The launch of the brand new Sun Princess cruise ship for Princess Cruises has been delayed, meaning that the inaugural sailing due to depart on 8th February 2024 has been cancelled.
The reason for the delay and cancellation is unclear, though a joint decision was made between Princess Cruises and Fincantieri, the famous shipyard where the ship was having the final touches applied.
For now, only the first 10-night cruise is impacted, and it is hoped that the ship will be ready to launch in time for her second sailing.
Guests due to board the new ship are of course bound to be upset, especially since the cancellation comes just two weeks before the ship was due to set sail. Such short notice cancellations will mess with anyone’s travel plans.
We understand that this news is disappointing, and we share in that disappointment. We recognize the anticipation that surrounded this sailing, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this cancellation causes.
John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises
Guests who were due to be on the cruise are going to receive a full refund of their cruise fare along with any other pre-cruise purchases they made, such as paying off tips, booking WiFi packages or any excursions booked.
The cruise line is also giving guests a 50% future cruise credit that can be used on any Princess cruise, on any ship in the fleet, provided it is booked before 30th November 2024 and is a sailing departing before 31st December 2025.
The cruise line is also offering to pay up to $200 to each passenger to cover changes or cancellation fees related to flights.
Otherwise, guests who have to incur higher flight cancellation fees or who had booked hotels for prior to their cruise will have to absorb the costs themselves, or hope to get a refund from their travel insurance.
Cancellations of inaugural cruises are rare but they can happen. There is often a lot of pressure to get a ship ready on time, and if something goes wrong then the dates can’t simply be nudged back. So anyone booking the first cruise on a ship does so knowing that this is a risk.
Hopefully, Sun Princess can launch according to her adjusted plan and there will be no further cancellations on the new Sphere-class ship.
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