In a disappointing turn for early-bird passengers who booked a September 2026 cruise on the 142,714-gross-ton Regal Princess, Princess Cruises has announced it has removed the September 5 Southern Caribbean Islander itinerary from its schedule.
Citing changes in their deployment program, which could mean anything from scheduling a chartered voyage to port adjustments to repositioning the vessel, Princess Cruises is automatically refunding all booked passengers. None will be rebooked on another Regal Princess option.
“We sincerely apologize for the disappointment this cancellation causes and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you aboard another Princess cruise in the future,” said the cruise line.
Originally scheduled to sail 14 days to Curacao, Aruba, Grenada, Barbados, Dominica, St. Maarten, and Puerto Rico from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, where the ship will be homeporting from April 2026 into 2027, Regal Princess’ voyage was set to conclude on September 19.
Neither the cruise’s previous 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing arriving back in port on September 5 nor the following 7-night Western Caribbean journey departing on September 19 have been adjusted.
This may indicate the 3,560-passenger ship may be undergoing standard maintenance during the freed-up two-week timeframe.
In fact, the cruise line recently cancelled several itineraries on its 3,080-passenger Crown Princess due to dry dock scheduling in late 2025.
Regal Princess has been dealing with engine issues as of late, cancelling port calls on four cruises between December 8, 2024, and January 19, 2025, for overnights in Roatan, Honduras, to perform essential repairs.
However, with 20 months’ notice, this leaves affected guests ample time to find another cruise, whether with Princess Cruises or another operator visiting similar ports in the Caribbean.
Alternative Voyages
While the cruise line did not rebook dismayed passengers, it did highlight a similar cruise option aboard Regal Princess’ sister ship, Majestic Princess.
The 141,000-gross-ton, 3,560-passenger vessel will conduct a 12-day Southern Caribbean Islander route on November 7, 2026, from New York City to Fort Lauderdale.
The itinerary includes calls in St. Maarten, Curacao, and Aruba but misses Barbados, Dominica, and Puerto Rico in favor of St. Kitts and St. Lucia.
The ship, based in New York City for a brief autumn 2026 stint that sails to New England and Canada for fall foliage adventures, will visit the Caribbean as it repositions to Galveston, Texas, on December 1.
Regal Princess Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Peter Titmuss)
Its subsequent 12-night Southern Caribbean Islander cruise, departing from Fort Lauderdale on November 19, will visit the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Curacao, Aruba, and Cozumel, Mexico. However, the ship ends its journey in Galveston.
Read Also: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic: Everything You Need to Know
Caribbean Princess, which hosts up to 3,140 guests, also offers a 14-night Eastern/Western Caribbean Adventurer option that departs on September 6, 2026, from Port Canaveral in Central Florida.
The 112,894-gross-ton vessel will begin by sailing to Mexico and Honduras to visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan on a 7-day segment cruise that returns to Port Canaveral before its second leg sails to Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic to visit the cruise line’s private destination at Amber Cove.
The rest of the Princess fleet will be in various parts of the world, including the Mediterranean, South Pacific, and Japan. In the US, the cruise line has seven ships positioned in Alaska in September.
The news of Regal Princess’ cancellation follows earlier disappointment that the ship removed Edinburgh, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland, from a 12-night British Isles sailing in 2025.
Princess Cruises cited congested ports as the reason, replacing the major cities with a sea day and a call in the more remote Orkney Islands.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
