Money Back: Guests can cancel their reservation entirely. They will receive a full refund of their original fare (including non-refundable deposits) AND a 100% future cruise credit equal to the value of their original fare, valid for sailings through May 15, 2026.
In all three scenarios, passengers receive their original fare back. Options one and two allow them to take a cruise immediately without having paid the fare (effectively making it free), while option three gives them the means for a free cruise at a later date using the future cruise credit, again after receiving a full refund.
Royal Caribbean has also committed to reimbursing any non-refundable, pre-paid travel expenses like flights or hotels for guests who accept one of the alternative offers or cancel.
The cruise line emphasized these are voluntary options, and guests who did not respond would keep their original booking.
This isn’t the first time the Allure of the Seas has faced overbooking challenges around this time of year, with similar situations reported for sailings in both 2023 and a prior April 2025 departure.
While these cruisers have to decide if changing their original plans is worth it, as someone who did not book this particular cruise, I must say I’m a bit jealous of these options.
