Due to a technical issue the Brilliance of the Seas is making an early return to Sydney from its current voyage. During its eleven-day voyage in the South Pacific, which started on March 19, 2024, the ship was only able to make a stop at Lifou Island on March 22. Its visit to Noumea in New Caledonia on March 23 and all subsequent port calls have been canceled. The ship is expected to arrive back in Sydney by late evening tomorrow, with the ongoing cruise anticipated to be officially canceled by Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Royal Caribbean International has announced the cancellation of its next cruise, scheduled to depart on March 30, 2024, to carry out necessary repairs.
The cruise line informed the passengers about the technical issues, assuring them of compensation. The company's letter said that the ship had to operate at a reduced speed due to the issue, which led to the cancellation of the remaining scheduled stops. However, the ship remains safe and seaworthy.
“As the captain previously shared, Brilliance of the Seas is experiencing a technical issue resulting in the ship being required to sail at a much slower speed. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to make our scheduled calls for the remainder of our sailing. Please note, our ship remains seaworthy and safe as we have redundancies in place to keep us sailing,” Royal Caribbean said in a letter.
The early return and subsequent cancellation suggest the technical issue is significant, with repairs likely taking place in Australia in the coming week. If shipyard intervention is needed for the propulsion issue, further cancellations may occur, noting the lack of regional shipyards with cruise ship expertise.
The canceled cruise was a five-day journey to Hobart, Tasmania, starting and ending in Sydney. Brilliance of the Seas' next planned voyage is an eight-day trip in the South Pacific from April 4 to 12, 2024, which is supposed to end the ship's winter season. Ahead of the Alaska summer season starting in May 2024, two repositioning trips across the Pacific to Vancouver, Canada, are scheduled for the Brilliance of the Seas.
