Rhapsody of the Seas

Rhapsody of the Seas docked at Argostoli, Kefalonia in 2018
History
Bahamas
Name	Rhapsody of the Seas
Owner	Rhapsody of the Seas Inc. [1]
Operator	Royal Caribbean International [2]
Port of registry	1997–2005: Oslo, Norway 2005–present: Nassau, Bahamas
Builder	Chantiers de l'Atlantique Saint-Nazaire, France
Yard number	E31 [2]
Laid down	11 December 1995 [2]
Launched	1 August 1996 [2]
Completed	22 April 1997 [2]
Maiden voyage	19 May 1997
In service	1997–present
Identification	Call sign: C6UA2 IMO number:  9116864 MMSI number: 311805000
Status	In Service
General characteristics
Class & type	Vision-class cruise ship
Tonnage	78,878  GT 46,560  NT [2] 8,439  DWT [2]
Length	279 m (915 ft 4 in)
Beam	32 m (105 ft 0 in) (hull)
Height	59 m (193 ft 7 in)
Draft	7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Depth	15.85 m (52 ft 0 in)
Decks	12 (11 guest decks)
Installed power	4 ×  Wärtsilä 12V46C
Propulsion	Diesel-electric, two shafts
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity	1,020 staterooms 2,040 passengers (double occupancy)
Crew	772
Notes	General characteristics as of February 2025 [3]

Rhapsody of the Seas is a Vision-class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International.

Areas of operation

After six years of sailing from Galveston, Texas, USA, Rhapsody of the Seas repositioned on a world trip in the autumn of 2007, traveling through the South Pacific to Australia where she remained for two months, before moving to Asia, operating cruises from Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Busan, South Korea. For the summer of 2008, Rhapsody of the Seas operated out of Seattle, Washington, USA, sailing to Alaska, USA, before repositioning back to Sydney, Australia for the winter of 2008/2009.

Rhapsody of the Seas sailed her final season in Australia during the winter 2014/2015 season, repositioning to Europe sailing from Rome in April 2015. During the 2015/2016 winter she sailed from São Paulo, Brazil.^{[ citation needed ]}

After her 2016 summer season, Rhapsody of the Seas sailed to Tampa, Florida conducting cruises to the Western Caribbean. She repositioned to Cape Liberty, New Jersey for the 2017 summer season, sailing to the Bahamas and Canada/New England, before repositioning back to Tampa.^{[ citation needed ]}

Refit

In March 2012, the ship received a US$54 million dry dock refit which added additional cabins, an outdoor movie screen near the pool, new dining areas and a nursery.^{[ citation needed ]}

A later retrofit, of unknown detail or cost, was completed in December 2016. ^[4]

In late 2019, Rhapsody was in drydock in Cádiz, Spain for some routine maintenance, cosmetic improvements, and technology upgrades, but did not see any major reconfigurations.

Incidents

• On 24 March 1998, 23-year-old passenger Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared without a trace aboard the ship when it was within two hours of docking at Curaçao, Antilles. Police investigations ruled out the possibility that she fell overboard and drowned or that she disappeared voluntarily, but failed to locate her. ^[5]
• On New Year's Day, 2010, a 15-year-old American passenger was raped by a crew member. She had been seasick during the Australian–New Zealand round trip cruise and was resting alone in a cabin when a man wearing a bartender's uniform entered. ^[6]
• In December 2013, an Australian passenger fell overboard during a round trip cruise to New Caledonia, with "an extensive search" eventually finding his body. ^[6]
• On 25 April 2016, Rhapsody of the Seas was hit by a rogue wave en route to Santorini, Greece. It struck at 4 am, breaking the windows of six-passenger cabins and partially flooded other staterooms on decks 2 and 3. No serious injuries were reported by Royal Caribbean, and the ship continued on its 10-day cruise from Venice, Italy. ^[7]
• On 19 September 2016, the ship severely listed after strong winds blew against the ship. A dozen large windows in the Viking Crown Lounge were reportedly broken as well as other onboard fixtures; however, there were no reported injuries by the cruise line and Rhapsody of the Seas continued to Santorini, Greece as scheduled. ^[8]
• On 22 September 2019, a crew member died after going overboard while the ship was docked in the Croatian port of Dubrovnik. Royal Caribbean said the 35-year-old waiter had committed suicide but his family in India denied this. ^{[9] [10]}
• In April 2020, as the cruise industry was given a no sail order due to the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least one person had tested positive for the virus within 14 days after disembarking from the ship the previous month. ^[11]
• In October 2023, the United States State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Israel chartered the Rhapsody of the Seas to evacuate United States citizens and their families from Israel after the outbreak of the Gaza war. ^[12]
• In September 2025 a passenger jumped overboard as the ship docked in Puerto Rico, facing both a bill for losses of US$16,000 in the onboard casino and a penalty for bringing $15,000 in cash (exceeding the $10,000 reporting limit) into the United States; the man was later arrested. ^[13]

References

1. "DNV: Rhapsody of the Seas" . Retrieved 12 July 2025.
2. "Rhapsody of the Seas (18863)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV . Retrieved 16 July 2012.
3. "Rhapsody of the Seas Fast Facts" (PDF) (Press release). Royal Caribbean. 11 February 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
4. Hochberg, Matt (31 August 2021) [16 February 2016]. "Royal Caribbean adds refurbishments for Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas in 2016" (Press release). Royal Caribbean International. Archived from the original on 15 September 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
5. "Amy Bradley, 23". Premium. People . 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
6. Passmore, Daryl (1 January 2014). "Death, assaults, lawlessness ... the dark side of the cruise industry". The Sunday Mail . Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2025– via The Courier-Mail .
7. Walker, Jim (25 April 2016). "Wave Damages Rhapsody of the Seas". cruiselawnews.com. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
8. Walker, Jim (19 September 2016). "Rhapsody Of The Seas Damaged Again During Storm". cruiselawnews.com. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
9. Walker, Jim (26 September 2019). "Rhapsody of the Seas Crew Member Dies After Going Overboard: Suicide or Mysterious Circumstances?". cruiselawnews.com. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
10. Croucher, Shane (27 September 2019). "Cruise Ship Crew Member Dies After Going Overboard" . Newsweek . Retrieved 28 September 2019.
11. "CDC's role in helping cruise ship travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic" (Press release). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 21 April 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
12. "U.S. Evacuates Nationals from Israel on Chartered Royal Caribbean Ship". maritime-executive.com. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
13. Li, David K.; Corporon, Christiana (11 September 2025) [2025-09-10]. "Cruise passenger who lost $16,000 gambling jumps overboard, is arrested". NBC News . Retrieved 1 October 2025.

External links

• Ship Fact Sheet - Royal Caribbean
• Miramar Ship Index - Rhapsody of the Seas