Visitors wanting to sail aboard Princess Cruises’ new Solar Princess for the forthcoming Mediterranean season could not be capable to benefit from the itinerary they initially deliberate.
The cruise line has been notifying booked friends on a number of sailings of port cancellations that influence a number of completely different locations on the identical cruise.
When one port is cancelled, for instance, Princess Cruises is attempting to substitute different ports each time potential. Due to modifications in port days, nevertheless, this may have a knock-on impact on further ports of name for a similar itinerary.
Mediterranean cruises are sometimes port-heavy schedules, with only a few days at sea. This will create very complicated and complex scheduling when itineraries have to be adjusted.
For instance, the ship’s July 29, 2025 crusing is an 11-night one-way voyage between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Barcelona, arriving on August 9. Visitors obtained the next notification about their itinerary change:
“Please be suggested that as a result of cruise ship congestion in Genoa, Italy, Solar Princess will now not name to Genoa on Sunday, August 3 and can as a substitute name to Malaga, Spain on Tuesday, August 5. Consequently, we’ll now name to Marseille, France on Sunday, August 3 fairly than Monday, August 4, and name instances have been amended for our go to to Gibraltar on Wednesday, August 6.”
This implies one port cancelled (Genoa), two ports shifted to completely different days (Malaga and Marseille), and a fourth port with a time adjustment on the identical day (Gibraltar). Throughout the identical cruise, 5 different ports of name stay the identical. Solar Princess solely has two full days at sea throughout the crusing.
On most of the ship’s Greek Isles sailings, Santorini (Greece) and Kotor (Montenegro) are being eliminated, with Bar (Montenegro), Mykonos (Greece), and Chania (Greece) substituted as alternate options when out there. The precise timing of the modifications varies based mostly on the ship’s departure date and native availability of berth area.
The principle purpose being given for these messy modifications is general port congestion, which is usually a drawback in lots of locations as cruise ships get extra quite a few and have bigger passenger capacities.
For instance, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Solar Princess was initially scheduled for Santorini, Greece – with MSC Divina and Odyssey of the Seas additionally in port. Mixed, the three ships can convey as many as 13,000 friends or extra to the port.
As a substitute, Solar Princess will now be visiting Mykonos on July 22, with three different cruise ships in port – Voyager of the Seas, MSC Lirica, and Costa Fascinosa. The 4 ships mixed have a passenger capability in extra of 14,000 vacationers.
This may appear contradictory, however native populations, resorts, and different vacationer site visitors should even be taken under consideration with respect as to if or not a cruise ship may be “snug” in a port of name. Actual port instances may have an amazing influence, with some ships arriving early whereas others plan night visits.
Cruise traces all the time attempt to make sure their passengers will be capable to get pleasure from a port go to with out feeling too crowded.
Solar Princess has had problem with Santorini prior to now, with the port dropped from her maiden voyage as a result of upkeep on the Santorini Cable Automotive that will have dramatically impacted the visitor expertise.
The provision of tour operators, customer capacities at native points of interest, and different marine site visitors congestion should even be thought of with itinerary planning and port scheduling.
One other issue might be the implementation of a brand new per-person arrivals tax for the most well-liked locations in Greece, together with a €20 (roughly $20.55) charge for visits to Santorini and Mykonos. Moreover, Santorini can also be working to restrict cruise arrivals to only 8,000 friends per day.
Solar Princess had related itinerary shuffling for the 2024 summer time season, and there appears to be no reduction in sight for the biggest ship in Princess Cruises’ fleet.
How Many Cruises Are Modified?
Thus far, a number of Solar Princess cruises have been impacted. This consists of a minimum of the ship’s Might 17, Might 31, June 14, June 21, July 19, July 29, and September 27 departure dates. Further 2025 itineraries can also have port modifications.
Some cruises as far-off as 2026 are additionally having related itinerary changes.
Learn Additionally: 10 Causes To not Keep on the Cruise Ship When in Port
It needs to be famous that Solar Princess shouldn’t be the one ship having a number of Mediterranean itinerary modifications for the summer time season. Earlier this month, Norwegian Cruise Line introduced that Norwegian Epic was dropping 17 deliberate visits to Corfu, Greece, with some schedules substituting alternate ports.
Whereas many vacationers are understandably upset at so many port swaps, all cruise traces reserve the best to change itineraries for any purpose with out being required to offer compensation to friends.
In its place, vacationers are definitely in a position to cancel their bookings and select a distinct cruise that meets their journey plans, particularly as discover is being offered a number of months earlier than crusing.
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