Ruby Princess Itinerary Altered After Hurricane Lowell
Princess Cruises has changed the itinerary for Ruby Princess's September 2026 Hawaiian cruise, skipping Kauai due to hurricane damage and extending the
Princess Cruises has altered the itinerary for the Ruby Princess's 16-night Hawaiian voyage departing September 17, 2026, from San Francisco. The ship will skip its scheduled call at Nawiliwili, Kauai, due to damage from Hurricane Lowell.
According to a notification sent to booked guests, the cruise line confirmed the change. "Due to the impact of Hurricane Lowell on the island of Kauai, Ruby Princess will no longer call to Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hawaii on Tuesday, September 22," the email stated. The port was to have been the first stop on the itinerary.
Hurricane Damage on Kauai
The itinerary change is a direct response to the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell. The storm passed close to Kauai on September 7 and 8, 2026. It was the first hurricane to directly impact the island since 1992. Local news outlet Kaua'i Now reported the storm knocked out power to more than 91% of the island's utility cooperative accounts. An outage map from the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative on September 16 showed more than 3,100 customers were still without power. Hundreds of structures and roads were also damaged.
Revised Itinerary Details
Instead of visiting Kauai, the Ruby Princess will proceed directly to Honolulu. The call there has been extended into an overnight stay. The ship will now arrive at 8 a.m. On Tuesday, September 22, instead of the originally scheduled 7 a.m. Arrival on Wednesday, September 23. It will depart as planned at 11 p.m. On Wednesday, giving guests approximately 39 hours in port.
Princess Cruises, a line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc with a fleet of 15 ships, has confirmed that all shore excursions booked through the cruise line for the cancelled Kauai visit will be automatically refunded. No other ports on the 16-night sailing are currently affected.
The revised schedule for the remaining port calls is as follows:
| Port | Date | Arrival | Departure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Hawaii | September 22-23 | 8 a.m. (Sep 22) | 11 p.m. (Sep 23) |
| Kona, Hawaii | September 24 | 9 a.m. | 6 p.m. |
| Kahului, Hawaii | September 25 | 8 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. |
| Ensenada, Mexico | October 1 | 12 p.m. | 5 p.m. |
Broader 2026 Hurricane Season Context
Hurricane Lowell is not the first storm to disrupt cruise schedules in Hawaii during the 2026 season. In mid-August, Hurricane Lala caused cancelled port visits and itinerary adjustments for other ships, including the Pride of America and Norwegian Spirit, while the Port of Honolulu was closed. The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30.
In contrast, the Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet, with no official hurricanes recorded by mid-September since the season began on June 1. The ship will spend five full days at sea after leaving Hawaii before its short call in Ensenada, Mexico, and will return to San Francisco for debarkation on October 3.
