Royal Caribbean will keep the 250,000-gross-ton Icon of the Seas docked at PortMiami overnight on Saturday, cancelling the ship's September 28 call at Costa Maya and paying passengers up to $800 each in refundable onboard credits to hold the sailing together.

The line told booked guests the change is necessary for required maintenance. Passengers board as scheduled on Saturday, but departure shifts roughly 23.5 hours: from 4:30 PM Saturday, September 26, to 4:00 PM Sunday, September 27.

What does the change mean for guests?

Royal Caribbean framed the overnight stay as an extended Miami experience rather than a delay. "All guests are still required to board on Saturday, September 26, per Customs and Border Patrol guidelines, and can begin enjoying the onboard experience right away," the company said.

The operational details matter for sellers managing client expectations:

• Gangways stay open until 8:00 PM Saturday and 2:30 PM Sunday, so passengers can spend extra time ashore in Miami.
• Bars, lounges, entertainment and spa services will operate while the LNG-powered ship sits in port.
• Onboard shops and the casino remain closed — the two revenue generators that cannot legally operate in U.S. port.

How is the itinerary reshuffled?

The cancelled Costa Maya visit, set for September 28, becomes a sea day. The ship then arrives in Honduras as scheduled on September 29, keeping the rest of the seven-night Western Caribbean sailing intact: Roatán and Cozumel, with the return to Miami as planned on October 3.

For agents, the loss of Costa Maya removes one port-inclusive selling point from this departure, but the schedule beyond Tuesday is unchanged — a useful fact when clients ask whether the whole week is disrupted.

What compensation is Royal Caribbean paying?

The goodwill package is tiered by cabin category, a structure travel advisors should note because it widens the gap between what different clients in the same sailing receive:

• Inside and oceanview staterooms: $300 onboard credit
• Balcony cabins: $350
• Suites: $800
• An additional $50 per third and fourth guest in any cabin

The credits are refundable, meaning guests who do not spend them can cash them out — a more generous structure than standard non-refundable onboard credit offers.

Why the timing detail matters

Royal Caribbean's statement carries conflicting dates on the itinerary itself — a September 2027 boarding window alongside the 2026 port schedule for Costa Maya, Honduras and the October 3 return — which suggests the maintenance-driven change covers a departure whose full calendar the line has not reconciled in its guest communication. Advisors with clients booked on affected sailings should confirm the specific departure date before relaying the revised itinerary.

The episode is a reminder that even the industry's flagship vessel is not immune to mid-itinerary maintenance adjustments, and that Royal Caribbean's playbook — mandatory Saturday boarding under Customs and Border Protection rules, closed shops and casino, tiered refundable credits — is now the template for how the line handles a missed port day on a full ship.