Key Aspects:<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthem of the Seas<\/em>\u2018 January 19, 2026 departure was to have returned to Sydney, Australia for a typical morning debarkation on Tuesday, January 27, but a technical issue has now forced a delay and the ship will not be returning until late Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n The South Pacific cruise visited ports in New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and satellite tracking now shows Anthem of the Seas<\/em> heading back to Australia at just 14 knots (16 miles per hour). The top speed for the Quantum-class ship<\/a><\/strong> is 22 knots (25 mph).<\/p>\n Guests onboard have been notified of the difficulties, as well as reimbursement options regarding onward travel after debarkation.<\/p>\n \u201cAs previously announced by our Captain, we experienced a technical issue that has impacted our speed,\u201d<\/em> the letter delivered to guests confirmed.<\/a><\/strong> \u201cAs a result, our arrival into Sydney will be delayed and we\u2019ll now arrive at approximately 4:00 PM on the 27th.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The original arrival time for the vessel was no later than 6:30 a.m., so this is a significant delay that will likely impact many guests\u2019 travel plans after the cruise.<\/p>\n To help guests adjust those plans, Royal Caribbean is permitting phone calls from Guest Services at no charge, and guests without an internet package will receive a voucher for 120 minutes of complementary internet access (per stateroom). <\/p>\n All onboard packages for drinks and internet service will automatically be extended until debarkation at no extra charge.<\/p>\n When Anthem of the Seas<\/em> arrives in Sydney and is cleared for debarkation, guests are urged to stick to their assigned departure groups and keep their travel documents in hand to ensure a smooth, efficient debarkation for the more than 4,000 travelers onboard.<\/p>\n Guests who have flights booked after their sailing will have those flights automatically adjusted if they made the arrangements through Royal Caribbean. Email confirmations will be provided once flight changes are confirmed.<\/p>\n Anyone who is making independent flight arrangements is urged not to reschedule flights before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27. Furthermore, Royal Caribbean is offering reimbursement for flight changes as follows (all figures in USD):<\/p>\n Guests must upload receipts to Royal Caribbean\u2019s Guest Relations team for reimbursement consideration. <\/p>\n Due to the nature of the technical issue, Royal Caribbean has already elected to completely cancel the next sailing<\/a><\/strong> for Anthem of the Seas<\/em>, a 10-night voyage around New Zealand.<\/p>\n Guests booked on that cruise have been notified of the unfortunate cancellation and offered options.<\/p>\n \u201cAnthem of the Seas experienced a technical issue on its last sailing, and we\u2019re returning to begin required maintenance,\u201d<\/em> the email notification explained.<\/strong> \u201cUnfortunately, we will not be able to complete the needed repairs in time for our 27 January sailing. As a result, we are canceling our Anthem of the Seas cruise.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n All guests on the now-cancelled cruise will receive a 100% refund that includes not only the cruise fare, but all associated costs such as taxes, fees, pre-paid packages, gratuities, and shore excursions purchased through the cruise line.<\/p>\n Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment within 14 business days. The exact time for processing will depend on individual financial institutions.<\/p>\n All guests will also receive a 25% future cruise credit (FCC) to use toward booking a future Royal Caribbean cruise that departs within the next 12 months. Those credits will be available by February 9, 2026.<\/p>\n\n
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Reimbursement for Flight Changes<\/h2>\n
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Next Anthem of the Seas Cruise Cancelled<\/h2>\n
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