Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0 · cropped
Royal Caribbean is holding Icon of the Seas in Miami overnight on Saturday, September 26, 2026, for required maintenance, then sending the ship out on Sunday, September 27, instead of Saturday afternoon. A guest email quoted by Royal Caribbean Blog says guests still have to board on Saturday under Customs and Border Protection rules, with a new all-aboard time of 8:00 p.m. The same notice drops the planned Costa Maya, Mexico, call and turns that day into a sea day.
If you are booked on this seven-night Western Caribbean sailing, treat Saturday as an embarkation day that does not end with a 4:30 p.m. departure. Check the Royal Caribbean app for your arrival window, keep Saturday flights into Miami, and plan Sunday morning in port until 2:30 p.m. shore leave ends. Use the ship’s own Icon of the Seas page for the layout of bars, spa, and entertainment that stay open while shops and the casino stay closed in port.
- Ship and sailing: Icon of the Seas, seven-night Western Caribbean and Perfect Day cruise from Miami, originally set to leave Saturday, September 26, 2026.
- New departure: Sunday, September 27, 2026, from PortMiami Terminal A, after Saturday boarding.
- All aboard: 8:00 p.m. Saturday, September 26. Guests may go ashore in Miami until 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
- Port change: Costa Maya is cancelled. Roatan, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay stay on the plan.
- Money: Refundable onboard credit of $300 inside or oceanview, $350 balcony, $800 suite, plus $50 for each third and fourth guest. Line-booked Costa Maya tours refund to the original payment.
Saturday Boarding Still Stands at Terminal A
The email shared with guests and travel advisors is explicit: board on Saturday, September 26, even though the ship will not leave that night. Royal Caribbean Blog quotes the line as citing Customs and Border Protection guidelines for that Saturday boarding requirement. Follow the arrival slot on your boarding pass, not the original 4:30 p.m. sail-away time, and do not move check-in to Sunday.
Cruise Day Guide, citing the PortMiami Daily Dock Report verified on September 23, 2026, lists Icon of the Seas’ next verified sailing as Sunday, September 27, at Terminal A, 2000 N Cruise Blvd. While the ship sits alongside, shops and the casino stay closed. Bars, lounges, entertainment, and spa services stay open in Cruise Compass and the app.
Costa Maya Comes Off the Western Caribbean Loop
The original loop was Miami, Costa Maya, Roatan, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. The email drops Costa Maya for a sea day and says the rest of the week is unchanged, so Roatan, Cozumel, and CocoCay remain after the late Miami departure. Independent booking sites that still show a Saturday-to-Saturday cruise with Costa Maya have not caught the change.
If you booked ruins, beach-club, or snorkel tickets on your own in Mahahual or around Puerto Costa Maya, those cancellations are yours. Royal Caribbean is only automatically refunding shore excursions it sold. Watch the app Sunday night for any second trim. The line has not put Roatan, Cozumel, or CocoCay at risk in this notice.
Onboard Credit and Costa Maya Tour Refunds
Royal Caribbean is posting refundable onboard credit by stateroom: $300 inside or oceanview, $350 balcony, and $800 suite, plus $50 for each third and fourth guest. The email says leftover refundable amounts return to the card on file within 14 business days of final disembarkation. That is spendable credit, not a fare refund for the missed port.
Cruise-line-booked Costa Maya tours should refund to the original payment within 14 business days. Screenshot confirmations before Saturday. Independent Costa Maya tickets sit outside that path, so call those vendors now. Specialty dining, drink packages, and internet already paid through the line stay in place unless you cancel them.
Flights, Hotels, and Parking for the Extra Night
Keep Saturday flights into Miami. A Sunday inbound that was timed to a 4:30 p.m. Saturday sail-away now misses boarding. Sleep on the ship Saturday night unless you can still hit Terminal A in your assigned Saturday window. Sunday morning in Miami is usable until 2:30 p.m. shore leave ends.
Parking in Garage A is sold by sailing date on the Royal Miami parking site. If you prepaid for a Saturday exit, confirm the reservation covers Sunday. PortMiami’s parking page lists Garage A at 2000 N Cruise Blvd, with garages staffed 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on cruise days. Sunday is now the outbound cruise day, so build extra time for Terminal A on both Saturday inbound and Sunday afternoon.
Sunday Shore Leave Before the Gangway
You may go ashore until 2:30 p.m. Sunday, then you need to be back. Carry your SeaPass and a plan that does not depend on a long taxi queue at 2:00 p.m. Recheck spa times in the app after you board, because a Sunday sea-day slot may now collide with shore leave. Saturday-night entertainment should still run if Cruise Compass still lists it. The casino and shops will not.
Royal Caribbean has not named the maintenance item. This notice is a one-day Miami hold plus a dropped Costa Maya call, with compensation attached, and it is a different voyage from the 2024 cancellation. Read the next app message before you spend the credit or rebook a flight.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold a Saturday, September 26, Miami flight | Keep it. Boarding is still Saturday, with 8:00 p.m. all aboard. |
| Hold a Sunday inbound flight meant for a Saturday sail-away | Change it. You must be onboard Saturday night. |
| Prepaid a Royal Caribbean Costa Maya tour | Wait for the automatic refund to the original payment within 14 business days, and keep the confirmation. |
| Booked Costa Maya on your own | Cancel with that vendor. The line is not refunding independent tickets. |
| Prepaid Garage A for a Saturday exit | Confirm the reservation covers a Sunday departure from Terminal A. |
Saturday, September 26, 8:00 p.m. is all aboard. Be at Terminal A in your assigned window, even though the ship stays overnight.
Sunday, September 27, 2:30 p.m. is last shore leave. Anyone off the ship in Miami must be back before the gangway.
Costa Maya is no longer on this sailing. Move independent tours off your calendar and watch Roatan, Cozumel, and CocoCay in the app for any later change.
Do I still board Icon of the Seas on September 26?
Yes. The guest email says all guests still board Saturday, September 26, with a new 8:00 p.m. all-aboard time, even though departure moves to Sunday, September 27.
What time does Icon of the Seas leave Miami now?
Royal Caribbean says the ship will depart Miami on Sunday, September 27, 2026. Cruise Day Guide’s PortMiami dock listing, verified September 23, also shows that Sunday sailing at Terminal A. The line has not published a new clock time for the Sunday push.
Is Costa Maya cancelled on this Icon of the Seas cruise?
Yes. The email drops Costa Maya and replaces it with a sea day. Roatan, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay remain on the published plan.
How much onboard credit is Royal Caribbean giving?
$300 per inside or oceanview cabin, $350 balcony, $800 suite, plus $50 for each third and fourth guest. Unused refundable credit returns to the card on file within 14 business days after you leave the ship.
Will my Costa Maya excursion be refunded?
Tours booked through Royal Caribbean for Costa Maya are set to refund to the original payment within 14 business days. Independent bookings are yours to cancel.
Can I leave the ship on Sunday in Miami?
Yes, until 2:30 p.m. Sunday. After that you need to be back onboard for the delayed departure.
