Regal Princess hasn't left Galveston, Texas since late October, having missed three scheduled sailings.
The October 27, November 3, and November 10 sailings have all been canceled due to major technical issues with its power generators.
The first two sailings were canceled because of issues with one power generator. The company seemed confident that Regal Princess was ready for the November 10 sailing, but this was not the case.
After the first generator was fixed, Princess Cruises notified guests that the November 10 sailing was canceled due to a problem with a second power generator.
"As you are likely aware, we have recently experienced a technical issue involving one of our power generators. While that generator was fully repaired, a second generator experienced a technical failure during preparations for the next voyage. This new development means additional time out of service is needed to ensure the ship is fully operational and safe,” Princess Cruises stated in an email to guests.
“We understand how disappointing this is for our guests and are truly sorry for the disruption to their plans,” Princess Cruises continued.
Passengers booked on the November 10 sailing received a full refund of the cruise fare and pre-paid purchases. Princess Cruises also offered a 50% future cruise credit as a goodwill gesture.
An engine fire and power outages caused Regal Princess to port in Galveston
During its transatlantic crossing from Southampton to Galveston, guests onboard reported a small fire in the engine room. There were also multiple power outages during the month-long crossing.
The fire was reported on September 30 and was put out quickly according to guests.
Then, a power outage was reported on October 24 while the ship was leaving Grand Cayman. Other cruisers said this wasn't the only power outage during the sailing.
Those booked on the October 27 sailing were notified their sailing was canceled only two days before the ship was scheduled to depart.
"We were packed & ready for the 5-hour trip to meet this ship in Galveston for our vacation cruise. Luckily Princess and our travel agent alerted us in the nick of time it was canceled. Re-booked with Carnival. Princess you lost our interest," Robert Lukas wrote on Facebook.
Read more: I crossed the Atlantic on a 12-night cruise. Here’s what it's really like to spend 11 days at sea
Regal Princess is scheduled to depart on November 17
The next scheduled cruise for Regal Princess is on November 17. This is a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing that visits Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel.
After spending time in Galveston, Regal Princess will reposition to Fort Lauderdale and then Southampton, England. Starting in April 2025, Regal Princess will sail around the British Isles, including Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, as well as France. In October 2025, she will return to Galveston, Texas.
Regal Princess, a Royal-Class cruise ship, was built in 2014 and can hold 3,560 guests. The ship was refurbished in 2017.
Angie Vognild
Angie Vognild has a love for cruising, with her first cruise at just one year old. Since then, she has traveled to nearly 40 countries and been on over 30 cruises. Her favorite cruises were to the Holy Land on Odyssey of the Seas in 2022 and Japan on Spectrum of the Seas in 2019.
