Princess Cruises

A crew member went overboard from Sun Princess en route to Istanbul, Princess Cruises confirmed. 

According to a letter shared on Reddit, passengers received confirmation that a crew member went overboard on Wednesday, August 20. The ship was traveling through the Dardanelles Strait to Istanbul, Turkey, after calling at Chania, Greece.

A cruise ship carrying over 3,000 passengers was turned away from a Caribbean port after a large number of gastrointestinal illnesses were reported onboard. 

Enchanted Princess wasn't able to call at Grand Turk on Thursday, May 23, after local authorities denied the ship entry due to public health concerns. 

Grand Turk was the last scheduled port of call on the 145,000-gross-ton ship's 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Enchanted Princess had already visited Princess Cays, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. 

Captain Michele Bartolomei suddenly passed away during a 19-night cruise around Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China while fulfilling his duties at the helm Diamond Princess. 

Guests aboard the sailing reported being awoken by a late-night announcement around 2:00am, calling for the medical team to report to the medical center on Deck 4. 

Hours later, it was confirmed that Captain Bartolomei passed away as the Diamond Princess arrived in Taipei, Taiwan. 

Princess Cruises made a controversial change to its drink packages by removing canned soda from its list of included beverages.

According to posts circulating on Facebook, Princess began charging for canned soda sometime around mid- to late-April. 

Previously, unlimited soda was part of the Plus and Premier drink packages. Now, however, guests who want canned soda instead of fountain beverages must pay extra, though they'll receive a 25% discount. 

One of Carnival's brands is shutting down its operations in Texas. 

Princess Cruises' Majestic Princess was scheduled to offer cruises from Galveston, Texas, between November 2026 and March 2027. However, Princess canceled over 15 sailings as part of its broader global fleet deployment strategy. 

Drink packages are among the most common cruise add-ons. While your cruise fare includes select beverages, drink packages make the experience more inclusive by giving you access to a wider variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. 

However, they aren't always the most affordable. Some cruise lines charge over $80 per person, per day for their most inclusive packages, making them a serious investment. 

Carnival's Princess Cruises reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on one of its ships with over 80 sick people onboard. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Coral Princess had 69 ill passengers onboard the February 21, 2025 voyage. 13 crew members were also unwell, bringing the total affected on the 91,627 gross registered ton (GRT) ship to 82.

The outbreak was reported to the CDC on March 7, 2025. 3.62% of passengers and 1.45% of crew members reported gastrointestinal symptoms. There were 1,906 guests and 895 crew onboard.

It's hard to explain what makes a vacation on the ocean stand out, but it's been my preferred way to travel since I was five. 

There's something special about listening to the sound of the waves and looking at the infinite horizon. There's also something unique about sailing on a floating resort with activities and dining options under one roof. 

I sailed on my first-ever Princess cruise and discovered it was nothing like I imagined. 

The upscale cruise line has a reputation for being geared toward older crowds, so as someone in their mid-twenties, I feared I'd find the entertainment lacking and boring. Though I'm not interested in partying into the late hours, I enjoy a lively social scene with fun game shows fueled by audience participation.