Independence of the Seas replacing Liberty of the Seas in Galveston

[ssb]

Royal Update
Ships returning to service:
• Adventure of the Seas: June 12, 2021 departing from Nassau, Bahamas
• Allure of the Seas: August 8, 2021 departing from Port Canaveral, Florida
• Anthem of the Seas: July 7, 2021 departing from Southampton, United Kingdom
• Freedom of the Seas: July 2, 2021 departing from Miami, Florida
• Harmony of the Seas: August 15, 2021 departing from Barcelona, Spain & Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
• Independence of the Seas: August 15, 2021 departing from Galveston, Texas
• Jewel of the Seas: July 10, 2021 departing from Limassol, Cyprus
• Mariner of the Seas: August 23, 2021 departing from Port Canaveral, Florida
• Navigator of the Seas: November 19, 2021 departing from Los Angeles, California
• Odyssey of the Seas: July 3, 2021 departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Ovation of the Seas: August 13, 2021 departing from Seattle, Washington
• Quantum of the Seas: December 1, 2020 departing from Singapore
• Serenade of the Seas: July 19, 2021 departing from Seattle, Washington
• Symphony of the Seas: August 14, 2021 departing from Miami, Florida
 
The following ships have been suspended through the end of August 2021. We are looking forward to announcing their return to service dates soon.
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Spectrum of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas
• Voyager of the Seas

Edited June 5, 2021 by ssb

[lovelife]

46 minutes ago, SarahASL said:

We just got the news that our Explorer out of Galveston in Oct moved to Independence. We are thrilled! I just found a great vlog of Independence sailing into Galveston for the first time ever!  Great video and makes me super excited!!

 

Very cool, thanks!

[sushitex]

19 hours ago, Ducky22 said:

So for those (like us and @HicksRA) booked on the 9/19 Liberty (now Independence) cruise, that SEEMS to be the last cruise for the Independence out of Galveston.  The C&A person we talked to couldn't see the 9/19 cruise or anything after that for the Independence, but could see the other Independence cruises in Galveston through 9/11.  We're  gonna wait until June 8th when they actually move us from the Liberty to the Independence which will hopefully unlock the Liberty and Independence cruises around that date and get our back-to-back situation ironed out.

Well, actually, no. We had cruises in August, September and October booked on the Explorer (also out of Galveston) and on the 9/19 Liberty sailing. Hubby and I both received emails stating that 2 of our Explorer cruises will be moved to the Independence after Sept. 27 (one of the cruises started on that date.) Our 2 other cruises on the Explorer, on Aug.  30 and Sept. 3, will not be moved. Both are casino cruises, one being a discounted (not comped) was lifted-and-shifted to September 2022, and the other (comped) was replaced by a new cruise offer.  I also received an email stating that the Liberty 9/19 cruise would be moved to the Indy, which gave us a different itinerary and a bonus night. 🙂 

 

So my belief is, once the Liberty returns on September 26,  the Indy will return from her last 7-night cruise on September 27. On that date, she takes over the late September and October 4 and 5-day cruises for the Explorer.   Actually, this is more than my belief - the CSR from Club Royale figured it out and explained it to myself and hubby yesterday during our first phone call with CR. 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by sushitex

[Ducky22]

Ooof, that would not be pretty.  we have the 9/19 and 9/26 weeks on the Liberty booked now.  With the 9/19 Liberty being moved to the Independence, and getting the "bonus" day, the Independence gets back after the first (9/26) sailing of the returned Liberty.  I think we're gonna have to see if we can move our 9/26 Liberty to the new 9/12 Independence.  I'll be really sad if we can't get our same room for both cruises 😞

[George C]

22 minutes ago, Ducky22 said:

Ooof, that would not be pretty.  we have the 9/19 and 9/26 weeks on the Liberty booked now.  With the 9/19 Liberty being moved to the Independence, and getting the "bonus" day, the Independence gets back after the first (9/26) sailing of the returned Liberty.  I think we're gonna have to see if we can move our 9/26 Liberty to the new 9/12 Independence.  I'll be really sad if we can't get our same room for both cruises 😞

Switching rooms is pretty easy, but obviously it’s better to have same cabin.

[SarahASL]

On 6/5/2021 at 1:46 PM, BSocial said:

 

Hi, what October date is this?  My booking is through a TA who is not in Until Monday.

 

would you mind showing a pic of the copy of your email - are they automatically moving us over, and will the sail dates remain the same 

 

thanks!

Sure! This is the letter we got for our October 1 sailing. Was supposed to be on Explorer, but it seems Independence is replacing all of those sailings at least for now.  I'm not sad about it!

 

Dear Guest, We’ve been diligently working to prepare for our Royal Comeback. It’s taken months of planning and coordinating to get up and running – from activating new homeports and communicating with local governments and authorities, to ensuring our new protocols maintain your wellbeing with our Healthy Sail Panel.  As we continue to review and analyze our itinerary plans, we’ve decided to reposition some of our ships in anticipation of our return to cruising. Our original plan for Explorer of the Seas was to begin offering sailings departing from Galveston beginning September 2021. However, Independence of the Seaswill now take its place. Unfortunately, this means your sailing will be cancelled. However, the good news is, Independence of the Seas will offer similar itineraries, so we’ll automatically move you to the corresponding Independence of the Seas sailing beginning June 8th, 2021 to help make the transition easier. This way, you’ll still have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful destinations you were looking forward to! We know how much time and effort go into planning your vacation and apologize for any inconvenience caused by this change. While we’re confident you’ll have an amazing time onboard, your vacation is important to us – along with providing you the flexibility to make the best decision for you and those in your party. Below, we’ve outlined your options along with a few additional details. Option 1: Stay onboard the Independence of the Seas cruise   Beginning June 8th, 2021, we’ll automatically move you to the Independence of the Seas sailing departing on the same day as your original cruise. So, there’s nothing for you to do! Your new sailing will offer similar destinations to your original cruise, and it’ll depart from the same destination. Your original stateroom category price will either be protected at your original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). This excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items.  If you were already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for any difference in pricing. You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment 45 days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution. Lastly, as we return to service, our sailing protocols will evolve. To stay informed and up-to-date, please visitRoyalCaribbean.com/Health.   Option 2: Select a 100% Refund   If you no longer wish to sail, we’ll be sad to see you go. We’ll process a full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare to the original form(s) of payment, including any non-refundable deposit. You can expect to receive your refund 45 days after you submit your refund request. If you booked your airfare through Royal Caribbean International, it will be automatically refunded to you. However, if you booked on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them. Lastly, if you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original certificate.     There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to shifting an entire season of sailings and rebooking all guests, so please bear with us as we work to make this process as easy as possible for you. All moves will be completed by June 18th, 2021, and we’ll send an updated reservation confirmation with your revised details to the email address on file as soon as your reservation has been completely updated with the pricing fully adjusted. If you prefer to cancel your cruise, please call us at 888-281-9344 or contact your Travel Advisor by June 18th, 2021. And know, hold times may be longer than usual. If we haven’t heard from you by June 18th, 2021, you’ll remain booked on the alternate Independence of the Seas sailing. Should you decide to cancel after our moves are complete, you will continue to be covered by our Cruise with Confidence policy. If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately or contact us at:    1 800 754 500 in Australia  0344 493 4005 in the U.K.  1 866 562 7625 in the U.S. or Canada All other countries, please visit http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contactus for your local Royal Caribbean International office phone number.   Thank you for your understanding. We hope you find another cruise vacation with us. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or looking to explore, relax, and recharge – we have no doubt your time with us will be nothing short of amazing. We look forward to welcoming you onboard.  Sincerely,

[Funbobby68]

Hey all , for all that are interested, I have started a roll call for a meet and mingle , so excited to be getting back on board soon 

[estherek]

We are currently booked on the Explorer out of San Juan for Oct 31 and the Independence out of Orlando for 12/20 so apparently they are doing a lot of shuffling. 

 

[AdMaven]

How do I book airport pickup Houston Hobby to Galveston pier for our upcoming cruise 9/5?  The website is still freaky and I don't see the option anywhere.  

[wolfganghowell]

Hopefully they will update itineraries soon.  With Cayman closed to ships through 2021, the Cozumel/Falmouth/Cayman itinerary won't be happening.

[StrikeEagle]

Our 8/15 Independence cruise changed to Cozumel,  Costa Maya and Roatan Honduras.