Princess Cruises to Homeport from World’s Busiest Cruise Port

Port Canaveral and Princess Cruises announced on May 9, 2023, that the cruise line will homeport from central Florida for the first time starting in November 2024 with Caribbean Princess.

Multiple port and cruise line officials shared in the announcement, detailing the itineraries the ship will sail from the new homeport, as well as the benefits to the cruise line, cruise port, local region, and cruise travelers.

Princess Cruises to Homeport From Port Canaveral

During a press announcement made from Cruise Terminal 6, Port Canaveral and Princess Cruises have announced the first-ever homeporting of Princess Cruises from the central Florida port, now the busiest passenger cruise port in the world.

Caribbean Princess will be coming to Port Canaveral in November 2024, offering a variety of Caribbean itineraries at least through April 2025.

“The combination of a vibrant Central Florida community, exceptional flight options into Orlando International Airport and great pre-cruise and post-cruise experience options makes Port Canaveral an easy choice,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. 

“Princess is unique in its ability to deliver incredible cruise ship amenities typical of the largest ships in the world, while delivering personalized service found on the industry’s smallest ships.”

The ship will be docking at Cruise Terminal 6, located on the port’s northwestern corner, a terminal regularly used by corporate family partner Carnival Cruise Line.

Homeporting from Port Canaveral is a great expansion for Princess Cruises to offer more convenience for travelers to experience the upscale cruise line, with the ability to fly or drive to the port.

Furthermore, the port is uniquely positioned for guests who want to expand their cruise vacation with pre- or post-cruise options such as visiting the central Florida theme parks, enjoying great beaches, and much more.

Growth at the Port

Port Canaveral is embracing the arrival of Princess Cruises as a wonderful opportunity for further growth and collaboration, which will support more local jobs and a robust economy.

“Our collaboration with Princess Cruises marks an exciting milestone for us,” said Captain John Murray, Port CEO. “The fleet of ships homeported at Port Canaveral continues to grow with next year’s arrival of Caribbean Princess. We’re looking forward to providing a high-quality experience for our new cruise partners and their cruise guests.”

In late April, Port Canaveral announced plans for a new cruise terminal to open in 2026. While that target date is after the deployment of Caribbean Princess, it does illustrate the growing demand for the cruise port and the options for growth to accommodate even more vessels.

Port Canaveral is already an established homeport for Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Caribbean Princess Itineraries From Port Canaveral

When she arrives in late November, 2024, the Grand-class Caribbean Princess will offer primarily 6- and 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings for a total of 38 different departures. Her very first sailing from Port Canaveral, leaving November 27, 2024, will be a 4-night cruise to the Turks & Caicos over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The itineraries for Caribbean Princess have been carefully curated to feature the most popular Caribbean ports of call, offering great appeal for guests.

The 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises will visit St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, and Grand Turk, while the 6-night Eastern Caribbean sailings will call on Nassau, Grand Turk, and either Amber Cove or San Juan, depending on the departure date.

Caribbean Princess’ 8-night Western Caribbean cruises will visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize City, and Roatan.

“These ports are all the best ports that you can think of in the Caribbean,” said Terry Thornton, Princess Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Development and Integration.

Guests can also arrange back-to-back sailings with an alternate 6-night and 8-night cruise, for a full 14-day itinerary exploring every amazing port. The 112,894-gross-ton ship can welcome 3,142 passengers per sailing, with 1,200 international crew members onboard to provide the line’s signature luxury service.

The new homeport cruises for Caribbean Princess will be available to book beginning Wednesday, May 24, 2023.