Princess Cruises Moves Anniversary Sailing to March 2026
Princess Cruises fans who couldn’t wait to celebrate the cruise line’s 60th anniversary will have to wait a bit longer.
The cruise line has announced it is changing its 60th Anniversary celebration plans from December 2025 to March 2026.
Unfortunately, that means anyone booked for the party on the Royal Princess scheduled to depart Los Angeles, California, on December 6, 2025, will no longer get to enjoy the planned anniversary events during the 14-night cruise.
Instead, the festivities will be a feature of a 7-night Mexican Riviera voyage departing Los Angeles on March 7, 2026.
In a statement to booked guests, Princess Cruises said, “Please be advised that activities for the 60th Anniversary Cruise will no longer take place during your 14-day voyage on Royal Princess from December 6 – 20, 2025.”
“Instead, these activities will now take place on the 7-day roundtrip Mexican Riviera voyage out of Los Angeles from March 7 to March 14, 2026,” the statement continued.
The original December 2025 cruise was to feature performances by The Temptations and appearances by Jill Whelan, known for her role as “Vicki Stubing” on The Love Boat, which was filmed aboard Princess Cruises ships in the 1970s and 1980s.
It is expected that similar programming will be included in the shorter March 2026 sailing, though specifics have yet to be confirmed.
Read Also: Princess Cruise Ships By Age – Newest to Oldest
Passengers who wanted to celebrate the big 6-0 with the cruise line are being offered full refunds, including those with nonrefundable bookings.
Refunds will be processed to the original form of payment. Princess Cruises is also providing assistance to those wishing to rebook the new March sailing.
The March 7, 2026, 60th Anniversary Cruise will still sail aboard the 3,560-passenger, 142,229-gross-ton Royal Princess.
The ship will visit Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, of which were features of the original 14-night cruise.
However, guests will miss out on visits to Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, and Loreto, Mexico. The cruise line did not offer an explanation as to why the celebration was moved to 2026.
A Host of Delays
Princess Cruises, which launched in 1965, shared the news of its 60th Anniversary Cruise in January 2025, announcing a special commemorative sailing would retrace the cruise line’s original route from Los Angeles to Mexico.
The celebration was designed to honor the milestone with nods to the cruise line’s roots and its cultural legacy, including its ties to the iconic television series that helped bring cruising into the mainstream.
“This commemorative 60th Anniversary Cruise will not only pay tribute to our rich history but bring together the joy of cruise travel, music, and unforgettable moments,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Princess Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corporation.
The announcement was made aboard Discovery Princess, with The Temptations performing “My Girl,” the classic hit that became a No. 1 song in 1965.
Ahead of the anniversary, Princess Cruises will also celebrate the addition of its 17th ship, the brand-new Star Princess.
As the newest member of the fleet, the 4,300-passenger ship will debut in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2025 for an 11-night roundtrip sailing in the Mediterranean.
It will then reposition to Fort Lauderdale to spend a winter in the Caribbean.
The ship was originally scheduled to be delivered from Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard in July 2025, but that was also delayed, forcing the cancellation of nine cruises.