Guests eager to sail aboard Princess Cruises’ new Sun Princess for the forthcoming Mediterranean season may not be able to enjoy the itinerary they originally planned.
The cruise line has been notifying booked guests on multiple sailings of port cancellations that impact several different destinations on the same cruise.
When one port is cancelled, for example, Princess Cruises is trying to substitute alternative ports whenever possible. Because of changes in port days, however, this can have a knock-on effect on additional ports of call for the same itinerary.
Mediterranean cruises are often port-heavy schedules, with very few days at sea. This can create very confusing and complicated scheduling when itineraries must be adjusted.
For example, the ship’s July 29, 2025 sailing is an 11-night one-way voyage between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Barcelona, arriving on August 9. Guests received the following notification about their itinerary change:
“Please be advised that due to cruise ship congestion in Genoa, Italy, Sun Princess will no longer call to Genoa on Sunday, August 3 and will instead call to Malaga, Spain on Tuesday, August 5. As a result, we will now call to Marseille, France on Sunday, August 3 rather than Monday, August 4, and call times have been amended for our visit to Gibraltar on Wednesday, August 6.”
This means one port cancelled (Genoa), two ports shifted to different days (Malaga and Marseille), and a fourth port with a time adjustment on the same day (Gibraltar). During the same cruise, five other ports of call remain the same. Sun Princess only has two full days at sea during the sailing.
On many of the ship’s Greek Isles sailings, Santorini (Greece) and Kotor (Montenegro) are being removed, with Bar (Montenegro), Mykonos (Greece), and Chania (Greece) substituted as alternatives when available. The exact timing of the changes varies based on the ship’s departure date and local availability of berth space.
The main reason being given for these messy changes is overall port congestion, which can be a problem in many destinations as cruise ships get more numerous and have larger passenger capacities.
For example, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Sun Princess was originally scheduled for Santorini, Greece – with MSC Divina and Odyssey of the Seas also in port. Combined, the three ships can bring as many as 13,000 guests or more to the port.
Instead, Sun Princess will now be visiting Mykonos on July 22, with three other cruise ships in port – Voyager of the Seas, MSC Lirica, and Costa Fascinosa. The four ships combined have a passenger capacity in excess of 14,000 travelers.
This might seem contradictory, but local populations, resorts, and other tourist traffic must also be taken into account with respect to whether or not a cruise ship can be “comfortable” in a port of call. Exact port times can also have a great impact, with some ships arriving early while others plan evening visits.
Cruise lines always strive to ensure their passengers will be able to enjoy a port visit without feeling too crowded.
Sun Princess has had difficulty with Santorini in the past, with the port dropped from her maiden voyage due to maintenance on the Santorini Cable Car that would have dramatically impacted the guest experience.
The availability of tour operators, visitor capacities at local attractions, and other marine traffic congestion must also be considered with itinerary planning and port scheduling.
Another factor could be the implementation of a new per-person arrivals tax for the most popular destinations in Greece, including a €20 (approximately $20.55) fee for visits to Santorini and Mykonos. Furthermore, Santorini is also working to limit cruise arrivals to just 8,000 guests per day.
Sun Princess had similar itinerary shuffling for the 2024 summer season, and there seems to be no relief in sight for the largest ship in Princess Cruises’ fleet.
How Many Cruises Are Changed?
So far, multiple Sun Princess cruises have been impacted. This includes at least the ship’s May 17, May 31, June 14, June 21, July 19, July 29, and September 27 departure dates. Additional 2025 itineraries may also have port changes.
Some cruises as far away as 2026 are also having similar itinerary adjustments.
Read Also: 10 Reasons Not to Stay on the Cruise Ship When in Port
It should be noted that Sun Princess is not the only ship having multiple Mediterranean itinerary changes for the summer season. Earlier this month, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that Norwegian Epic was dropping 17 planned visits to Corfu, Greece, with some schedules substituting alternate ports.
While many travelers are understandably disappointed at so many port swaps, all cruise lines reserve the right to alter itineraries for any reason without being required to provide compensation to guests.
As an alternative, travelers are certainly able to cancel their bookings and choose a different cruise that meets their travel plans, especially as notice is being provided several months before sailing.
