Airlines notoriously oversell flights, expecting a certain number of no-shows, but they aren’t the only travel companies with that practice.

Cruise lines also sometimes overbook sailings, meaning passengers could be bumped from their cruise or even denied boarding. While the U.S. government doesn’t regulate cruise line cancellation policies like airlines, that doesn’t mean guests will be left empty-handed.

“While overbooking in the cruise industry is rare, if the cruise line does send an offer to rebook it is very common for them to provide a list of options available for guests who are willing to either cancel or cancel and rebook,” Joanna Kuther, a travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants, told USA TODAY.

Here’s what to know.

Do cruise lines oversell cruises?

Yes. The practice is relatively unusual, though Kuther said it has become increasingly common.

“If a guest is a no-show, they are in penalty, so the cruise line is not losing the fare, so I can’t understand taking the chance on overbooking just to sail full,” she said in an email.

What are your options if you’re bumped from a cruise?

Kuther said guests who get bumped have “quite a few options” for rebooking. Passengers can typically choose any other sailing of the same length, no matter the price.

“With that, the guest will usually be refunded the amount of the cruise they are missing, as well as no cost for the rebooked cruise, so basically, they are sailing free,” she said. “Cruise lines will also offer a certain amount of money to offset (the) cost of changing air and hotel reservations.”

Cruise lines may also give guests a cabin upgrade for the trouble, if they’re available. “In these cases, flexible travelers can actually make out quite well,” Kuther added.

Even if passengers opt not to reschedule right away, they will likely get a full refund and a future cruise credit to put toward another sailing. She has also seen guests booked in guarantee staterooms – which ensure a certain cabin category but not a specific room – receive offers to switch to a lower category if theirs turns out not to be available as the voyage approaches, in exchange for a refund “above and beyond the difference in price” and onboard credit.

Guaranteed rooms may be assigned months in advance or as little as 48 hours before departure.

Will travel insurance cover you if you’re bumped from a cruise?

While travel insurance can offer many other benefits, being bumped from an oversold cruise typically isn’t covered under trip cancellation or interruption coverage, according to Meghan Walch, Director of Product at InsureMyTrip.

“If the cruise line overbooks, it would likely be their responsibility to reimburse the traveler and make them whole,” she said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yes, cruises oversell too. Here’s what happens if you get booted.

In celebration of the U.S. 250th anniversary, American
Cruise Lines has added a fifth new itinerary to their 2026
collection of extended cruises.

American’s 32-Day Revolutionary War Cruise will sail between
Albany, New York and Washington, D.C. from October 8 to November 5, 2026. The
patriotic adventure will feature Revolutionary War experts on onboard telling
the story of America’s fight for independence as guests sail the Hudson River
and sections of the East Coast during peak fall foliage season. Small ship ports
of call include New York City, Boston, Annapolis, Yorktown, Sleepy Hollow,
Newport, Plymouth and Philadelphia.

Guests have the opportunity to sail aboard all three of the
newest ships in the country: American Legend, which launched in October 2024; American
Patriot, which began sailing in June 2025; and sister ship, American
Pioneer, launching in October 2025.

Guided shore excursions include those in West Point, Mount
Vernon, Hyde Park, and the nation’s historic triangle—Jamestown, Williamsburg,
and Yorktown—pivotal places that defined the birth of our nation. The itinerary
also includes a stay at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C. and a special
visit to the Smithsonian’s Entertainment Nation exhibit which American Cruise
Lines sponsors.

Other Extended Cruises for 2026 previously announced at
Seatrade in April 2025 include: a 52-Day Great United States Cruise (from
Portland, OR to Boston, MA); a 51-Day Spring Across America Cruise (from
Charleston, S.C. to Juneau, AK); a 55-Day Great American Fall Foliage Cruise
(from Juneau, AK to Washington, D.C.); and a 36-Day Civil War Battlefields
Cruise (from New Orleans, LA to Gettysburg, PA).

All cruises include a dedicated cruise concierge, flights
and hotels between cruise segments, daily excursions and entertainment, all onboard
food and beverages to include alcohol, as well as tips and gratuities, port
charges and fees and WiFi.

Reservations are currently open for booking.

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Topics From This Article to Explore

A Celebrity Cruises ship was reportedly left drifting for several hours after it experienced a power outage over the weekend.

The Constellation was sailing off the coast of Italy on Saturday, Aug. 2 when the outage occurred due to a “technical issue,” a spokesperson for the cruise line’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, told USA Today. 

The ship was left without air conditioning or electricity for nearly three hours, the outlet reports. The cruise line reportedly did not specify what caused the outage or what repairs were necessary to fix the issue.

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. 

The cruise line noted the ship was close enough to the coast that guests were still able to have cell phone service, per the outlet. 

According to CruiseMapper, the Constellation is currently on an 11-day cruise that departed from Porto Corsini in Ravenna, Italy on July 28. It’s set to make stops in Croatia and Montenegro, and end its journey in Civitavecchia, the port closest to Rome, on Aug, 8. 

Per Celebrity Cruises’ official website, the ship has an occupancy of 2,184 passengers. 

Royal Caribbean states on its website that a ship will turn to emergency generators if the main electrical power source is “lost.” 

“These are typically located on the upper decks and they have their own fuel supply and are completely independent,” the website notes. “They can also power communication channels – radio, telefax, email, so the ship can continue to communicate with shoreside.”

Along with providing communication, the generators can power emergency lighting, fire detection systems, elevators and “even provide power to re-start the engines, if necessary,” per their website.

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In June, a Netflix docuseries detailed a worst-case scenario a cruise ship could experience if a power outage occurred for multiple days. 

Trainwreck: Poop Cruise revisited the real-life incident that passengers aboard the Carnival Triumph experienced in 2013 while traveling from Galveston, Texas to Cozumel, Mexico on a four-day cruise. 

On the last day of the sailing, a fire completely destroyed the electrical cables in the engine room, knocking out power to the entire ship. It was left drifting in the Gulf of Mexico without any lights, air conditioning, refrigeration or working toilets for multiple days. 

As a result, passengers were asked to go “number 2” in plastic bags and deal with sewage spills in the ship.