Rhapsody of the Seas. (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Better safe than sorry.
Royal Caribbean International has erred on the side of
caution and canceled all bookings on its Rhapsody of the Seas ship that was
supposed to depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday, September 15.
The culprit
is a damaged lifeboat that leaves the ship without the industry standard of
providing enough seats on a lifeboat for every passenger.
“On our previous sailing, there was damage
to one of our tender boats, which also serves as a lifeboat,” Royal Caribbean
said in a letter to guests. "Unfortunately, this means we’ll be unable to
welcome you onboard. We know this is disappointing news and we’re terribly
sorry for the impact on your vacation plans."
The company is providing guests with a
full refund as well as credit for a future Royal Caribbean cruise.
The cruise line also said it would
reimburse customers for some non-refundable transportation expenses such as flights,
trains and rental cars.
Rhapsody of the Seas was set to make
port in several southern Caribbean countries.
Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean named
singer Meghan Trainor as the godmother of sister ship Utopia of the Seas.
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