Thousands of passengers affected as Princess Cruises delays new ship
The next new Princess Cruises ship won't be arriving as soon as planned.
Princess on Friday pushed back the debut of the 4,300-passenger Star Princess from Aug. 2, 2025, to Oct. 4, 2025 — a two-month delay that will affect thousands of vacationers.
The delay will result in the cancellation of eight Europe sailings of nine and 10 nights that were scheduled to take place between Aug. 2, 2025, and Oct. 20, 2025. The line has also canceled a 16-night transatlantic sailing from Southampton, England, to Fort Lauderdale scheduled from Oct. 20, 2025, to Nov. 5, 2025.
In place of some of those sailings, Princess has added a new inaugural voyage for Star Princess out of Barcelona on Oct. 4, 2025. It'll be an 11-night trip around the Mediterranean.
The new inaugural sailing will be followed by two more new voyages: A seven-night Mediterranean trip scheduled for Oct. 15, 2025, and a 14-night transatlantic trip scheduled for Oct. 22, 2025.
All three of the new sailings will open for bookings April 30.
Princess made the announcement Friday in tandem with its shipbuilder, Fincantieri, citing construction delays. Fincantieri originally planned to deliver Star Princess to the cruise line July 29, 2025. It'll now deliver the ship Sept. 26, 2025.
"Despite our collective dedication and relentless pursuit to deliver the ship in late July, it has become evident that additional time is required to ensure the Star Princess is delivered to the highest standards expected by our guests,” Princess president John Padgett said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Princess on Friday said passengers booked on the canceled Star Princess sailings can switch to any other Princess sailing. If they do, they'll get a future cruise credit and onboard credit in an amount that varies depending on the sailing they choose.
Passengers on the canceled sailings also have the option of not switching to another Princess cruise and instead getting a full refund for the fare they paid.
When it launches, Star Princess will be the second vessel in Princess' long-awaited new Sphere Class of ships. Under development for more than six years, the Sphere Class includes the just-unveiled Sun Princess, which also was delayed by several weeks.
The Sphere Class ships are significantly bigger than previous Princess ships and offer several notable new-for-the-line features, including suites that come with exclusive access to a private restaurant, a lounge and a sun deck.
Additionally, the Sphere Class ships have been designed with an innovative new type of "cabana cabin" along their extra-wide 10th deck that comes with access to a private deck area. Plus, the top decks of the ships have some unusual-for-Princess sizzle with the addition of a glass-dome-topped pool area that transforms into a nightspot after the sun goes down.
At 177,882 gross tons, Sun Princess is about 21% bigger than the next largest ships in the Princess fleet. It's able to hold about 17% more passengers than the next biggest Princess ships.
Star Princess is expected to be roughly the same size.
The Sphere Class is the first new class of ships to debut at Princess in nearly 11 years.
Star Princess is being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, which has a long history of building cruise ships for Princess, Cunard, MSC Cruises and several other brands.
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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.
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| 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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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.