Tag Archives: relocation

Majestic Princess Swaps Galveston for South America in 2026-27

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Instead of offering cruises departing from Galveston, the Majestic Princess will sail in South America during the 2026-27 winter season.

Initially scheduled to sail from Texas to the Caribbean, the Royal-class ship saw its four-month season in the region cancelled in early April.

At the time, Princess Cruises said that the decision was part of a “broader global fleet redeployment strategy.”

The company then announced, in late May, its plans to operate the Majestic Princess in South America and Antarctica.

Running between November 2026 and January 2027, the ship’s season in the region includes five itineraries and six departures.

The deployment is highlighted by scenic cruising in Antarctica, including two overnight experiences in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Ranging from 15 to 33 days in length, the ship’s itineraries in the region will also mark Princess’s debut in the Beagle Channel Fjords and Glacier Alley.

The Majestic Princess is also set to visit Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and the Falkland Islands as part of cruises departing from Bridgetown, Buenos Aires and San Antonio.

In other recent deployment news, Princess announced that the Sapphire Princess, which is sailing in South America in 2025-26, will reposition to Asia.

Sailing along with its sister ship, the Diamond Princess, the ship will offer a series of cruises departing from Singapore and Yokohama.

The 14- to 42-night itineraries feature visits to destinations in Southeast Asia and the Far East, such as Hong Kong, Ha Long Bay and Ko Samui.

With the Majestic in South America and the Sapphire in Asia, Princess won’t offer cruises departing from Galveston in 2026-27.

The company is set to operate a farewell season from the Texas homeport in 2025-26, which will include the Regal Princess offering four- to eight-night cruises to destinations in the Western and Southern Caribbean.

Norwegian Cancels Nearly 40 Cruises Onboard Three Ships

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Norwegian Cruise Line is cancelling a total of 38 cruises onboard three of its ships, according to a statement sent to travel advisors.

Sailing onboard the Norwegian Jewel, the Norwegian Star and the Norwegian Dawn, the cruises were scheduled to take place between November 2025 and April 2026.

Cancelled cruises onboard the Norwegian Jewel include all the itineraries that were set to depart between Nov. 23, 2025, and April 5, 2026.

The ship was scheduled to offer a series of 16 five- to 14-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from Tampa.

For the Norwegian Star, cancellations include the ship’s full season in South America and Antarctica, which featured 11 cruises between Nov. 20, 2025, and April 14, 2026.

Sailings onboard the Norwegian Dawn include all cruises previously scheduled to depart between Nov. 2, 2025, and April 12, 2026.

Sailing around Africa and then Asia, the ship was poised to offer 11 cruises during the timeframe, visiting ports in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and more.

Replacement sailings have yet to be revealed.

According to Norwegian, guests are set to soon receive notification letters outlining the details of the deployment changes.

Affected passengers will receive a full monetary refund to the original form of payment provided at the time of reservation, the company added.

While commissions will be protected for all bookings paid in full, Norwegian will also offer guests a ten percent discount in the form of a Future Cruise Credit (FCC).

Norwegian also cancelled sailings onboard the Norwegian Sun and the Norwegian Getaway.

Citing fleet redeployment, the company cancelled a 14-night cruise to the South Pacific onboard the Sun, which was scheduled to depart on Aug. 7, 2025.

Norwegian also cancelled the Aug. 17 and Aug. 21, 2026, cruises onboard the Norwegian Getaway due to a ship charter.

Hurricane Humberto Causes Cruise Ships to Alter Course

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Five-day forecast for Hurricane Humberto.

PHOTO: Five-day forecast for Hurricane Humberto. (Photo courtesy of National Hurricane Center)Hurricane Humberto, which has developed over the weekend from a Tropical Storm into a full-blown, Category-1 hurricane, is making its way toward Bermuda, forcing cruise lines operating in the region to reroute their ships.

According to CruiseCritic, Humberto has thus far affected two Carnival Cruise Line itineraries that were scheduled to be sailing in Bermuda between Wednesday, September 18, and Friday, September 20.

Carnival Pride, which left Baltimore on September 15, is now spending two days at sea before sailing on to visit Grand Turk and the Dominican Republic’s Amber Cove, rather than Bermuda, as was originally intended.

Carnival Sunrise, departing today from New York City, will stop in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 18 before spending a previously-unscheduled day at sea. Sunrise will then spend a single day in Bermuda on Friday, September 20, by which time the storm is expected to have moved on, before cruising back to New York by September 22.

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas is also scheduled to weigh anchor in Bermuda on September 21, after Humberto is forecast to have already moved away from the island.

While no warnings are currently in effect, the National Hurricane Center anticipates the need to a Tropical Storm Watch for Bermuda later this afternoon, as Humberto continues to gain strength and move east-northeast over the next two days or so.

With sustained wind speeds of 85 mph, the hurricane was this morning sitting about 710 miles outside of Bermuda but is expected to reach the north end of the island by Wednesday night. Humberto is expected to peak as a major hurricane within the next 36-48 hours, with forwarding speed intensifying through Thursday, September 19.

Other effects of the storm include large swells, which will affect portions of the northwestern Bahamas and the southeastern U.S. during the upcoming few days. People in those areas should be aware of dangerous surf conditions and potentially life-threatening rip currents.