Cruise Cancelled for Troubled Celebrity Cruises Ship

Guests hoping to board Celebrity Beyond on Monday morning, July 21, 2025 have learned that their sailing, which has already been delayed by one day, is now completely cancelled.

The news comes as the three-year-old ship is suffering from propulsion difficulties. Unfortunately, intermediate repairs are not enough to permit the ship to sail the 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary.

“During our previous voyage, the ship experienced a technical issue that affected its speed. While our teams have been working diligently, we need additional time to complete necessary assessments and repairs,” the email notification read.

“After carefully considering all options, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the July 20, 2025 sailing.”

The options the cruise line considered may have included alternative ports of call that could be reached at slower speeds, such as the Bahamas, Grand Turk, or the Dominican Republic.

Unfortunately, at this time of year, those ports are already crowded with summer sailings and berths may not be available. It is also possible that the ship’s “technical issue” is more complex than initially believed and more in-depth repairs are necessary.

Guests aboard Celebrity Beyond‘s previous sailing, a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, noted that the ship had slowed significantly during her return to Miami. Photos of the ship’s wake shared on social media seem to show just one of the Azipod engines functioning fully.

Of course, cruise ship propulsion systems are complex engineering marvels and it is possible the engine was taken offline to facilitate repairs on another part of the system.

As a result of her slower speed, Celebrity Beyond was delayed by a full day on her return to Florida, and did not arrive at PortMiami until Monday morning.

Generous Compensation Offered

While these are unusual circumstances for Celebrity Beyond, which just entered service in April 2022, Celebrity Cruise Line is doing everything possible to make up for their guests’ disappointment.

Not only are all travelers receiving a full refund of their now-cancelled cruise, including non-refundable deposits, but they are also receiving a future cruise credit for 100% of their cruise fare. The amount of the credit will vary based on individual guests’ fare prices and does not include other pre-purchased amenities.

The future cruise credit can be used for any Celebrity Cruises sailing within the next year, giving guests plenty of options to rebook on a different voyage. The new cruise does not have to be aboard Celebrity Beyond.

The cruise line is also offering reimbursement for alterations in flight plans as needed, as well as another hotel night. Change fees up to $200 per person for domestic (US) flights and $400 for international flights will be considered, and the hotel reimbursement is up to $250.

The hotel reimbursement is in addition to the Sunday-night hotel reimbursement already offered for the ship’s delayed return to Miami, and now gives guests time to make their travel plans to return home.

Despite the generous compensation, impacted guests are naturally disappointed at missing out on their cruise vacation. Still, many appear to be making the most of the unexpected situation and visiting the Florida Keys or otherwise enjoying the Miami area instead, while making plans for their future free cruise.

At this time, there is no indication whether or not Celebrity Beyond‘s next sailing, another 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, may be impacted.

Guests booked on that July 27 departure will want to stay in close contact with Celebrity Cruises in case of adjustments to their vacation plans.

Melissa Mayntz

Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.