Royal Caribbean has cancelled Anthem of the Seas’ January 27, 2026 sailing from Sydney, which was scheduled as a 10-night New Zealand itinerary. The cruise line said the ship experienced a technical issue that required maintenance it could not complete in time for the voyage.
Even worse, many of the impacted have already arrived in Australia for their cruise, leaving thousands of cruisers stranded in Sydney.
Anthem of the Seas was scheduled to depart Sydney on January 27, 2026 for a 10-night New Zealand cruise, with port calls including Picton, Wellington, Lyttelton (Christchurch), and Dunedin, plus scenic cruising in Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Milford Sound.
The vessel’s next itinerary is scheduled for a 7-night Queensland cruise on February 6, 2026. At this time, Royal Caribbean has not announced any impacts to this sailing, although the situation remains fluid.
Based on CruiseMapper data, Anthem of the Seas is currently sailing in the South Pacific Ocean en route back to Sydney.
The ship is traveling at approximately 14.9 knots, which is about 17 mph. This speed is noticeably below the ship’s normal operating speed, and aligns with what passengers have been describing as the ship “limping” back to Sydney.
Because of the cancellation, Royal Caribbean is offering a full refund for cruise fare and pre-paid items, plus a 25% Future Cruise Credit for the cancelled sailing.
Additionally, Royal Caribbean said they will provide some reimbursements for non-refundable travel costs, including up to $200 USD per guest for domestic flight changes or up to $400 USD per guest for international flight changes.
Guests will also receive up to $250 USD per stateroom for up to 2 nights of hotels and up to $100 USD per person, per day for incidentals.
Despite the compensation, Royal Caribbean is facing mounting criticism from passengers booked on the cancelled sailing, many of whom say the reimbursement limits won’t cover the actual costs they are now incurring.
Moreover, travelers online report scrambling to secure last-minute hotels, rebook international flights, and piece together alternative plans after already traveling to Australia for the cruise.
Passengers say the cancellation blew up once-in-a-lifetime plans
Reactions online from impacted travelers describe frustration and disappointment for how much preparation had gone into the trip.
One traveler wrote that the reimbursement “doesn’t cover a lot of things,” pointing to time off work, pet accommodations, and house sitters, and said the loss of what they described as a once-in-a-lifetime trip was “absolutely devastating.”
Others described scrambling to change flights or salvage part of their vacation. One commenter said they were on another cruise ship and had planned to join the Anthem of the Seas sailing shortly after arriving in Sydney, but ended up changing flights home instead, calling it “quite the bummer.”
Several passengers also said they were now stuck trying to find last-minute accommodations during school holidays, with limited availability and high prices adding to the stress.
And for travelers who hadn’t even arrived yet, the timing felt brutal. One cruiser shared, “I’m devastated… We’re flying to Sydney tomorrow. Any ideas to fill in 10 days?”
Another added, “Need to try and find some sort of alternative… we are half way around the world.”
Criticism over Royal Caribbean’s “low” reimbursement caps
Many impacted guests also shared their dissatisfaction with Royal Caribbean’s compensation offer, saying the reimbursement limits do not reflect the true cost of last-minute travel changes, particularly for international flights to and from Australia.
On Reddit, one passenger pointed to the caps placed on reimbursements, writing, “They’re saying they’ll compensate for the cruise itself and all the add-on options, as well as the flight and hotel, but with limits. And they’re low! My economy class will barely be 30% compensated!”
Other passengers chimed in with similar reactions, arguing the compensation should fully cover travel disruptions caused by the cruise line. One commenter responded, “100%. You should be getting full refund it’s unacceptable. Their problems are not yours. I’d fight that.”
Frustration was echoed in Facebook comment threads, where one impacted cruiser said, “The reimbursement for airfare will not cover the actual cost… grr.”
About Anthem of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas is a Quantum Class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. The ship entered service in 2015 and has a gross tonnage of roughly 168,600, carrying more than 4,100 passengers at double occupancy.
The vessel is powered by Azipod propulsion systems, which is common for modern cruise ships. This propulsion system allows for improved maneuverability and efficiency, but can also require specialized repairs if issues arise.
Anthem of the Seas is designed for longer itineraries and is frequently deployed in international markets, including Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
The ship is known for high-tech features such as the North Star observation capsule, indoor skydiving, and large-scale entertainment venues, making it one of Royal Caribbean’s flagship vessels outside of its Oasis and Icon classes.
For the current season, Anthem of the Seas has been sailing in the South Pacific, operating roundtrip voyages from Sydney that focus on New Zealand ports and scenic cruising through the country’s fjords. The cancelled sailing was part of that seasonal deployment.
