Princess Cruises has canceled the Ruby Princess’s scheduled stop at Nawiliwili port on Kaua‘i Island, Hawaii, originally planned for Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The change affects the ship’s 16-night Hawaiian Islands cruise, which departs roundtrip from San Francisco. Instead, the cruise will extend the call to Honolulu with an overnight stay from 8 a.m. Tuesday, September 22, until 7 a.m. Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Cruise Schedule Changes and Ship Details
The Ruby Princess was initially scheduled to arrive in Honolulu at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The revised itinerary now has the ship pulling into Honolulu a day
earlier at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22, providing passengers nearly 40 hours in port until the original departure time. The Azure Princess carries over 3,000 passengers and features 900 balcony staterooms. The cruise departed from the San Francisco Bay Area at about 3 p.m. PT on Thursday, starting its Hawaiian voyage.
Hurricane Lowell’s Impact on Kaua‘i
The itinerary update was driven by Hurricane Lowell’s impact as the storm passed Kaua‘i late Monday night into early Tuesday morning. Lowell reached Category 5 strength before weakening to Category 2 upon impacting the Hawaiian Islands. The hurricane caused a widespread power outage affecting more than 91% of
Kaua‘i’s residents. As of Wednesday, over 30,000 individuals on the island remained without electricity. Lowell is the first hurricane since 1992 to directly hit Kaua‘i.
Passenger Impact and Shore Excursion Refunds
Passengers originally booked for the Kaua‘i port call will no longer visit the island and will remain in Honolulu an additional night. Princess Cruises confirmed that all shore excursions tied to the canceled Kaua‘i stop will be automatically canceled and refunded to customers. No other ports along the planned route were affected at the time of reporting.
Power Restoration Efforts on Kaua‘i
Brad Rockwell, Chief Operating Officer of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, said restoration works are ongoing. He stated, “We
were pleased that some restoration could be made today, but unfortunately the majority of our members remain without power.” Rockwell added that the next two days will focus on completing repairs to the transmission system, with distribution circuit restorations targeted by the week’s end.
Hurricane Season and Previous Cruise Disruptions
Hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific runs from mid-May through November. Hurricanes rarely impact cruise itineraries in the region. However, earlier in August, Hurricane Lala disrupted cruise schedules by temporarily closing the Port of Honolulu, affecting ships including Pride of America and Norwegian Spirit. Hurricane Lowell’s direct impact on Kaua‘i represents a rare event affecting cruise
operations in Hawaii.
