You're about to get more options for summer cruises to the Caribbean
Get ready for more options for summer cruises to the Caribbean.
Princess Cruises on Friday announced plans for its biggest summer deployment in the Caribbean ever in 2026, with two ships sailing to the region out of Florida.
Princess said its 3,560-passenger Regal Princess and 3,140-passenger Caribbean Princess would sail to the Caribbean in 2026 out of Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades and Port Canaveral, respectively.
The world's fifth-largest cruise line typically bases just one vessel in Florida during the summer for Caribbean sailings.
Caribbean Princess' deployment to Port Canaveral is particularly notable, as Princess typically just operates Florida-based sailings out Port Everglades during summer months.
Related: The best Caribbean cruises for every type of traveler
The Caribbean Princess deployment will bring a Princess ship closer to residents of central and northern Florida as well as Southern states who want to drive to one of the line's ships for a vacation. It'll also give fly-in cruisers a new option for accessing a Princess ship, as they'll be able to reach Caribbean Princess via a relatively quick transfer from Orlando International Airport (MCO).
“Princess continues to expand access to our world-class premium experience now operating from eight North America homeports," Princess President John Padgett said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "With ships now departing from both Central Florida and South Florida, it’s easier and more convenient than ever to set sail aboard the iconic Love Boat.”
As is the case with many cruise lines, Princess traditionally has deployed nearly all its vessels to Europe and Alaska during the summer season. That's because cruise lines typically can command higher fares for sailings in those regions during the summer than in the Caribbean. But Princess is in the midst of adding two large new vessels to its fleet, allowing it to expand its deployments in other destinations.
Related: The 4 types of Princess ships, explained
Princess on Friday said its two-ship deployment in the Caribbean in 2026 would include Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean and Southern Caribbean itineraries — the first time in the company's 59-year history that it has offered trips to all three major regions of the Caribbean during the summer.
Voyages from Port Canaveral on Caribbean Princess will include:
- A single six-night "Eastern Caribbean with Turks & Caicos" sailing that will bring calls at Nassau in the Bahamas; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and Grand Turk.
- Seven-night "Eastern Caribbean with Turks & Caicos" sailings with calls at Nassau, Amber Cove, Grand Turk and Princess Cays, Princess's private island in the Bahamas.
- Seven-night "Western Caribbean with Mexico" sailings with stops at Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico and Roatan, Honduras.
- Seven-night "Eastern Caribbean with Puerto Rico" sailings that will bring calls at San Juan, Puerto Rico; Amber Cove; and Grand Turk.
Voyages from Port Everglades on Regal Princess will include:
- Eight-night "Southern Caribbean with ABC Islands" sailings with calls at Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
- Seven-night "Eastern Caribbean with Bahamas" trips with stops at Princess Cays, Amber Cove and Grand Turk.
- Seven-night "Western Caribbean with Mexico" sailings with stops at Cozumel; Belize City, Belize; and Roatan.
- Seven-night "Eastern Caribbean with St. Thomas" voyages that bring stops at Princess Cays, San Juan and the island of St. Thomas.
Princess has designed the sequence of some of the seven-night itineraries to allow customers to book back-to-back sailings without repeating ports. These longer, 14-night sailings are known as Caribbean Adventurer sailings.
Related: The ultimate Caribbean cruise guide
In addition, the line will offer two longer sailings at the start and end of the summer season as Caribbean Princess and Regal Princess reposition. These will bring an extended lineup of port calls. The sailings include:
- A 13-night voyage on Caribbean Princess departing from Port Everglades on April 28, 2026, that will bring stops at Princess Cays, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, San Juan, Amber Cove, Grand Turk and Nassau. The trip will end in Port Canaveral.
- A 14-night voyage on Regal Princess departing from Port Everglades on Sept. 5, 2026, that will bring stops at Curacao, Aruba, Grenada, Barbados, Dominica, St. Maarten and San Juan. The sailing will end in New York.
As part of its announcement, Princess said that members of its Captain’s Circle loyalty program would receive up to $200 per cabin in onboard credit if they book one of the summer 2026 sailings by Oct. 31.
Customers will receive $50 per person in onboard credit for voyages of seven to 10 nights. The credit jumps to $100 per person for customers booking longer Caribbean Adventurer voyages. When two passengers are sailing in a cabin, that'll add up to $100 or $200 in onboard credit.
Friday's announcement comes just three months after Princess announced plans to bring back seven-night Southern Caribbean sailings out of San Juan during the winters — something it hasn't offered in more than a decade.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 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 you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® 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 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® 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 Rewards® 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 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 you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® 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 Rewards® 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 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.