By Gemma Grant and Cassandra Morgan
More than 100 Australians have spent two days stuck aboard a cruise ship in Japan’s largest port city after “unplanned maintenance” abruptly halted their seven-night tour.
Melbourne woman Karen Dermietzel said the atmosphere aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas was tense and passengers were frustrated at a lack of communication from the cruise company.
The Spectrum of the Seas, pictured in Sydney in 2020. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
The billion-dollar vessel arrived in a port in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, at lunchtime on Wednesday and was due to leave that evening.
However, a reported engine issue delayed the ship’s departure and passengers were told they could not disembark.
A letter provided to passengers said a “technical concern” had delayed the ship’s arrival in Shanghai until November 11, two days later than expected.
“We’re sorry for the last-minute change to our itinerary,” the letter said. “Please know, this situation remains fluid, and we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.”
A letter provided to passengers explaining the delay.
Dermietzel and her husband, Steve, from Forest Hill in Melbourne’s east, are among 111 Australians on board. She said the holiday atmosphere on the ship had disappeared.
The vessel finally left Yokohama, bound for Shanghai, about 11am local time (1pm AEDT) on Friday, she said.
“People are really grumpy… it’s changed everything. We’re all on holidays, but people can’t get back. You can’t get off,” Dermietzel said.
“It is frustrating, seeing as we’re sitting here. We just can’t do anything when you’re meant to be on your holiday... Basically, we’re stuck. You’ve just got to deal with it.”
Passengers surrendered their passports to staff when they boarded as per company policy, but Dermietzel said passengers remained confused as to why they could not leave the ship in Yokohama.
The delay has also reportedly led to the cancellation of a different upcoming voyage on Spectrum of the Seas.
Karen and Steve Dermietzel.
To compensate passengers, Royal Caribbean has offered to contribute $US200 ($300) towards domestic air travel, or $US400 ($600) for international flights. There is also an automatic extension of onboard amenities.
This won’t cover costs for Dermietzel, whose upcoming four-day trip to Hong Kong has been cut in half. She estimates that the missed days will cost her around $1000.
“It’s just such an inconvenience. It’s more frustrating that they just won’t give you any information,” Dermietzel says. “We are not allowed off the ship at all, but they’re not giving us any information. All they’re saying is, ‘it’s Japanese authorities’.”
Some passengers who booked with a specific travel company had lost thousands of dollars worth of flights, while one couple had a funeral to attend on Monday, Dermietzel said.
Another passenger faced losing their job if they were delayed further, she said.
The Australian Embassy in Tokyo, in a letter to one passenger, said it had contacted Royal Caribbean, which advised the ship was scheduled to depart Yokohama at 11am on Friday.
“Unfortunately, we are told that there is no longer enough time for passengers to disembark the ship at this point,” a consular officer wrote.
In a statement, Royal Caribbean apologised to guests for the unscheduled delay.
“We are conducting unplanned maintenance and have adjusted our current itinerary and cancelled our next sailing. We apologise to our guests for the inconvenience and are communicating with our guests directly,” a spokesperson said.
Spectrum of the Seas in Hong Kong.
Spectrum of the Seas can carry up to 4246 passengers. It celebrated its inaugural season in China in 2019.
In 2020, the ship was diverted to Sydney due to pandemic regulations. It later offered free cruises to firefighters who had worked during the year’s bushfire season.
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