Princess Cruises Asks Guests to Leave Sold-Out Sailing for a Refund

Guests booked on an upcoming sailing aboard Princess Cruises’ Island Princess are being offered a full refund plus credit in exchange for adjusting their travel plans. The 2,210-passenger ship is set to embark on a 4-night cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles on September 16, 2026.

The sailing features three consecutive sea days along the Pacific coast, but no port calls before arriving in Los Angeles. Despite the lack of port visits, the sailing has proved popular, and Princess Cruises has sent a communication to some booked guests asking them to change their voyage.

“Due to the popularity of your upcoming September 16th cruise on Island Princess you are eligible for exceptional savings should you choose to change your travel arrangements,” the communication said.

Guests who elect to change their plans will receive a 100% refund for their cruise. They will also receive future cruise credits amounting to 100% of their base cruise fare paid, which will be valid for two years.

Additionally, Princess Cruises is offering reimbursement for private travel expenses, such as flights and hotels. The cruise line will reimburse up to $800 per guest upon receipt of valid documentation.

This could prove to be a very enticing offer for guests who have some flexibility with their travel. In the sailing’s unofficial Facebook group, one guest was happy to accept. Curiously, they say they received a larger credit than they paid for the sailing.

“It was ok for us! It’s a nowhere cruise and we’re going to Hawaii in 2 months!” they said. “For some reason they gave us a bigger credit than what we paid for the cruise. Couldn’t resist!”

The offer is subject to availability and is not guaranteed to all who apply for it. The cruise line urged guests not to cancel flights or hotels until they have received formal confirmation of approval.

Is Island Princess Overbooked?

Offers such as this can be prompted by a variety of factors. One common reason is overbooking, which occurs when a cruise line accepts more reservations than it has accommodations available, anticipating that some guests will cancel.

Princess Cruises did not confirm that the sailing was overbooked. One guest who shared the offer on Threads, however, was convinced that this was the case.

“My cruise over booked [sic] and not enough rooms for all the travels [sic],” the guest posted.

The September 16 voyage currently shows as completely sold out on the Princess Cruises website. While a sold-out cruise does not guarantee it has been oversold, the offer indicates that the cruise line is seeking to free up space ahead of departure.

Princess Cruises has made other offers like this in the past. Cruise Hive recently reported on a similar offer made to Emerald Princess guests ahead of a sold-out September 1 sailing.

It is unclear how many guests on the September 16 voyage received the offer or how many spaces Princess is hoping to clear out. The cruise line did not indicate whether any guests would be involuntarily bumped from the sailing, should too few passengers accept the offer.

Short Sailing Repositions Island Princess

The September 16 sailing comes immediately after Island Princess returns from her final Alaska voyage of 2026, as part of what Princess Cruises calls its biggest-ever Alaska season. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at 7:30 a.m. September 16, following a 7-night Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary from Whittier. 

It then turns around that afternoon for the affected 4-night cruise. After reaching Los Angeles on September 20, she is scheduled to depart that same afternoon again on a 16-night Panama Canal cruise from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, arriving October 6.