Key Aspects:
- Operational needs in the Port of Seattle have led to a minor itinerary change for Star Princess’s August 23 departure.
- Instead of setting sail at 3 p.m., the ship will wait until 4 p.m. to begin her voyage.
- Thankfully, the short delay will not lead to additional itinerary changes.
Thanks to operational changes at the Port of Seattle, at least one of Star Princess’s upcoming Alaska sailings will get off to a delayed start.
Cruise Hive has learned that Princess Cruises’ newest ship will be departing from her homeport one hour late on August 23, 2026. Instead of setting sail at 3 p.m. PDT, the 4,300-guest ship will depart at 4 p.m.
The voyage in question is a 7-night sailing to Alaska via the Inside Passage, which stretches from Washington State through British Columbia and up into the Alaska Panhandle.
“Please be advised that due to operational considerations, Star Princess will now depart Seattle, Washington at 4:00 PM on Sunday, August 23, rather than 3:00 PM as previously scheduled,” Princess Cruises wrote in a letter to booked passengers.
It’s also unclear if additional itineraries may be similarly tweaked. The 177,882-gross ton vessel is currently in the middle of her inaugural Alaska season and will be offering 7-night sailings to Alaska from Seattle through the end of September.
What Do Operational Challenges Entail?
Princess Cruises didn’t specify which operational considerations led them to move back Star Princess’s departure, but it could be anything from planned maintenance on port infrastructure to congestion in the harbor.
Port congestion seems like a plausible contender, as Seattle is experiencing its busiest Alaska season in history.
On August 23, the popular port will be at capacity, with three cruise ships docked between its two main terminals. Star Princess will be joined by Holland America Line’s Noordam and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore.
Typically, cruise ship departures are staggered for safety reasons (e.g., avoiding collisions) and to prevent overcrowding in marine channels, and both Star Princess and Noordam were initially scheduled to depart at 3 p.m.
While not officially confirmed, there is a good chance the timing was modified to stagger their departures.
Itinerary is Otherwise Unchanged
Even with the short delay, the ports of call scheduled for the week-long voyage remain untouched.
Guests will still get to visit many of Alaska’s most popular destinations as planned, including Ketchikan, Juneau, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier (scenic cruising), Skagway, and Victoria (British Columbia).
Seattle is around 650 nautical miles from Ketchikan, the first port call, when sailing via the Inside Passage. This is a distance that Star Princess can cover in around 30 hours when cruising at top speeds (22 knots).
Thankfully, the young ship isn’t due in Ketchikan until 6 a.m. on August 25. Even with the new departure time, she has around 37 hours to cover that distance.
If the delay was more significant or lasted into the following day, it might have been a different story.
