The line will have three ships sailing from Southampton between March and November 2024, increasing ex-UK capacity by 40% compared with 2022. Princess said 2024 would be the biggest UK and Europe season in the line’s history, offering almost four million cruise nights.
Sun Princess will spend its inaugural season in Europe sailing 10-night Grand Mediterranean and Western Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona and Rome, as well as seven-night options.
The 4,300-guest ship, Princess’s "newest and most sustainable", will visit Southampton for an overnight stay over 22-23 September.
Speaking at a launch event in London on Thursday (1 December), Princess vice-president UK and Europe Eithne Williamson said: "We will be doing something for our frontline agent partners onboard [Sun Princess] so they can experience her."
Williamson said the deployment would create more opportunities to work more closely with the line. "We hope travel agents are as excited as we are to have the brand new Sun Princess based in the Mediterranean for her inaugural season in 2024," she continued.
“Sailings from Southampton remain in high demand, and 2024 will see the longest ex-UK season in Princess Cruises’ history. With three ships sailing from Southampton between March and November, we have increased capacity by more than 40 per cent compared to 2022, providing travel agents with even more opportunity to sell with Princess."
Princess will sail to more than 130 destinations across 34 countries in 2024, with five ships set to be deployed in Europe. These include Island Princess, which will join Sun Princess in the Mediterranean sailing a series of 10- to 20-night voyages with some itineraries featuring visits to Jerusalem.
Sky Princess will homeport in Southampton in 2024 for what will be a fourth consecutive year, sailing voyages to destinations including Iceland, Norway, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean. It will also sail a 31-night voyage to New England and Canada, with overnights in New York City and Quebec – a first for the line.
Meanwhile, Regal Princess will sail 12-night British Isles roundtrips from Southampton, taking in Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool and the Orkney Islands.
Caribbean Princess will also homeport in Southampton, sailing to destinations throughout Europe. Itineraries include a 12-night Oktoberfest European Capitals trip departing 12 September 2024 and a 14-night Search for Northern Lights voyage beyond the Arctic circle departing 24 September 2024.
Princess’s 2024 programme also features short cruises. Five-night Sky Princess voyages from Southampton include a Scandinavian Sampler, calling in Oslo and Skagen, and a European Sampler with an overnight in Hamburg.
