You're about to get more options for summer cruises to the Caribbean

23.08.2024 - 19:49 / thepointsguy.com / John Padgett

Get ready for more options for summer cruises to the Caribbean.

Princess Cruises on Friday announced plans for its biggest summer deployment in the Caribbean ever in 2026, with two ships sailing to the region out of Florida.

Princess said its 3,560-passenger Regal Princess and 3,140-passenger Caribbean Princess would sail to the Caribbean in 2026 out of Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades and Port Canaveral, respectively.

The world's fifth-largest cruise line typically bases just one vessel in Florida during the summer for Caribbean sailings.

Caribbean Princess' deployment to Port Canaveral is particularly notable, as Princess typically just operates Florida-based sailings out Port Everglades during summer months.

Related: The best Caribbean cruises for every type of traveler

The Caribbean Princess deployment will bring a Princess ship closer to residents of central and northern Florida as well as Southern states who want to drive to one of the line's ships for a vacation. It'll also give fly-in cruisers a new option for accessing a Princess ship, as they'll be able to reach Caribbean Princess via a relatively quick transfer from Orlando International Airport (MCO).

"Princess continues to expand access to our world-class premium experience now operating from eight North America homeports," Princess President John Padgett said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "With ships now departing from both Central Florida and South Florida, it's easier and more convenient than ever to set sail aboard the iconic Love Boat."

As is the case with many cruise lines, Princess traditionally has deployed nearly all its vessels to Europe and Alaska during the summer season. That's because cruise lines typically can command higher fares for sailings in those regions during the summer than in the Caribbean. But Princess is in the midst of adding two large new vessels to its fleet, allowing it to expand its deployments in other destinations.

Related: The 4 types of Princess ships, explained

Princess on Friday said its two-ship deployment in the Caribbean in 2026 would include Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean and Southern Caribbean itineraries — the first time in the company's 59-year history that it has offered trips to all three major regions of the Caribbean during the summer.

Voyages from Port Canaveral on Caribbean Princess will include:

Voyages from Port Everglades on Regal Princess will include:

Princess has designed the sequence of some of the seven-night itineraries to allow customers to book back-to-back sailings without repeating ports. These longer, 14-night sailings are known as Caribbean Adventurer sailings.

Related: The ultimate Caribbean cruise guide

In addition, the line will offer two