Sailing through the glacier-studded waters of Alaska is a bucket-list experience for many cruisers, and visiting different ports of call to learn about native cultures and enjoy the fabulous scenery, wildlife, and frontier lifestyle makes for an amazing cruise vacation.

Guests aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas June 29, 2025 sailing, however, are getting a bit more cruising and one less port visit due to a technical issue that has meant the ship is skipping Icy Strait Point.

Letters were delivered to staterooms onboard following intercom announcements this week that alerted guests to the change for their July 3 port visit.

“As previously announced by our Captain, we’ve had to cancel our visit to Icy Strait Point, due to speed restrictions from a technical issue onboard,” the letter explained. “We’ll now enjoy a Sea Day instead and proceed directly to Ketchikan.”

The nature of the “technical issue” was not disclosed, but no safety systems were impacted nor were there any disruptions to guest services onboard the 22-year-old ship.

“Rest assured, our ship can safely sail in these kinds of situations at reduced speeds while we work to expedite the repair process,” the letter continued.

To ease the disappointment and frustration at losing a port of call, Royal Caribbean is providing an onboard credit equal to one day of the cruise fare to each guest’s onboard account. This amount will vary based on individual cruise fares.

Furthermore, any guests who had pre-booked shore excursions through the cruise line for Icy Strait Point will have those tours automatically cancelled and refunded as onboard credit. If guests have credit left at the end of the sailing, the remaining amount will be returned to their credit card on file.

Serenade of the Seas set sail from Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday, June 30, 2025. Her sailing has now been:

• Sunday – Departure from Vancouver
• Monday – Day at Sea
• Tuesday – Sitka, Alaska
• Wednesday – Juneau, Alaska
• Thursday – Day at Sea (formerly Icy Strait Point)
• Friday – Ketchikan, Alaska
• Saturday – Day at Sea
• Sunday – Debarkation in Vancouver

At the moment, there is no indication that the ship’s next sailing will be similarly impacted. If repairs were not able to be completed, however, it is possible that the next cruise – another 7-night Inside Passage sailing – could have similar adjustments.

That cruise is not scheduled for Icy Strait Point but instead includes Prince Rupert on the itinerary, but port adjustments might still be made if necessary.

More Adjustments for Serenade of the Seas

This is not the first time Serenade of the Seas‘ Alaska season has been disrupted. In early June, multiple itineraries for the ship were changed, adjusting times in Ketchikan and dropping a day of scenic cruising.

There was no explanation given for the changed itineraries, but they were just minor adjustments with no indication of mechanical trouble at the time.

In March 2025, well before the Alaska season began, Serenade of the Seas cancelled a complete cruise to permit more time for a planned dry dock.

“We have discovered that Serenade of the Seas requires additional servicing beyond planned repairs and maintenance, which extends her currently scheduled dry dock period,” the notification for that change read.

The nature of the “additional servicing” was not clarified, and “availability at the shipyard” was cited as part of the reason for the cruise cancellation and extended dry dock.

Read Also: What to Expect on a Small Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

While there is no confirmed connection between the extra time in dry dock, the earlier adjusted Alaska itineraries, and the change for the current sailing, so many impacts to a single ship could be troubling.

Guests booked on upcoming sailings aboard Serenade of the Seas will want to stay in close contact with Royal Caribbean in case of additional changes.

The ship will be homeported from Vancouver through mid-September, at which time she will reposition to South America to offer Southern Caribbean sailings from Cartagena and Colon. In May 2026, Serenade of the Seas will return to Vancouver for the 2026 Alaska season.

Technical Trouble Forces Serenade of the Seas to Cancel Port