Longtime Princess Captain Announces Departure After 28 Years

02/09/2026

Captain Gennaro Arma has announced he is leaving Princess Cruises after 28 years with the cruise line. He has not announced a final departure date or what comes next, though he did not characterize his departure as a full retirement.

Arma became widely known as captain of Diamond Princess during its COVID-19 quarantine in Japan in 2020, and later helped bring Star Princess into service in 2025. After nearly three decades of service, Captain Gennaro Arma is leaving Princess Cruises. The longtime captain announced his departure from the cruise line in an emotional LinkedIn post shared on August 31, 2026.

"After 28 years with Princess Cruises, I have decided that it is time to close one of the most important chapters of my professional life," Captain Arma said. The Italian captain first joined Princess Cruises in 1998 as a cadet. He rose through the ranks before receiving his first command as captain in 2015 aboard Sea Princess, which left the Princess fleet in 2020.

He later took command of Diamond Princess in 2018, followed by Discovery Princess in 2022. Most recently, he has served as captain aboard Princess Cruises' newest ship, Star Princess, rotating the role with Commodore…

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