Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is returning to New Jersey hours later than planned after two passengers required urgent medical care, setting off a chain of itinerary changes for thousands of travelers.
The Oasis Class ship was sailing back toward Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, when it turned around early Friday, September 18, and headed toward Nassau, Bahamas. According to a letter Royal Caribbean sent to guests onboard, the ship’s medical staff determined that two passengers needed urgent medical attention, and both were successfully debarked to receive additional medical care.
Reports indicate one of the medical emergencies involved a critically ill 7-year-old child. A second passenger reportedly became ill as the ship was making its way toward Nassau. Royal Caribbean has not publicly disclosed the nature of either medical emergency or provided an update on the passengers’ conditions.
The unexpected detour means Oasis of the Seas is now expected to arrive at Cape Liberty at approximately 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, roughly eight hours after its originally scheduled 6 a.m. arrival. Disembarkation is expected to begin around 2:30 p.m.
For travelers currently aboard the ship, Royal Caribbean is advising anyone who arranged their own flights home to rebook departures for no earlier than 6 p.m. Sunday. The cruise line said it will reimburse airline change fees of up to $200 per person for domestic flights and $400 per person for international flights. Guests without an existing internet package are also being offered 60 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi per stateroom to contact airlines, hotels, family or friends.
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What This Means for the Next Oasis of the Seas Cruise
The delay isn’t only impacting guests currently aboard.
Travelers scheduled to embark on the ship’s next seven-night Bahamas cruise from Cape Liberty on Sunday, September 20, have been assigned new check-in times approximately seven to eight hours later than originally scheduled and are being instructed not to arrive at the terminal before their updated time.
The itinerary is changing, too. Oasis of the Seas was originally scheduled to depart Cape Liberty and spend Monday at sea before visiting Port Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday, followed by Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau.
Royal Caribbean has now dropped the Port Canaveral stop from the upcoming sailing, according to reports. Instead, the ship is expected to sail directly toward the Bahamas and arrive at Perfect Day at CocoCay earlier than originally planned, at approximately 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, September 23.
While an eight-hour delay can create a major headache for travelers dealing with flights, hotels and other post-cruise plans, medical emergencies can require cruise ships to alter course to get passengers to shoreside care. Cruise Lines International Association’s Passenger Bill of Rights specifies that passengers aboard applicable oceangoing member ships have access to full-time professional emergency medical attention until shoreside medical care becomes available.
Royal Caribbean acknowledged the disruption in its communication to passengers and thanked them for their patience, noting that the company would take the same measures if they or a loved one were in a similar situation.
Parade reached out to Royal Caribbean for additional comment.
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