Princess Cruises redeploying four ships to U.S. homeports: Travel Weekly

Princess Cruises is redeploying four ships in its fleet to the U.S., skipping itineraries in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and the South Pacific.

The decision comes as the cruise line navigates cruising guidelines at international homeports. 

“As we carry on working with various government and port authorities to finalize our plans for a return to cruising around the world, we continue to face uncertainty regarding port access and ongoing international travel restrictions,” said Princess spokeswoman Negin Kamali. 

Meanwhile, she said, the line is looking forward to having more guests within driving distance as the line rededicates to homeports in Galveston and San Francisco.  

The canceled voyages include itineraries through April 2023 on Diamond Princess and Royal Princess to Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific; two Panama Canal sailings on Ruby Princess in February 2023; and select voyages on Majestic Princess in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific from February 2023 to May of 2023. 

After a six-year absence, Princess will return to homeporting in Galveston, Texas. The Ruby Princess will sail from the Lone Star State from December 2022 to April 2023 on a series of five- to 11-day cruises largely in the Western Caribbean. 

The Ruby Princess will also sail two 16-day ocean-to-ocean transits between Galveston and San Francisco. Those voyages go on sale on April 7.

The Diamond Princess will sail from San Diego in September, continuing at that homeport through February 2023, sailing itineraries that span five to 16 days calling along the Mexican Riviera, California coast and the Hawaiian islands. 

The Diamond Princess will also sail a 20-day roundtrip cruise to Central America in November of 2022. The cruises go on sale on March 24. 

The Royal Princess will call San Francisco home this fall. After finishing the Alaska season, the Royal Princess will sail roundtrip cruises to Hawaii, Mexico and the California coast out of San Francisco in September. Both the Royal and the Ruby will sail from San Francisco until the Ruby shifts to Galveston in December. These cruises go on sale on April 7.

In the line’s anticipated return to Australia, the Coral Princess will return to service in June with roundtrip Brisbane itineraries that span three to 12 days calling in destinations in Queensland and New South Wales. The ship will reposition to Sydney in August and depart on a 12-day voyage calling to Queensland and the Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea before resuming an Australia-New Zealand program. 

The Majestic Princess will sail roundtrip from Sydney on a Queensland voyage in February 2023. These cruises go on sale on March 23.

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