Princess Cruises to Boost Seasonal Capacity in Singapore
Princess Cruises is upping its game in Singapore for the 2026-27 season, adding a second ship to the homeport as it aims to boost its presence in the growing Asia cruise market.
Essentially doubling its capacity, the cruise line announced it will deploy Sapphire Princess to Singapore starting in October 2026, joining Diamond Princess, which has been sailing from Singapore on a seasonal basis for the last two years and is headed there again for the 2025-26 season.
Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess are sister ships in the line’s Gem class, each with a capacity for 2,670 guests in double occupancy. They both entered service in 2004.
It will not be the first time that the two vessels were based in Singapore at the same time; both ships operated from the port during the 2018-19 season. In fact, Sapphire Princess became the first in the fleet to homeport at Singapore and was based there seasonally from 2014 to 2020.
Sapphire Princess will sail a 33-night repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Singapore on November 22, 2026, calling at ports in Hawaii, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. The sailing includes the Christmas holiday and concludes on December 26, 2026.
The ship will sail a total of 18 itineraries from Singapore, including a lengthy, 42-night Japan & Southeast Asia Grand Adventure. This sailing departs on February 6, 2027 and has a 14-night segment that includes the New Year holiday.
The shorter segment calls at Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Langkawi, Malaysia; Phuket, Ko Samui, and Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Her roster of Southeast Asia departures is scheduled through late February 2027.
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Sapphire Princess’s final departure from Singapore is a 14-night Southeast Asia & Japan with Halong Bay cruise, which concludes in Tokyo on March 6, 2027. Featured port calls are Nha Trang and Halong Bay, Vietnam; Hong Kong; Taiwan; and Ishigaki and Nagasaki, Japan.
Halong Bay is featured on most itineraries operated by both ships. The destination is known for its rainforests and beaches, and is a favorite with scuba divers, rock climbers, and hikers.
Diamond Princess to Sail From Singapore Until March 2027
The cruise line revealed some details of Diamond Princess’s 2026-27 Singapore season earlier this year. Before deploying to Singapore, the ship will operate an extended season in Japan, sailing 7- to 28-day voyages from February to November 2026.
Her repositioning cruise to Singapore will be a 24-night Japan & Southeast Asia with Halong Bay sailing that departs Tokyo on November 25, 2026. The voyage calls at ports such as Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Ishigaki, Japan; Taiwan; Hong Kong; and several destinations in Vietnam.
Once she launches her Singapore sailings, Diamond Princess will offer 11 voyages until March 2027. The itineraries feature 28 destinations and include holiday cruises.
A combination Christmas and New Year cruise departs Singapore on December 9, 2026. The 24-night Malaysia, Thailand & Vietnam with Halong Bay cruise visits ports in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Diamond Princess’s seasonal deployment to Singapore concludes in mid-March 2027.
Princess Cruises, a Carnival Corporation brand, has a fleet of 17 ships sailing global itineraries. The line’s newest ship is Sun Princess, which launched in 2024.