Princess Cruises provides an update for two of its ships, with Island Princess and Diamond Princess now set to make a return to service in Spring 2022.
Two Princess Cruise Ships Will Return in Spring 2022
The Carnival-owned cruise line continues to move forward with its plan to resume cruise operations. Princess Cruises has already resumed sailings to Alaska, and more ships are set to restart in September 2021.
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An update has been released for Island Princess and Diamond Princess on when they will make a comeback. Island Princess will begin with a series of Caribbean cruises before its 14-day Panama Canal voyage on April 27, 2022.
Diamond Princess, a ship that received a huge amount of media coverage when the pandemic started to impact the cruise industry, will finally begin cruises in Spring 2022. The ship will return with a season of Japan sailings, and the cruise line will announce more details on this soon.
“Following our successful restart in Alaska and the UK, we look forward to welcoming our guests back on board as we continue our return to cruise operations, keeping the health and safety of our guests and teammates our top priority,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president.
Now that Princess has released when the two vessels will restart, it does mean that previously scheduled cruises have to be canceled. The 2021-2022 South America & Antarctica offerings for Diamond Princess will no longer take place. Island Princess’ 2022 World Cruise and two other cruises are canceled too.
Guests impacted by the further cancellations will be offered options, including moving to an alternative future sailing and having the cruise fare protected. There is also the choice of a future cruise credit or a full refund. Guests can use an online form if they want a full refund, but it will have to be submitted by September 30, 2021, or they will automatically be moved to the alternative sailing.
Also Read: Princess Cruises to Resume Operations From Florida and California
Island Princess and Diamond Princess have remained on hold since the start of the pandemic. Both ships will follow the rest of the fleet as the cruise line gradually resumes operations worldwide. By November 28, 2021, there will be a total of eight MedallionClass vessels back in service, including Majestic Princess, Grand Princess, Ruby Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Regal Princess, Caribbean Princess, and Emerald Princess.
