Another Princess Ship Misses French Port Due to Ongoing Protest
Key Aspects:
Enchanted Princess was unable to visit Ajaccio in Corsica on April 9, 2026.
Fishermen have been blocking the port during a protest over rising fuel costs.
Cruise disruptions should cease going forward as an agreement with the fishermen was reached late on April 9.
Two Princess cruise ships have now been blocked from visiting the Mediterranean island of Corsica by protesting fishermen in less than a week.
The fishermen are protesting rising fuel prices, which are linked to the war in the Middle East, and have blocked all six of the commercial ports in Corsica. This includes the main cruise port, Ajaccio.
As fuel prices have become unsustainable, the fishermen have taken drastic measures to get the French government to take action and offer assistance to manage their skyrocketing operating costs.
Cruise Hive already reported that the 177,882-gross ton Sun Princess was turned away from the French port on April 7, 2026, due to the blockade. Enchanted Princess then met the same fate on April 9, 2026.
“Currently cruising on Enchanted. Tomorrow we were supposed to enjoy Corsica/Ajaccio. The stop was cancelled due to the strike of fishermen who are blocking all the incoming sea traffic. Tough luck…” a current guest shared on April 8, 2026.
Cruise tracking data also confirms that the princess cruise ship sailed past the port without stopping.
The 3,660-guest ship was supposed to visit Corsica on April 9 as the final call of a 14-night, one-way sailing that embarked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 27.
She arrives in Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, on April 10, which will be the 145,000-gross ton vessel’s homeport for the duration of her Mediterranean season. The Royal-class ship has no immediate plans to return to the island destination.
Vessels Stranded in Port
In addition to blocking ingoing traffic, the fishermen have also prevented vessels in the port from leaving. This means ferries and other vessels within the port could have been stranded for up to three days as of the time of this writing.
Per local outlets, eight different ferries found themselves stuck in Ajaccio and the East Coast port of Bastia because of the protest.
When the 4,300-guest Sun Princess first arrived on April 7, the captain attempted to negotiate with the fishermen, who eventually said the cruise ship could enter the port but not depart until the protest ended.
This would obviously create a logistical nightmare for both the cruise line and its passengers, who were expecting to call to Genoa and La Spezia in Italy before debarking in Rome on April 11.
If Enchanted Princess had attempted to visit Corsica, its captain likely would have been given the same option, which is an offer that would be too impractical to accept.
An End Is In Sight
Thankfully, the disruptions to the cruise industry are not expected to be a problem for much longer. Per Corse-Matin, a deal to end the blockade was reached in the late afternoon on April 9.
So far, the specifics of the deal have not been released, other than noting that a solution was found during a round table discussion in Ajaccio.
The ferries that were stuck in the ports will be able to resume their routes slowly, with departures staggered at a rate of around one per hour for safety reasons.
Cruise tourism can also resume operating normally, with the island expected to welcome upwards of 600,000 cruise guests before the year is through.
Ajaccio, the busiest of the Corsican cruise ports, is expecting 14 visits in the second half of April from brands like Marella Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Azamara Cruises, and AIDA Cruises.
Though Enchanted Princess won’t be back this month, Princess Cruises will return on April 20 with Sky Princess and April 28 with Sun Princess.
Another Princess Ship Misses French Port Due to Ongoing Protest