Princess Cruises has announced plans for its 2028 World Cruise, a 115-day global voyage to be operated by the Coral Princess. The itinerary will include 49 destinations across 24 countries on five continents and feature calls at 39 UNESCO World Heritage locations. The sailing is scheduled to depart on January 3rd, 2028, with round-trip embarkation available from both Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles.
The voyage will cover approximately 36,000 nautical miles and includes crossings of both the Equator and the International Date Line. A transit of the Panama Canal is planned early in the journey, after which the ship will continue to the Pacific with calls in Hawaii and several islands in the South Pacific, including Samoa and Fiji. The itinerary then proceeds to Australia and New Zealand, where ports such as Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland are scheduled to be visited.
From Oceania, the vessel will cross the Indian Ocean, calling at islands including Mauritius and Réunion. The voyage will then arrive in South Africa, where an overnight stay is planned in Cape Town. The itinerary will also feature the ship’s first visit to Mossel Bay, a coastal town noted for its beaches and archaeological sites linked to early human history.
Continuing north along Africa’s Atlantic coast, the cruise will enter the Mediterranean with port calls including Barcelona, destinations in Sicily and the Adriatic region such as Dubrovnik. The schedule also includes a call at Casablanca before the ship crosses the Atlantic to return to North America.
Company officials described the itinerary as a global voyage designed to offer extended time in port and deeper destination experiences. The cruise line indicated that the programme would include additional overnight and late-night stays to allow passengers more time ashore and greater opportunities to engage with local culture.
As part of the itinerary design, the cruise will feature expanded “More Ashore” opportunities. These include overnight stays in Cape Town and Auckland as well as ten additional late-night port calls, among them Barcelona, Casablanca, Dubrovnik, Honolulu, Melbourne and Sydney. The extended port visits are intended to allow travellers to explore destinations beyond daytime hours.
The company also plans to offer optional wildlife experiences during the South African segment of the itinerary, including excursions to private game reserves such as Aquila Private Game Reserve and Pumba Private Game Reserve.
Shore excursion programmes will focus on cultural and natural attractions across the itinerary, ranging from Pacific island landscapes and Mediterranean heritage sites to wildlife encounters in Africa. Natural landmarks highlighted by the cruise line include Fiordland National Park and Table Mountain.
Onboard programming is expected to include enrichment lectures, themed events, cultural performances and educational sessions covering topics related to the regions visited. Culinary offerings will also reflect the destinations visited, with menus influenced by regional cuisines encountered during the voyage.
The cruise line stated that members of its loyalty programme, Captain’s Circle, would be eligible for additional onboard credit benefits for the world cruise. Segment options ranging from approximately 20 to 100 days will also be available, allowing passengers to join portions of the itinerary rather than the full circumnavigation.