Princess Cruises Warns of Potential Delays at Florida Port

Princess Cruises has warned guests about potential delays at Port Everglades for two sailings departing June 17 onboard Caribbean Princess. 

The upcoming youth basketball tournament, one of the largest in the U.S., is taking place at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. The delays could also impact a cruise onboard the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Explorer of the Seas.

Potential Impact on Caribbean Princess

Princess Cruises has sent out a warning for potential delays getting into Port Everglades, which could affect cruises onboard Caribbean Princess. 

The delays are due to the largest youth basketball tournament in the United States, which is expected to cause significant traffic congestion at the Port Everglades northern entrance at the SE 17th Street Causeway by Terminal 2.

Guests scheduled to embark on Caribbean Princess on Saturday, June 17, are advised to enter Port Everglades via alternate entrances, specifically the I-595 entrance or S.R. 84/Spangler Blvd.

As the warning from Princess Cruises emphasized: “Guests should have their cruise documentation and identification ready to present at the security gate upon arrival and may want to allow extra travel time to the pier.”

The Grand-class Caribbean Princess has two cruises where guests could experience delays entering the port area. They are a fourteen-night Caribbean East/West Adventurer cruise, embarking on June 17, and a seven-night Eastern Caribbean with Puerto Rico cruise departing on the same day.

The message from Princess Cruises further urged guests to be prepared for all eventualities: “While we understand that these potential delays might cause some inconvenience for our guests, we believe that with early preparation and careful planning, we can reduce these challenges and ensure a delightful cruising experience for all our guests.”

The 7-Night Eastern Caribbean with Puerto Rico cruise will make calls at Princess Cays, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; and Puerto Plata/Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.

The 14-night Caribbean East/West Adventurer cruise adds stops at ports in the western Caribbean, such as George Town, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Other Cruise Ships May Face Similar Issues

It’s more than just the Caribbean Princess that could experience traffic-related delays. Other ships leaving Port Everglades on June 17 include the Adventure Of The Seas, which will embark on a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise, with stops at St. Croix, US Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Coco Cay, Bahamas.

If guests find themselves running late due to unexpected delays, there are certain measures that can be taken. Most cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, advise guests to contact them immediately to inform them of their situation. This allows the cruise line to offer help if possible.

For guests who miss the cruise ship’s departure, options are a little more complex. If a flight delay or cancellation caused the delay and guests booked their air travel through the cruise line’s air/sea program, the cruise line will typically arrange for the guests to catch up with the ship at its next port of call.

However, if guests arrange their own transportation and miss the ship’s departure, they will be responsible for travel arrangements to the next port of call, even if the delay is due to the traffic situation at the port.

Finally, if a vast majority of guests have been delayed, the Captain, together with the port authorities and the cruise line, may decide to postpone departure until all guests have been accounted for.