Speed ​​issues are changing multiple itineraries for the Royal Caribbean ship

Royal Caribbean International has contacted guests on several of its cruises Anthem of the Seas to inform them of itinerary adjustments and reduce the times the ship spends in different ports of call. While the changes are relatively minor, multiple changes on a single itinerary can add up significantly.

Anthem of the Seas Changes in port times

Guests booked on different departures of the quantum class Anthem of the Seas have been informed that their cruises have been slightly adjusted, with port times changed for several destinations. All communications are similar and state:

“To ensure a safe and comfortable speed on our journey, we have adjusted the times we will visit (affected ports of call).”

Both the June 4th and June 16th itineraries have been confirmed to have similar changes, although departures are very different.

Departing 4 June 2023 is a 12-night Discover the Canaries cruise from Southampton with stops in Vigo, Spain; Funchal, Portugal; three destinations in the Canary Islands – Lanzarote, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife; and Lisbon, Portugal.

Calls at Vigo, Funchal and Lanzarote have all been shortened for this sailing. The time in Vigo has been reduced by two hours – arriving an hour later and departing an hour earlier than originally planned – while times in Funchal and Lanzarote have each been reduced by just one hour and arriving later than originally planned.

Departing 16 June 2023 is a 7-night cruise through the Norwegian Fjords, also with round-trip sailings from Southampton. On this voyage the ship visits four different ports in Norway: Bergen, Olden, Maloy and Kristiansand.

The port time adjustments for this cruise are more extreme as the ship is now in Bergen from 14:30 to 20:00 and in Kristiansand from 12:00 to 20:00. The visits to Olden and Maloy are not changed, but that’s still a loss of 4.5 total hours in port. The majority of this time will be trimmed by Bergen, which was originally scheduled for 11am to 8pm

Anthem of the Seas will also return to Southampton 30 minutes later than originally scheduled, with an estimated time of arrival at the end of the cruise of 6:00am instead of 5:30am

Also Read: How Fast is a Knot and What Does It Mean?

For both cruises, the email confirms tours will be rescheduled for affected ports of call. “Our shore excursions team will automatically reschedule all prepaid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions impacted by this change.” the email is

Guests who have booked independent tours should contact their tour operator to make time adjustments or arrange for cancellations and refunds, if applicable.

Ongoing drive problems

Guests who have booked on Anthem of the Seas recent and upcoming sailings have reported a multitude of similar changes across multiple sailings, and earlier this month they did reported that the ship had a “mechanical limitation” with one of its engines that affected overall speed.

This will not affect the safety or seaworthiness of the ship, nor will hotel, dining or activity arrangements on board be affected. In normal operation, the ship’s maximum speed is 22 knots (25 miles per hour / 41 kilometers per hour).

It’s not the first time either Anthem of the Seas had engine problems that affected overall speed. Similar problems also arose in 2017, with similar solutions – slower speeds that transformed port visits. At that time, an overnight port of call was used for all required external mechanical work.

Right now that’s 168,666 gross tons Anthem of the Seas is based out of New York and sails 7 day Bahamas cruises that call at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island. Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, and Port Canaveral, Florida are also on these routes.

However, due to engine problems, Port Canaveral has been shortened or omitted on several recent cruises.

On May 1, 2023, the ship will depart New York for a transatlantic repositioning cruise to Southampton, where she will be based throughout the summer, offering a wide range of cruises in the Mediterranean, Spain, the Canary Islands and Norway.

In October, Anthem of the Seas will be returning to New York for another winter of Bahamas cruises, and she will be returning home from Southampton again in spring and summer 2024.