The long-awaited debut of the Star Princess, which was set to begin sailing on in July 2025, has been delayed by two months. This has led to the cancellation of nine sailings.

The decision was reportedly made mutually between Princess Cruises and Fincantieri shipyard, where the ship is being built.

Princess wrote in a statement on the Star Princess delay: “Following a comprehensive review of the remaining construction milestones, both parties have elected to adjust the ship’s delivery date from July 29, 2025 to September 26, 2025, which will result in the cancellation of the nine inaugural sailings.”

 John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises added: “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.”

Star Princess will now greet the world with a series of roundtrips from Barcelona, before a transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale on October 22, 2025, where the ship will sail a season in the Caribbean.

Guests who are affected by the cancellations will have the option between booking a different Princess cruise for anywhere in the world, receive future cruise credits or a full refund.

Star Princess marks the second ship in Princess’s new Sphere Class of ships, alongside Sun Princess which began sailing in February.

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