We wrote earlier that the Royal Caribbean Summer 2021 schedule will be released this week. Royal Caribbean started to release that schedule yesterday. While more announcements are forthcoming, one thing is clear: An old favorite is returning to Galveston. The Liberty of the Seas will be refurbished in January 2021, and then it will return to Galveston for one more Summer.
Sources matter, so let me explain mine. The Royal Caribbean website this morning lists cruises from Galveston through October 2021. However, after April 2021 only one ship is listed. That ship is the Liberty of the Seas, which will continue to sail he standard Western Caribbean itineraries. One goes to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan, and the other to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.
There is, however, a hole in the schedule. The Liberty only has one sailing listed in January 2021. According to a news article on Cruise Critic, she is scheduled to be refurbished that year. Royal Caribbean has not announced the exact dates of that refurbishment nor what it will include. However, it seems likely that the ship is being revitalized before one last Summer in Texas.
What should we expect?
There is another odd feature of the schedule Royal Caribbean has announced. After April 2021, the Liberty of the only ship sailing from Galveston. Royal Caribbean has been committed to two ships in Galveston for some time now. Typically, one will sail week long itineraries while the other sails 4 and 5 night cruises to Mexico.
Prognosticating is a difficult business. However, it appears to me that two things are going to happen later this week. First, I expect a second ship to sail from Galveston in Summer 2021. I do not yet know which ship that will be. However, Cruise Critic user scottbee has prepared a helpful chart. It shows which ships have not yet been scheduled. Expect one of the available ships to be added to the Galveston fleet for Summer 2021.
Second, Royal Caribbean has not announced any ships sailing from Galveston after October 2021. That is extremely unlikely to continue. Royal and the Port of Galveston have already announced that they are working on building a new and larger pier. Hopefully, we will soon know which ship will use that pier. Stay tuned to Galveston Cruise Reviews for all of the details!
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