Royal Caribbean's newest Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, has cancelled its stop in Naples, Italy, for the second consecutive sailing. The 248,663-gross-ton vessel, one of the world's largest cruise ships, cannot dock at the Italian port due to damage to pier infrastructure. Passengers on the August 7 sailing are being rerouted to Marseille, France, instead, following the same substitution made just days earlier during the July 28 sailing.
The core issue stems from the ship's massive size. Naples has seven docking piers, but only one berth is capable of handling a vessel as large as Legend of the Seas. That single pier, which accommodates the ship's 5,610 passengers, is currently damaged and unusable. Port operators considered docking the ship at a secondary pier but determined it cannot fit. A tour operator working at the Naples terminal confirmed the damage prevents the vessel from safely mooring and securing. Adding to scheduling pressure, two other cruise ships were already scheduled to dock at Naples on August 7, leaving no flexibility to reassign berthing spaces.
The Port of Naples handles millions of cruise passengers annually and remains one of the Mediterranean's busiest cruise ports. Smaller vessels continue to operate normally there. However, the extended damage poses a significant problem for Royal Caribbean's schedule. Legend of the Seas is booked to visit Naples ten more times across August, September, and October, suggesting additional cancellations are likely if repairs are not completed soon. The extent of the damage and repair timeline remain unclear.
For passengers booked on upcoming Legend sailings, changes are already underway. The August 7 cruise still includes stops in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, La Spezia, and Civitavecchia-Rome, with Marseille now substituted for Naples as the final port call before returning to Barcelona. Travelers should monitor Royal Caribbean's communications for updates on whether pier repairs will be completed before the ship's subsequent scheduled visits to the port.
Originally reported by Cruise Hive, Catie Kovelman (August 6, 2026).
Source: Cruise Hive, https://www.cruisehive.com/legend-of-the-seas-skips-naples-twice-in-two-weeks/214615
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