Sun Princess delivery delayed, inaugural cruise cancelled amid supply chain issues

Ongoing supply chain constraints as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging security crisis in the Red Sea have led Princess Cruises and Fincantieri to mutually agree to delay the delivery of Sun Princess.

Princess Cruises’ new cruise ship, its largest to date and its first LNG-powered vessel, was due for delivery in early 2024, but that will no longer be possible due to manpower constraints and supply chain delays.

The delay in the ship’s delivery means that the maiden passenger voyage, a 10-day itinerary on February 8th from Barcelona, will no longer take place.

“We understand that this news is disappointing, and we share in that disappointment,” said John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises. “We recognise the anticipation that surrounded this sailing, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this cancellation causes.”

Guests who were booked on of the inaugural voyage will receive a full refund of the cruise fare along with any additional onboard services that were pre-purchased, as well as a 50% future cruise credit (FCC) that can be used on a future Princess voyage.

Guests will also receive up to US $200 per person to cover fees related to changes to air travel plans, according to a statement from the cruise line.

Although Princess Cruises didn’t provide a reason for the delay to the delivery of Sun Princess, she is the latest in a string of cruise newbuilds to face delays amid energy shortages, global supply chain constraints, and manpower shortages.

These delays began early after the pandemic, when the reopening of the global economy led to a lack of containers for trade amid a resurgence in economy activity, as well as a shortfall in workers due to mass layoffs and furlongs during the pandemic.

The European economy, where the majority of the world’s cruise ships are built, was then hit by energy shortages due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and economic sanctions associated with it, while the latest shock to global trade is the security crisis in the Red Sea.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea, prompting many container shipping lines to reroute their Asia-Europe services via Africa, adding weeks onto the usual transit time, which not only increases the cost of trade, but also leaves hundreds of thousands of shipping containers at sea for longer, creating rampant shortages.

Princess Cruises isn’t alone in having to delay the delivery of its new ship, in fact since 2021 its become the norm for new cruise ships to have their delivery date pushed back. Every single cruise ship delivered in the past two years has been delayed.