Diamond Princess ship cancels 11 sailings due to staffing challenges

Princess Cruises canceled eleven sailings Monday afternoon on its Diamond Princess ship due to staffing challenges, the cruise line said, marking a delay in the ship’s return to service in the wake of the pandemic.

Princess told USA TODAY in an emailed statement Tuesday:

Over the past year we have operated hundreds of cruises thanks to the tens of thousands of our Princess team members that have rejoined our fleet to deliver exceptional Princess vacations. However, like others in the global travel industry we have experienced some labor challenges.

With rising occupancy levels on the ships that have already returned to service and our commitment to guarantee the Princess experience is exceptional, Princess has made the difficult decision to cancel a limited number of voyages (11 sailings) on the Diamond Princess beginning September 1, 2022 through November 13.

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The travel industry has struggled with ongoing labor shortages in the wake of the pandemic. The U.S. added 96,000 leisure and hospitality jobs in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but employment in the sector is still down 7.1% from February 2020.

What options do Diamond Princess customers have?

Guests booked on the canceled Diamond Princess sailings can either get a cash refund, switch to an “equivalent cruise” with each passenger given $100 to spend on board, or choose a future cruise credit for the entire value of the fare they paid, plus $100 per guest to spend on board.

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Diamond Princess saw early COVID-19 outbreak

The Diamond Princess saw a large COVID outbreak in early 2020, which was later the subject of an HBO documentary. The ship was quarantined off Yokohama, Japan, and the outbreak resulted in over a dozen deaths and more than 700 cases.

The cancellations come as many lines have dropped some pandemic-era rules after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. Bookings and capacity have also been ramping back up.

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