Princess Cruises has sold two of its ships, Sun Princess and Sea Princess, to undisclosed buyers as parent company Carnival Corporation accelerates the removal of less efficient ships from its fleet.
“While it is never easy to say goodbye to any ship in our fleet, this will allow us to deploy newer ships enhancing our offerings for Australia cruisers and focus on bringing into service exciting newbuilds like the upcoming delivery of Enchanted Princess,” said Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz.
Australians and New Zealanders spent close to 14 million nights onboard.
Sun Princess was the first ship in the Sun Class when she was introduced in 1995 in the Caribbean and, carrying 2,000 guests, was among the largest ships in the world at the time.
She also sailed in Alaska and Panama Canal, among other destinations, before being homeported in Australia in October 2007. Sun Princess also helped us open the Japanese market in 2013 as the first foreign-flagged cruise ship to offer cruises designed specifically for the Japanese.
Sea Princess, top of page, became synonymous with World Cruises, having completed six full world cruises since 2013. During her time based in Australia, the ship travelled the equivalent of 35 times around the world.
Sun Princess arriving in Southampton for the first time in 2019 Picture: Andrew Sassoli-Walker
Prior to joining Sun Princess in Australia, Sea Princess sailed in Europe and Alaska as well as the Caribbean, including serving as a homeport ship in Barbados in the mid- to late-2000s.
Guests with bookings are being notified and will receive information on how to book another Princess Cruise when operations resume. Guests who prefer a refund will be accommodated.