Independence of the Seas swaps Bermuda for Saint John
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Independence of the Seas is not going to Bermuda on the cruise that leaves Cape Liberty on Saturday 24 Oct 2026. Cruise Hive and Royal Caribbean Blog both print an email that sends the ship to Saint John, New Brunswick, for an overnight stay.
The public itinerary page still said Bermuda when it was read on 23 Oct. Use the email in your booking until that page changes. Neither article links a Royal Caribbean newsroom post.
The photo on this page is the lead photo on the Cruise Hive story, Independence of the Seas departing New Jersey, credited to Mariusz Lopusiewicz. The caption does not date it to Saturday.
What the email says
Cruise Hive says the note went out late on Thursday 22 Oct, less than 48 hours before you board.
Royal Caribbean Blog quotes this decision: the weather’s impact makes it hard to provide you with a safe and comfortable journey to Bermuda, so after exploring all of the options the line decided to sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, for an overnight stay instead.
Cruise Hive prints the same decision. In the weather sentence, that article prints “make is” where the blog prints “makes it.” The rest of the decision matches. This post follows the blog’s spelling and flags the other one.
The email quotes in both articles say the line has been monitoring inclement weather off the East Coast with its meteorology team. They do not name a storm. Royal Caribbean Blog’s lede calls it Subtropical Storm Josephine. The weather service name is below.
The new days, and the page that still says Bermuda
| Day | What the reports say |
|---|---|
| Sat 24 Oct | Leave Cape Liberty. The blog says the original time. The public page lists 3:00 p.m. |
| Sun 25 Oct | Sea day, in the blog |
| Mon 26 Oct | Saint John. Blog: 10:30 a.m. Cruise Hive: approximately 10:30 a.m. |
| Tue 27 Oct | Still in Saint John until 2:30 p.m., in both reports |
| Wed 28 Oct | Sea day, in the blog |
| Thu 29 Oct | Cape Liberty, in the blog. No new arrival clock is printed |
Cruise Hive’s original Bermuda call was King’s Wharf at the Royal Naval Dockyard, 9:00 a.m. Monday 26 Oct until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday 27 Oct. The public page, read 23 Oct, still lists that window, a 3:00 p.m. Saturday departure, and a 7:00 a.m. arrival on Thursday 29 Oct. Those clocks are the page that has not been updated. They are not a new instruction in the email.
Both articles call the ship a 3,858-passenger ship. That count is not on the itinerary page checked here.
The blog says the email recommends light sweaters and layers, and that the forecast calls for daytime temperatures in the mid-50s while you are in port. It also points you to the New Brunswick Museum and the Reversing Rapids, where the Saint John River meets the Bay of Fundy. Those lines are the blog’s report of the email. Cruise Hive does not print them.
A different Saint John call is already on this site. Vision of the Seas drops Bermuda, and that email says you stay aboard. That is the 17 Oct Baltimore cruise. The credit on that sailing was a different table, and that email said you could not get off. This Independence email, as the blog prints it, talks about going ashore.
The September weather delay on this ship is also a different cruise. Independence of the Seas held at Cape Liberty in the nor’easter is the 26 Sep sailing.
The credit
Both articles print the same refundable onboard credit. It is per stateroom for the first and second guests.
| Stateroom | Credit for the first two guests |
|---|---|
| Inside | $150 |
| Outside | $200 |
| Balcony | $300 |
| Suite | $500 |
| Each guest after the first two | $50 |
Royal Caribbean Blog’s example is four people in a balcony, $400. That is $300 plus $50 plus $50. The articles call the credit refundable. Prepaid shore excursions bought through Royal Caribbean for Bermuda are cancelled and refunded to the onboard account. Royal Caribbean Blog names Royal Naval Dockyard. Credit left at the end of the sailing goes back to the card on that account. The quotes do not print a fare refund.
Canada, and the forecast
Royal Caribbean Blog quotes the email on documents. You can travel with a passport book or card valid for at least 6 months after the end of the sailing. The email says it highly recommends that. The article also says a U.S. birth certificate and a valid government ID can be used, and that some nationalities may need a visa and may not be able to board. Cruise Hive does not print those lines. Open the travel link in your own email before you leave for the pier.
The Ocean Prediction Center product issued at 10:43 a.m. EDT on Friday 23 Oct says Post-Tropical Cyclone Josephine was southeast of Nova Scotia that morning and would move farther east during the day. It tells mariners to avoid the system and to keep reading the forecasts. A gale warning in that product covers Cape Fear to 31N to 1000 fm. Saturday night there is 30 to 40 knots and seas of 12 to 19 feet. Sunday is 30 to 40 knots and seas of 12 to 20 feet. That zone is one box in a larger forecast. This post does not put the ship inside it. Cruise Hive’s single set of wind and sea numbers is that article’s summary.
What this means if you board on Saturday
Pack for Saint John, not a beach day in Bermuda. The hours to plan around are Monday morning through 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, with Cruise Hive’s “approximately” on the Monday arrival. Read the Canada line in the email, including a visa if your nationality needs one.
Match the credit to the cabin. It is refundable, in both reports, and it is not a fare refund. If you bought a Bermuda tour through Royal Caribbean, look for that money on the onboard account.
If the website still shows Royal Naval Dockyard, that was the state of the public page on 23 Oct. The email is the change.
More Royal Caribbean reporting is on the Royal Caribbean news hub. The line page is Royal Caribbean.
Related stories
Questions
- Is Bermuda cancelled on Independence of the Seas this Saturday?
- Cruise Hive and Royal Caribbean Blog, both 23 Oct 2026, say yes for the sailing that leaves Cape Liberty on Saturday 24 Oct. Both print an email that sends the ship to Saint John, New Brunswick, for an overnight stay. The Royal Caribbean itinerary page for that date, read 23 Oct, still listed Royal Naval Dockyard. Neither article links a Royal Caribbean newsroom post.
- What time is the ship in Saint John?
- Royal Caribbean Blog prints 10:30 a.m. on Monday 26 Oct through 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday 27 Oct. Cruise Hive prints approximately 10:30 a.m. on Monday and 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The blog says the ship still leaves Cape Liberty at the original Saturday time, spends Sunday at sea, and returns on Thursday 29 Oct. It does not print a new arrival clock in New Jersey.
- What onboard credit does the email list?
- Both articles print refundable onboard credit per stateroom for the first and second guests: $150 inside, $200 outside, $300 balcony, and $500 suite. Each additional guest is $50. Prepaid Royal Caribbean shore excursions for Bermuda refund to the onboard account. Credit left at the end of the sailing refunds to the card on that account. The quotes do not print a fare refund.
- What do you need for Canada?
- Royal Caribbean Blog quotes the email: guests can travel with a passport book or card valid for at least 6 months after the end of the sailing, which the email says it highly recommends. The article also says a U.S. birth certificate and a valid government ID can be used, and that some nationalities may need a visa. Cruise Hive's report does not print those lines. Use the link in your email.
Sources
Tier 1 = the cruise line’s own published material · Tier 2 = an established cruise-news outlet- TIER 2Cruise Hive, Melissa Mayntz, 23 Oct 2026: Royal Caribbean emailed guests booked on the Saturday 24 Oct 2026 sailing of Independence of the Seas. Guests were notified late on Thursday 22 Oct, less than 48 hours before embarkation in Cape Liberty, New Jersey. The 5-night sailing goes to Canada instead of Bermuda. The article calls the ship a 3,858-guest ship. It quotes the email: along with the meteorology team, the line has been closely monitoring inclement weather developing off the East Coast; the weather's impact make is hard to provide a safe and comfortable journey to Bermuda; after exploring all options, the line decided to sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, for an overnight stay instead. The original call was an overnight at King's Wharf, Royal Naval Dockyard, from 9 a.m. Monday 26 Oct until 5 p.m. Tuesday 27 Oct. The new plan arrives in Saint John at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Monday and remains docked until 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Refundable onboard credit is per stateroom: $150 inside, $200 outside, $300 balcony, $500 suite, plus $50 for a third or later guest. Prepaid shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean for Bermuda are automatically cancelled and refunded to onboard accounts. Credit remaining at the end of the sailing is refunded to the credit card on those accounts. The article says a National Weather Service gale warning is in place for mid-Atlantic waters between the U.S. and Bermuda, in the wake of Post-Tropical Cyclone Josephine, from 60 to 250 nautical miles offshore, with Friday winds of 15 to 25 knots, Saturday winds of 25 to 35 knots and as high as 40 knots Saturday night into Sunday, and seas of 7 to 19 feet. The lead photo credit is Mariusz Lopusiewicz, Independence of the Seas departing New Jersey. The article does not print a fare refund, a Cape Liberty departure clock, a return clock, a passport rule, or a packing list.
Cruise Hive, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Read 23 Oct 2026. Load-bearing source for the Thursday night notice, the original King's Wharf hours, the word approximately on the Monday arrival, and the credit table. The wind and sea ranges are this article's summary of a forecast. The hero is the lead photo. It is a departure from New Jersey. The caption does not date it to 24 Oct. - TIER 2Royal Caribbean Blog, Elizabeth Wright, updated 23 Oct 2026: Royal Caribbean changed the 24 Oct 2026 Independence of the Seas sailing. The lede attributes the change to Subtropical Storm Josephine. The article calls the ship a 3,858-passenger vessel. It quotes the email: the weather's impact makes it hard to provide a safe and comfortable journey to Bermuda, so after exploring all options the line decided to sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, for an overnight stay instead. The ship still departs Cape Liberty at its original time on Saturday, spends Sunday at sea, arrives in Saint John at 10:30 a.m. on Monday 26 Oct, stays overnight, and departs at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday 27 Oct. After that, a sea day, then Cape Liberty on Thursday 29 Oct. The original plan was one sea day, then an overnight in Bermuda. The email recommends light sweaters and layers and says the forecast calls for daytime temperatures in the mid-50s in port. It also suggests the New Brunswick Museum and the Reversing Rapids. Refundable onboard credit for the first and second guests is $150 inside, $200 outside, $300 balcony, and $500 suite. Third and additional guests get $50 each. The article's example is $400 for four people in a balcony. Prepaid Royal Caribbean shore excursions for Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda, refund as onboard credit. Unused onboard credit refunds to the credit card on the onboard account. The email says guests can travel with a passport book or card valid for at least 6 months after the end of the sailing, which it highly recommends. The article says cruisers can also board with a U.S. birth certificate and a valid government-issued ID, and that a visa may be required for some nationalities. It does not print a fare refund or a new Cape Liberty arrival clock. It does not link a Royal Caribbean newsroom post.
Royal Caribbean Blog, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Read 23 Oct 2026. The weather sentence here is makes it hard. Cruise Hive prints make is hard. This post quotes the blog's wording and flags the other spelling. The Subtropical Storm label is the lede, not a name in the email quotes. The mid-50s line, the museum lines, and the passport lines are this article's report of the email. Cruise Hive does not print them. The $400 balcony example is this article's arithmetic for four people. - TIER 1Royal Caribbean itinerary page for the 5-night Bermuda cruise from Cape Liberty on Independence of the Seas, sail date 24 Oct 2026, read 23 Oct 2026. The page title still says Bermuda. The day data on the page lists Cape Liberty embarkation on 24 Oct with departure at 15:00, a sea day on 25 Oct, Royal Naval Dockyard docked from 26 Oct to 27 Oct with arrival at 09:00 and departure at 17:00, a sea day on 28 Oct, and Cape Liberty debarkation on 29 Oct with arrival at 07:00. The page does not list Saint John, a credit amount, a storm name, or a document rule.
Royal Caribbean, checked 23 Oct 2026 · The public page had not been rewritten to Canada at this check. The 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bermuda window matches the original hours Cruise Hive prints. The 3:00 p.m. Saturday departure and the 7:00 a.m. Thursday arrival are this page. The email reports do not reprint them as new instructions. - TIER 1NWS Ocean Prediction Center offshore waters forecast FZNT22 KWBC 231443, issued 10:43 a.m. EDT Friday 23 Oct 2026, read 23 Oct 2026. The area is the west central North Atlantic continental shelf and slope waters beyond 60 nm to 250 nm offshore, including south of Georges Bank from 1000 fm to 250 nm offshore. The synopsis says Post-Tropical Cyclone Josephine, located to the southeast of Nova Scotia that morning, will move further east from the area that day, and that mariners must execute avoidance from this system while monitoring the latest forecasts. A gale warning is posted for Cape Fear to 31N to 1000 fm. In that zone, Saturday is northeast 25 to 35 knots with seas 10 to 18 feet, Saturday night is east to northeast 30 to 40 knots with seas 12 to 19 feet, and Sunday is northeast 30 to 40 knots with seas 12 to 20 feet. Sunday night in that zone is northeast 30 to 40 knots with seas 13 to 21 feet. The product does not name Independence of the Seas, Bermuda, Saint John, or a cruise credit.
National Weather Service, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Primary forecast text for the issuance time on the page. The gale warning cited here is one zone, Cape Fear to 31N. Other zones in the same product do not all carry a gale header. This post does not place the ship inside that box. Cruise Hive's 15-to-25, 25-to-35, 40-knot, and 7-to-19-foot lines are that article's summary, not this zone.
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