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Introduction
A recent incident involving a damaged lifeboat on Rhapsody Of The Seas has led to the cancellation of several bookings for its upcoming departure from San Juan, Puerto Rico, scheduled for September 15, 2024.
Details of the Incident
During the ship’s previous voyage on September 8, one of the lifeboats was damaged and rendered non-operational. This issue compromised the ship’s compliance with the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations, which require sufficient lifeboat capacity to accommodate all passengers in case of an emergency.
Impact on Passengers and Cruise Operations
Due to the damaged lifeboat, the ship could not meet the mandatory lifeboat capacity, resulting in the cancellation of all bookings for passengers who were assigned to that specific lifeboat. Royal Caribbean promptly issued full refunds to the affected passengers along with a future cruise credit equivalent to the amount originally paid, valid through September 2025.