Princess Cruises announced on September 17, 2026, that the Ruby Princess will skip its scheduled stop at Nawiliwili, Kauai, on Tuesday, September 22, due to damage caused by Hurricane Lowell. The ship’s itinerary for the 16-night Hawaiian Islands cruise departing from San Francisco on September 17 has been adjusted to include an extended overnight stay in Honolulu, arriving at 8 a.m. on September 22 and departing as originally scheduled at 5 p.m. on September 23.
Hurricane Lowell Impact on Kauai
Hurricane Lowell struck Kauai overnight between Monday and Tuesday, September 14-15, 2026, reaching Category 5 strength before weakening to Category 2 near the islands. The
storm caused widespread power outages, with more than 91% of the island losing electricity. As of September 16, over 30,000 Kauai residents remained without power, according to local outlet Kaua’i Now. This marks the first hurricane to directly affect Kauai since 1992.
Passenger Adjustments and Refunds
Passengers originally scheduled to disembark in Kauai between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on September 22 will miss the stop. To compensate, the Ruby Princess will spend nearly 40 hours docked in Honolulu, giving passengers additional time to explore. Princess Cruises has automatically canceled and refunded all shore excursions booked through the cruise line for the Kauai stop.
No other ports on the itinerary have been affected as of this announcement.
Utility Restoration Efforts
Brad Rockwell, chief operating officer of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, reported restoration progress following Hurricane Lowell. “We were pleased that some restoration could be made today, but unfortunately the majority of our members remain without power,” Rockwell stated. He added repair work over the next two days would focus on finalizing transmission system fixes and moving onto distribution circuit repairs by the end of the week or sooner.
Hurricane Season and Cruise Disruptions
The 2026 Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from mid-May to late November. Hurricane Lowell is one of the rare
storms to directly disrupt cruise ship schedules in this region. Earlier in August, Hurricane Lala forced itinerary changes for vessels such as Pride of America and Norwegian Spirit and caused temporary closure of Honolulu’s port.
