Princess Cruises has adjusted the itineraries for its two 2025 World Cruises, opting to exclude visits to the Middle East and Asia due to ongoing regional challenges. Instead, the revised routes will include new port stops in Africa and Europe.
The decision to alter the itineraries was made after thorough consultation with global security experts and government authorities, considering the situation in the Red Sea and surrounding areas.
The 116-day World Cruise aboard Island Princess, departing from North America, offers two roundtrip options: departing from Fort Lauderdale FL on January 5, 2025, and from Los Angeles CA on January 20, 2025, with a return to Los Angeles on May 17, 2025.
For the revised itinerary from February 16 to April 9, departing from Sydney, the cruise will include visits to Melbourne and Perth (Fremantle) before heading to South Africa. The journey will then resume its scheduled itinerary starting in Valletta, Malta, on April 9.
Passengers originally scheduled to embark or disembark in Dubai on March 14, 2025, will now do so 4 days earlier in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 9. Guests disembarking in Cape Town will receive a refund equivalent to 4 days of the cruise fare, while those joining earlier will not incur additional costs. Additionally, all affected guests will receive a US$300 onboard credit.
Crown Princess, hosting the largest-ever World Cruise, is set to depart Auckland NZ on May 31, 2025, and Sydney on June 4, 2025, for a 113-day voyage covering 42 destinations across 22 countries on 5 continents.
Similar to Island Princess, the Crown Princess itinerary will avoid the Red Sea and Asia, including the Suez Canal transit, opting instead to travel via Africa. Princess Cruises is finalizing the fully revised itinerary and will provide further details shortly.