Princess Cruises has taken delivery of Sun Princess, the cruise line’s first Sphere-class vessel. Unfortunately, guests booked on its February 18, 2024 inaugural sailing have been notified the cruise has been canceled.
Princess Cruises’ President John Padgett said, “While we will be taking delivery of our new Sun Princess on February 14, the ship must remain alongside in the shipyard to allow for additional technical work to be completed and we regret to announce that we have no other option than to cancel the February 18 voyage. We share in your deep disappointment and frustration, and sincerely apologize for the extreme disruption the late cancellation of this voyage creates.”
This is not the first delay for Sun Princess. Her first inaugural sailing was to be on February 8, 2024, but it was canceled on January 24, 2024. Padgett did not elaborate on the “technical work” that needed to be completed but it is not unusual for it to take several weeks for a ship to be outfitted and supplied after delivery before it is ready to welcome its first guests. Sun Princess is now scheduled to make her debut on February 28, 2024 from Rome to Barcelona.
Booked guests have been offered different forms of compensation. First, they will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and any onboard, prepaid services back to their original form of payment. Next, guests will receive a 50% future cruise credit (FCC) for any future Princess Cruises sailing. FCC must be booked by November 30, 2024 and sailed by December 31, 2025. Thirdly, guests who have not yet begun their travel have been offered up to $200 per person to cover change fees related to their airfare. Last, guests who are already in the region are being offered complete reimbursement of their roundtrip airfare along with other significant reimbursement in the area while they make travel arrangements to return home.
The brand new Sphere-class Sun Princess is a 175,500-ton, 4,300-guest vessel. She is the most impressive “Love Boat” to date and offers new entertainment and activities and luxurious staterooms and suites that cover a range of categories. She has more balconies than any other Princess ship, an entertainment venue inspired by the terraces of Santorini called The Dome, and the Arena! which is the most technologically advanced Princess Theater design.