Key Aspects:
- A medical emergency unfolded onboard Freedom of the Seas.
- The Royal Caribbean ship made an early return to PortMiami to disembark the ailing guest on January 26, 2026.
- Because of the diversion, the planned call to Grand Turk is no longer possible and has been replaced.
A medical emergency onboard Freedom of the Seas has led to an abrupt end to the sailing for one passenger and an altered itinerary for everyone else, with Royal Caribbean officially confirming a port change.
The Royal Caribbean ship is currently in the middle of a 5-night Caribbean sailing that embarked in Miami, Florida, on January 24, 2026.
The 3,926-guest ship wasn’t supposed to return to its homeport until January 29, so many were surprised to wake up in the early morning hours of January 26 to find that they were back in PortMiami.
The ship had diverted from its itinerary to evacuate an ailing guest who required hospitalization. A guest who appears to be the unidentified man’s wife disembarked with him.
His diagnosis and prognosis are unknown, but it must be serious as two ambulances were waiting to meet the ship.
“DUE TO MEDICAL EMERGENCY Early this morning 01.26.2026, FREEDOM OF THE SEAS SAILED and Docked Back In Miami at 3:00 AM to drop of the Passenger,” one current guest shared on social media.
“We watched the Emergency medical staff roll out a stretcher from the Smaller ambulance to the Ship. And watched them roll out with a gentleman on it… The ambulance drove out immediately afterwards,” the guest continued.
The evacuation took place at the new MSC Cruise Terminal, where MSC Seaside docked later that morning at approximately 7 a.m.
At the time the emergency unfolded, the Freedom-class ship had already called to Nassau, Bahamas, on January 25 and was on its way to George Town, Grand Cayman, on December 27.
Because of the diversion, there simply was not enough time for the 2006-launched ship to make it to Grand Cayman.
George Town is approximately 830 nautical miles from PortMiami, which is a distance that would take Freedom of the Seas around 38 hours to cover – even when sailing at top speeds of 22 knots.
Read Also: How Fast Do Cruise Ships Go? Speed Facts & What Affects It
Instead, the call to Grand Cayman was cancelled and replaced with a day in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island on Wednesday, January 28.
“Late yesterday evening, our medical staff determined that one of our guests needed urgent medical attention, and we headed back to Miami, Florida, to safely debark them,” Royal Caribbean said in an official update.
“As a result, we’ll now enjoy a Sea Day tomorrow instead of visiting George Town, Grand Cayman, and we’ll visit Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas, on Wednesday,” the cruise line continued.
Freeport is just under 100 nautical miles from PortMiami, which is a much more doable distance.
Some guests may also be wondering why Royal Caribbean diverted the ship rather than coordinating with the US Coast Guard for an airlift or evacuation at sea.
Many factors come into play when making these decisions, but it ultimately comes down to how quickly the guest needs shoreside care and what will be the most efficient way to get them there.
Weather and resource availability also come into play. Portions of Florida were temporarily under a tornado warning due to Winter Storm Fern, which was at its worst on January 25-26, 2026.
Even so, Florida wasn’t hit quite as hard as other US East Coast states. Because of this, they sent some of their resources up North to assist states like Georgia and South Carolina with their damage.
But more likely than not, the biggest decision maker was probably that the fastest and easiest way to get the struggling guest prompt treatment was to return to PortMiami.
While the cruise disruption may be frustrating to some, keep in mind that Royal Caribbean has to prioritize health and safety and would make the same choices for any passenger in distress.
