Princess Cruises Drops Istanbul Embarkation From Several 2027 Sailings
If you're booked on the September 14, 2027, Enchanted Princess sailing, or the May 22, June 1, or July 4, 2027, sailings on Enchanted Princess or Sun Princess, check your booking confirmation now — embarkation ports have shifted from Istanbul to Trieste or Athens. Note that Princess's own booking system no longer lists Istanbul as a departure option, and guests said notices didn't mention compensation. Contact your travel advisor or Princess directly to confirm your specific itinerary's port changes.
The shared trade notice points to two drivers: Athens (Piraeus) port availability and what Princess calls "commercial considerations related to Istanbul turnaround" — corporate-speak that usually means turnaround logistics or fees weren't penciling out. My read is that Athens is emerging as the line's preferred Eastern Mediterranean hub over Istanbul, at least for 2027, and the fact that Sun Princess sailings are affected too suggests this isn't a one-ship fluke. Guests who booked specifically for Istanbul's overnight, like the passenger who called it "a whole different cruise," are the clear losers here, especially with no compensation mentioned in the notices. Booking curve watchers should note Princess hasn't made a public announcement — travel advisors and Reddit are ahead of the press release. If I had a 2027 Istanbul departure booked, I'd call my travel agent this week rather than wait for an official statement.