Despite having reassured guests just days ago that their cruise would be able to proceed as scheduled, Princess Cruises has now announced the cancellation of the November 10, 2024 sailing of Regal Princess.
The sailing was to have been a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary departing Galveston, Texas and visiting Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. Regal Princess is currently homeported from the Lone Star State, offering Western Caribbean sailings ranging from 6-11 nights.
“Princess Cruises regretfully has had to make the difficult decision to cancel the November 10 sailing of Regal Princess from Galveston, following the cancellations of the October 27 and November 3 sailings,” Princess Cruises said in a statement to Cruise Hive.
The new cancellation was unexpected and due to a second issue that occurred on the ship.
“Our team has been working to address a major technical issue involving one of the power generators, which has now been successfully repaired,” the statement explained. “As the ship was preparing for the next sailing, a second generator experienced a technical failure. This new and unforeseen development means additional time out of service is needed to ensure the ship is fully operational and safe.”
It is unclear whether the failure of two different power generators may be related or simply coincidental. Undoubtedly, the engineering team will fully investigate the issue and ensure all repairs are complete and the ship is certified to set sail again.
Regal Princess first had difficulties on her transatlantic cruise from Southampton, UK as she moved to Texas. A small engine room fire was reported during that sailing, followed by some relatively minor power outages later in the cruise.
To correct the problems, the ship’s October 27 and November 3 departures were cancelled at the last minute, much to passengers’ dismay and frustration.
This latest cancellation is sure to be equally disappointing to travelers who would surely have been looking forward to their oceangoing getaway, especially after the earlier reassurances that the voyage would go ahead as planned.
“Repairs on Regal Princess are progressing as planned in preparation for her scheduled November 10 departure from Galveston,” the cruise line said just last week. “Our team remains focused on ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience, and we look forward to welcoming guests aboard.”
The 142-229-gross-ton, Royal class Regal Princess can welcome 3,560 guests for each sailing. Also onboard are roughly 1,300 international crew members who work diligently to ensure everyone has an amazing vacation.
Compensation Offered
All guests on the now-cancelled cruise are receiving full, 100% refunds of their cruise fare and any pre-paid onboard purchases, as is standard practice when a sailing must be cancelled.
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Regal Princess Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Karolis Kavolelis)
Furthermore, Princess Cruises is offering a 50% future cruise credit for any future sailing as a “gesture of goodwill” for the inconvenience of the last-minute cancellation.
Regal Princess, part of the Carnival Corporation of cruise brands, is not the only ship recently experiencing technical difficulties that lead to cruise cancellations.
Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas, currently sailing in Asia, has had “technical concerns” that required repairs in Yokohama, delaying the vessel’s return to her homeport of Shanghai. This has mandated the cancellation of the ship’s next sailing, what was to have been a 4-night cruise.
Cruise lines never hope to cancel sailings, but it is occasionally necessary depending on the nature of a ship’s technical problems and how long repairs may take. Sometimes cruises can be shortened instead of cancelled, but when the next cruise is a shorter voyage or repairs may take several days, cancellation can be the preferred result.
Source: Cruisehive.com
