Princess Cruises has canceled the planned visit of its Ruby Princess cruise ship to Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii, originally scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026. This decision follows the severe impact of Hurricane Lowell on Kauai, prompting itinerary adjustments on the 16-night Hawaiian Islands cruise that departed San Francisco on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Itinerary Changes Extend Honolulu Port Call
The Ruby Princess was set to call at Nawiliwili from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 22. Instead, the ship will steer directly to Honolulu, Hawaii, where it will arrive at 8 a.m. on the same day, extending the stay to nearly 40 hours until the
scheduled departure at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23. Originally, the vessel was to reach Honolulu at 7 a.m. on September 23. This change effectively replaces the Kauai stop with an overnight stay in Honolulu.
Hurricane Lowell’s Impact on Kauai Infrastructure
Hurricane Lowell, which passed Kauai as a Category 2 storm after peaking at Category 5, struck the island late September 14 into the morning of September 15, causing widespread damage. According to the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), over 91% of the island lost power, with more than 30,000 residents still without electricity as of September 16. KIUC COO Brad Rockwell stated, “We were pleased
that some restoration could be made today, but unfortunately the majority of our members remain without power.” He added that repair efforts are focused on transmission system restoration with hopes to transition to distribution circuit repairs by the end of the week.
Passenger Impact and Refunds
Passengers on the Ruby Princess affected by the canceled Kauai visit will have all shore excursions booked through Princess Cruises for Nawiliwili automatically canceled and refunded to their original payment method. The cruise line confirmed no other port stops on the itinerary are impacted at this time.
Hurricane Season Context and Ship Details
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from mid-May to the end
of November, with direct hurricane effects on cruise itineraries being rare. Earlier in August 2026, Hurricane Lala caused itinerary adjustments for cruises visiting Hawaii by forcing the closure of the Port of Honolulu. The Ruby Princess is a Princess Cruises vessel carrying over 3,000 passengers and offering 900 balcony staterooms along its 16-night roundtrip from San Francisco to the Hawaiian Islands. Guests embarked on Thursday afternoon around 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
