Royal Caribbean to swap ships on Southampton summer 2027 sailings

Royal Caribbean is set to deploy Freedom of the Seas from Southampton in summer 2027, replacing Mariner of the Seas.

The newer 3,344-passenger Voyager Class Mariner of the Seas had originally been intended to make its Southampton debut in summer 2027 offering a series two- and nine-night voyages, but it will now be replaced by the 3,926-passenger Freedom Class ship, whcih was last refurbished in March 2020. Itinerary details of its new ex-Southampton cruises will be revealed at a later date.

Royal Caribbean’s Aaron Langford said: “We’re excited to announce that we’ll be upsizing our Southampton deployment in 2027 with Freedom of the Seas following our long-standing success here with this class of ship. Freedom Class has consistently resonated strongly with guests, and following a recent amplification, Freedom of the Seas offers a fantastic mix of scale, innovation and guest-favourite features that deliver the ultimate family holiday.”

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To make the deployment change, the family-friendly cruise line has cancelled more than 20 sailings that were scheduled to depart from Miami between May and September 2027 on Freedom of the Seas.

Affected guests on the cancelled sailings can swap to other cruises or get a full refund of the paid portion of the cruise fare. 

To partner with Royal Caribbean Arabia call UAE +971 4 331 4299, KSA 800 897 1419, or email book@rccl.ae. For more information, visit royalcaribbean.ae  

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Supporting the growth of the cruise industry, Connections Cruise Arabia will return to Dubai in the UAE in 2026, following the success of the inaugural edition in 2025. The two-day event, taking place from 28 to 29 September, will welcome more than 500 travel trade professionals from across the global cruise ecosystem. To register your interest in attending, contact Connections.