Royal Caribbean International: refund request

Collect

• reservation number
• booking confirmation with its cancellation schedule
• proof and amount of payment
• cancellation or delay notice

Steps

1. Check the booking date. Bookings made before October 11, 2026 follow the cancellation schedule in the booking confirmation; later bookings follow the Ticket Contract table.

2. To cancel or ask about a refund, call Reservations (or your travel advisor if one booked the cruise). The cancellation takes effect when Royal Caribbean receives it.

   PhoneIndividual Reservations +1-866-562-7625

3. If Royal Caribbean cancelled the cruise or delayed embarkation by 3 or more days and you did not sail, ask for a refund instead of the automatic future cruise credit, within 6 months of the cancellation date or the scheduled embarkation date, whichever is earlier.

   PhoneAlready Sailed? Post Cruise Assistance (also Day of Sailing help) +1-800-256-6649

4. Allow about 7 to 10 days after the refund is processed for it to post, and up to 30 days. Then send a written request through the contact form with the reservation number.

   FormSend Us a Message form (contact us page)

5. For a nonperformance refund still not paid 180 days after your written claim, or denied, file with the FMC against the line's financial instrument.

   RegulatorFederal Maritime Commission, Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services +1-202-523-5807

6. Dispute the charge with your card issuer if the refund is owed and not paid.

More contacts for this issue

Facts you can cite

• Fee

  For bookings made on or after October 11, 2026, Ticket Contract section 8.b charges per guest: 1 to 4 night cruises, no charge 75 or more days before sailing, 50% at 74 to 61 days, 75% at 60 to 31 days, 100% at 30 days or less; 5 to 9 nights, no charge at 90 or more days, 50% at 89 to 61 days, 75% at 60 to 31 days, 100% at 30 days or less; 10 or more nights, no charge at 120 or more days, 50% at 119 to 61 days, 75% at 60 to 31 days, 100% at 30 days or less. Non-refundable deposits are kept even in the no-charge window.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Fee

  The cancellation FAQ gives the schedule for bookings made before October 11, 2026: 5 to 14 nights, no charge at 90 or more days, 25% at 89 to 75 days, 50% at 74 to 61 days, 75% at 60 to 31 days, 100% at 30 days or less; 15 or more nights, no charge at 120 or more days, 25% at 119 to 75 days, then the same 50%, 75% and 100% steps. 1 to 4 night cruises use the same schedule as newer bookings.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  Some fares need a non-refundable deposit that "shall not be refunded at any time after it has been paid." If you cancel a non-refundable deposit fare before final payment, the full deposit is kept and other payments are refunded.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  Ticket Contract section 8.d: on cancellation, prepaid Taxes and Fees, Gratuities and Fuel Supplement are refunded after any cancellation charges are deducted. Refunds go to the original credit card, or to the travel agent if the agent paid. No refund for cancellation after the cruise begins, early disembarkation or a no-show.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Deadline

  Royal Caribbean says refunds usually post to the original form of payment about 7 to 10 days after they are fully processed, and some may take up to 30 days; the bank sets the posting time.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Deadline

  If Royal Caribbean cancels a cruise, or delays embarkation by 3 or more days and you do not take the delayed or substitute sailing, it issues a future cruise credit automatically. You can ask for a refund instead within 6 months of the cancellation date or the scheduled embarkation date, whichever is earlier. Chartered sailings are handled by the reseller that sold them.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Process

  46 CFR 540.9(f): for nonperformance, the passenger first makes a written refund request to the cruise line. If the claim is not resolved within 180 days (or the line's shorter stated period) after nonperformance, or is denied, the passenger may claim against the line's FMC financial instrument, with the boarding pass, proof and amount of payment, the cancellation or delay notice and dated proof of the claim to the line.

  Source: law.cornell.edu, verified 2026-10-13

• Deadline

  Ticket Contract section 10.b.iii (U.S. cruises): for injury, illness or death, written notice with full particulars must be delivered within six months, suit must be filed within one year, and process served within 120 days after filing. All other claims must be started in arbitration within one year from the date the cause arose or they are forever barred.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Process

  Ticket Contract section 10.c: all claims except personal injury, illness or death go to individual arbitration under the American Arbitration Association Consumer Arbitration Rules; class and representative proceedings are not allowed. A signed Notice of Dispute and a 60-day informal resolution period come first. If the claims total US$750 or less, Royal Caribbean pays all AAA fees when the guest met the notice requirements.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  The U.S. Ticket Contract page is marked R(US)OCT2026 and applies to guests whose primary country of residence is the United States. Section 1 says Royal Caribbean may change the contract terms and that notice may or may not be given.

  Source: royalcaribbean.com, verified 2026-10-13

If that fails, escalate

Go up one step at a time. Keep the reference numbers and dates from each contact.

1. Customer service

   PhoneIndividual Reservations +1-866-562-7625

   After the cruise, use Post Cruise Assistance (post-cruise-phone).

2. Written complaint

   FormSend Us a Message form (contact us page)

3. Federal regulator

   RegulatorFederal Maritime Commission, Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services +1-202-523-5807

   For a refund Royal Caribbean owes after it cancelled a cruise or delayed it more than 3 days (nonperformance).

4. Card or bank dispute

   Fair Credit Billing Act billing-error and purchase-dispute rights (Regulation Z)

   Electronic Fund Transfer Act error resolution and unauthorized-transfer liability (Regulation E)

   Card dispute for a refund Royal Caribbean owes but has not paid.

5. Arbitration

   MailNotice of Dispute before arbitration (Ticket Contract section 10.c) Legal Department, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132 Account holder only

   Claims other than injury, illness or death must go to AAA arbitration after a signed Notice of Dispute; arbitration must start within one year from the date the claim arose.

State agencies for this sector: your state’s attorney general. Find yours in the list of state agencies, or as JSON in states/<code>.json (for example states/ny.json).

Watch out

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