Key Aspects:
- Mariner of the Seas is slightly delayed back to Galveston on Saturday, June 13, due to a medical evacuation and diversion.
- Guests with the first two terminal arrival times for the next sailing should push back their arrival by 30 minutes.
- The ship’s next 5-night itinerary will set sail on time and there is no impact on port visits.
Due to a medical evacuation at the end of her current sailing, Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas is now slightly delayed returning to her homeport. This means embarkation for the next cruise must be pushed back a bit to accommodate the ship’s later-than-expected arrival back in Galveston, Texas on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
Guests booked on the next cruise have received notifications of the brief delay, though only the earliest boarding times have been impacted.
“Due to a medical evacuation on its previous sailing, Mariner of the Seas will be delayed in returning to the terminal,” the notification explained. “As a result, boarding will now begin at 11:00 AM.”
Guests who selected a 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. arrival time to the cruise terminal when they checked in are being asked to delay their arrival by 30 minutes. This means guests who had planned on arriving at 10:30 a.m. should now arrive at 11 a.m., and guests who had selected the 11 a.m. arrival time should wait until 11:30 a.m.
All other guests can arrive at their planned time with no delay. There is no change to the ship’s planned 3 p.m. departure from Galveston, and all guests should be onboard no later than 2:30 p.m.
The 3,114-guest Mariner of the Seas is returning from a 5-night Western Caribbean sailing that departed on Monday, June 8, with visits to Costa Maya and Cozumel. The next cruise, departing on Saturday, June 13, is an identical 5-night itinerary. The slight delay will not impact that itinerary.
Satellite tracking confirms that the 140,000-gross-ton Voyager class ship did divert significantly from her typical route, returning from Cozumel to Galveston.
Passengers currently on the ship have noted that a young girl had to be medically evacuated via helicopter to New Orleans for emergency surgery. These details have not been confirmed by Royal Caribbean, and no further information about the evacuation has been released. This is standard practice to protect the privacy of those involved in such evacuations.
Cruise Hive is grateful for the dedication of emergency personnel who facilitate such evacuations to ensure the safety of everyone at sea whenever assistance is necessary.
