They're back! This major cruise line is restarting a beloved Southern Caribbean routing
Princess Cruises is bringing back a much-loved set of itineraries that it hasn't offered in years.
The world's fifth-largest cruise line this week announced it would restart seven-night voyages to the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan, Puerto Rico ā something it hasn't had on its schedule for more than a decade.
The sailings, which will take place on the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess, are set to kick off in October 2025.
The voyages will alternate between two itineraries. The first will bring calls at Tortola, St. Kitts, Dominica, Grenada and Barbados. The second will bring calls at St. Thomas, St. Maarten (the Dutch side of the island of St. Martin), Antigua, St. Vincent and Barbados.
Passengers can combine the two itineraries to create a 14-night trip focused on the Southern Caribbean with almost no overlapping ports.
Such seven-night sailings to the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan have been popular in the past among cruisers who want to get deep into the Southern Caribbean on a cruise without being away for more than a week. Southern Caribbean sailings from the major cruise hubs in Florida tend to be longer due to the long sailing distances involved.
San Juan is an ideal home port for sailings to the Southern Caribbean due to its location, which is closer to Southern Caribbean islands than the bigger cruise hubs in Florida.
Sailings out of San Juan typically have more port calls than Caribbean sailings out of any other port.
The new Princess sailings out of San Juan will be offered seasonally for the winter, with the trips continuing through March 2026.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Princess Chief Commercial Officer Terry Thornton suggested that a growing number of flights into San Juan from cities in the United States as well as Europe and South America was making it easier to operate cruises out of the city.
"Our return to San Juan after more than a decade not only reconnects our guests with a port rich in history and charm, but further expands the variety of departure points across North America that our guests can sail from," Thornton said.
Fares for the sailings have not yet been announced. The trips will be available to book starting May 16.
The announcement marks a last-minute change in deployment for Grand Princess, which originally was scheduled to sail to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in late 2025 out of the Australian ports of Brisbane and Sydney.
Unveiled in 1998, Grand Princess is the oldest Princess cruise ship. It's the namesake vessel for the line's Grand Class of vessels, which remain at the core of the Princess fleet.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- Top ways cruisers waste money
- The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership RewardsĀ® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel Appā¢, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership RewardsĀ® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership RewardsĀ® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if youāre approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount ā all with no credit score impact. If youāre approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 5X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢.
- Earn 3X Membership RewardsĀ® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel Appā¢, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership RewardsĀ® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay ItĀ® lets you tap in the American ExpressĀ® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan ItĀ® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. Youāll know upfront exactly how much youāll pay.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American ExpressĀ® Gold Card. Thatās up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American ExpressĀ® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkinā locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five StarĀ® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide.Ā§ *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel Appā¢ with added peace of mind ā backed by American ExpressĀ® service and support. Only for American ExpressĀ® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.