A scheduled departure of the cruise vessel Star Voyager from Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal on the evening of February 13th, 2026 was cancelled following identification of a technical issue that prevented the vessel from sailing as planned. The planned sailing had been advertised as a short “high seas” cruise from Hong Kong, and the cancellation occurred after passengers had gathered at the terminal and undergone initial boarding procedures before the cancellation notice was issued by the operator. The technical issue was described in the company’s communication to affected passengers as unforeseen, and no detailed information was released on the nature of the fault or the point at which it was detected.
Passengers awaiting embarkation at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui were reported to have remained in queues for several hours prior to the formal cancellation being announced late in the evening, with staff distributing basic provisions such as bottled water during the period of uncertainty. Observers noted that the boarding area remained occupied into the night before operations were formally halted. Criticism expressed by embarked travellers referenced delays in communication and the handling of waiting arrangements prior to the cancellation notice.
Star Cruises, operating under the StarCruises brand, subsequently communicated options offered to those holding confirmed reservations for the cancelled sailing. Passengers were given the choice of transferring their booking to another 2‑ or 3‑night cruise on Star Voyager from Hong Kong through late August 2026, with additional onboard credits and travel cost assistance offered in support of the rescheduled departure. Alternatively, a full refund for the cancelled sailing was made available, alongside the same ancillary credits for onboard services and travel expenses. Compensation arrangements were outlined to include both per‑guest and per‑cabin allowances as part of the cancellation response.
The cancellation occurred on the opening day of Star Voyager’s 2026 Hong Kong homeport deployment, which was scheduled to run through much of the year from February into November with a series of short coastal and regional voyages targeting local and regional cruise markets.
For more Star Voyager incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.