Princess Cruises Pushes Back Several Sailings in 2025

Princess Cruises, in agreement with shipbuilder Fincantieri, is announcing the delay of its newest ship, the Star Princess. The mutual decision came after reviewing upcoming construction milestones.

Despite our collective dedication and relentless pursuit to deliver the ship in late July, it has become evident that additional time is required to ensure the Star Princess is delivered to the highest standards expected by our guests.”

John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises

The Star Princess was supposed to be delivered on July 29, 2025, but is being pushed back until September 26, 2025. The two-month delay is forcing Princess Cruises to cancel nine of its sailings onboard the new ship.

Affected Passengers

The affected itineraries include several European sailings, along with a 16-night transatlantic sailing from Southampton, England to Ft. Lauderdale. The cancellations are affecting thousands of passengers already booked on the inaugural sailings.

Princess Cruises says anyone booked on the impacted itineraries can re-book on any other cruise, including cruises on the Star’s sister ship, the Sun Princess. If they choose this route, the passengers will receive future cruise credits and onboard credits.

The amount of each will depend on which cruise they book. Guests who choose not to rebook can also cancel altogether and receive a full refund. 

New Sailings

Once Princess Cruises takes delivery of the Star Princess, the ship will sail two trips in the Mediterranean before repositioning. The first cruise will be roundtrip from Barcelona on an 11-day Mediterranean cruise leaving on October 4, 2025.

Then, the Star Princess will sail roundtrip from Barcelona on a seven-day Mediterranean itinerary on October 15, 2025, before repositioning to the Caribbean.

To do that, the Star Princess will offer a 14-day transatlantic crossing to Ft. Lauderdale on October 22, 2025. Once there, it will start its Caribbean cruise season. Bookings for all three of these inaugural cruises go on sale on April 30, 2024. 

About Star Princess

The Star Princess is the second ship in Princess’ new Sphere Class of ships. The first ship in the Sphere Class, the Sun Princess, debuted in February 2024. The new elite class of ships are known for its groundbreaking architecture, like the Dome.

The Dome is a first-of-its kind geodesic feature on the top deck of the ship. Each ship in this class also boasts the Sphere, a suspended glass Sphere Piazza, at the center of the ship. The area has dining, bars, and shopping. 

The sophisticated Sphere class of ships are bigger than any other Princess ships. The Sun Princess holds 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew and the Star Princess is supposed to be about the size. The ships also offer several new top-of-line features, including a new suite class of rooms that have access to a private restaurant, a lounge, and sun deck.

There is also a “cabana cabin” class of rooms that comes with access to a private deck. The Sun Princess was also built by Fincantieri in Italy. It also ran into delivery delays, but the timeframe was much shorter than this latest delay of the Star Princess. The Sun Princess was delayed a few weeks as opposed to two months with the Star Princess. 

About Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises began sailing in 1965 with one ship. Today, it features 15 ships sailing to more than 300 destinations. Its itineraries range from short three-day cruises to an epic 111-day cruise.

Princess Cruises prides itself on immersive, top-of-the line experiences and entertainment and world-class dining from top chefs. Princess Cruises is owned by the Carnival Corporation.

Recently, Princess Cruises introduced a new feature to its sailings: Princess Medallion Class. This feature is powered by a Medallion wearable device that allows guests to seamlessly check-in, order drinks and food, and access their stateroom hassle-free. The Princess Medallion Class program is the latest effort by Princess to catapult itself into the luxury cruise space.