Royal Caribbean overbooked one of its giant cruise ships and left a group of travelers stuck at port

• Several guests weren't allowed to board a Royal Caribbean cruise because the ship was overbooked.
• One would-be traveler called it "one of the worst days" he's recently experienced.

On November 28, Jai Raynor and his wife packed their bags and made their way to the Port of Brisbane for the belated honeymoon vacation they had been looking forward to for years: a Royal Caribbean cruise.

But instead of spending their next nine days lounging by the Quantum of the Seas' pool and exploring destinations like Nouméa, New Caledonia, the couple was confronted with a vacation nightmare. Just hours after arriving at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, the couple was sent back home because Royal Caribbean had overbooked its 4,905-guest ship.

In past overbooking incidents, Royal Caribbean has notified impacted travelers in advance of the sailing. But this time, these would-be cruisers say they weren't made aware until they arrived at the embarkation port.

"It was probably one of the worst days I've recently experienced," Raynor, a 23-year-old Brisbane, Australia local, told Business Insider. As a would-be first-time cruiser, he was particularly excited about the "luxury experience" of sailing on a mega ship like the Quantum of the Seas.

"I've never been so crushed before," he said.

Raynor had booked an interior "GYT" (guarantee) stateroom, which leaves the specific cabin assignment up to the cruise line. But ahead of their expected embarkation, Royal Caribbean was "unable to allocate a stateroom number for their reservation," according to a letter the couple says the cruise line gave them when they arrived at the port, reviewed by Business Insider.

"While disruptions to [our guests' vacation] plans can occasionally happen, we do our best to minimize those chances," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Business Insider, noting that demand for this November 29 cruise "went beyond the rooms that were available."

"We take these disruptions seriously, and we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused," the spokesperson said. "We have worked with each guest that was affected to rectify the inconvenience this has caused."

Alongside groups of other impacted travelers, the couple then spent several hours waiting in the terminal in hopes of receiving a last-minute stateroom assignment. But when the time came, only two families were allowed to board the ship, he recalled. Everyone else was told there were no rooms left.

Their highly anticipated vacation was suddenly cut short

Given these circumstances, the duo was lucky: Their drive back home was about one-and-a-half hours long. But Raynor says some of the other families who had traveled out of state "were left abandoned" with no backup accommodations, flights, or plans for the next eight nights.

In its letter to travelers, Royal Caribbean offered alternatives like the ship's nine-night cruise in late January 2024, another seven or eight-night sailing "with price protection," or a full refund with 25% future cruise credit. Raynor called the latter a "measly compensation for destroying people's vacations and leaving them stranded."

He says the cruise line later offered him a "much more reasonable" offer of a full refund, 100% future cruise credit, and a deluxe beverage package for their next sailing. He plans to use this on a 2024 vacation. But if it weren't for this option, Raynor says he would "absolutely not" be inclined to go on another Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean has a history of overbooking its giant cruise ships

Like airlines, cruise lines may oversell cabins in anticipation of cancellations and no-shows. While inconvenient, rebooking a flight is generally easy enough to do.

However, overbooked cruises may pose more of a complication, especially for travelers who had planned to be at sea for days at a time. When cruise lines' overbooking gamble doesn't pay off, "they just abandon you and leave you hung out to dry," Raynor said of his Royal Caribbean experience.

In Raynor's case, rebooking won't be an easy task. His wife, a soon-to-be teacher, will be restricted to her school's vacation days when "it's a lot harder to get any cruises." (In 2024, the Quantum of the Seas is scheduled for 37 Australia and 263 US cruises.)

"I know Royal Caribbean generally has a good reputation, but it's certainly left a bad sour taste in our mouths," Raynor said. "It sucks we have to wait a year for our vacation. We're hoping that the next experience will make up for it."