British Columbia’s first cruise ship call of the season has been canceled, delaying the start to Canada’s west coast cruising season.
Princess Cruises has canceled the San Francisco to Vancouver portion of Caribbean Princess’ current Panama Canal voyage out of Port Everglades. In a message to passengers on Sunday, the line said “With regret, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the coastal portion of the cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver in order to allow time to prepare for dry-dock operations.”
The vessel was scheduled to visit Victoria, BC on April 6, and then conclude the cruise in Vancouver on April 7. It was then scheduled to go into dry dock on April 7 in Portland, Oregon to prepare for the summer season. According to Princess, the extra time in dry dock will be to ensure the ship is up to its “highest standards in advance of the busy summer season.”
MORE: Fourth Full Norwegian Escape Cruise Canceled As Ship Repairs Continue
Now, the first cruise ship of British Columbia’s cruising season is scheduled to be Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, which is set to arrive in Victoria on April 9. The ship will then be the first to visit Vancouver when it arrives there on April 10.
For those who are onboard for the full 19 day journey, Princess will be providing a four-day refund, and is also putting together air and hotel arrangements for passengers since the voyage will not be concluding in Vancouver as planned. They will also receive a $250 future cruise credit.
Guests who booked the four-day leg from San Francisco to Vancouver will be receiving a full refund, as well as a 100 percent future cruise credit.
READ NEXT: Carnival Prepares For Its Biggest-Ever Alaska Season