Princess Cruises announced itinerary changes for 4 upcoming sailings of the Regal Princess ship, citing necessary engine repairs and preventative maintenance.
The impacted voyages (departures December 8th, January 5th, January 12th, and January 19th) will see modifications including port cancellations and overnight stays. The changes affect Western Caribbean itineraries departing from homeport Galveston (Texas USA) and range from 7 to 10 nights.
For the December 8th, January 5th, and January 12th sailings, the stop in Costa Maya (Mexico), has been removed, with the ship instead remaining overnight in Roatan (Honduras). Similarly, the January 19th 10-night voyage will no longer call at Montego Bay (Jamaica), replacing it with an overnight stay in Honduras. Princess Cruises stated that the additional port time will allow for essential maintenance, ensuring smooth operations for the 142,714-gross-ton vessel.
Passengers booked on the affected sailings were notified shortly before the first departure. Guests are offered full refunds, including for pre-purchased tours and air travel arranged through Princess, or the option to sail with a 20% future cruise credit applicable fleetwide. To enhance the guest experience, Princess Cruises has opted to keep the onboard casino open while the ship is docked overnight in Roatan, deviating from the standard practice of closing it in port.
The itinerary changes follow earlier disruptions caused by a small engine fire in late September, which led to canceled voyages on October 27th, November 3rd, and November 10th. Though the ship resumed service on November 17th after initial repairs, further adjustments were deemed necessary to address ongoing technical issues.
The Regal Princess will remain homeported in Texas through April 2025, offering Caribbean itineraries before repositioning to Southampton (England) for European sailings. After her 2025 season in Europe, the ship will relocate to Fort Lauderdale (Florida USA) for Caribbean cruises in 2026.