Princess Drops Istanbul From Select 2027 Mediterranean Sailings: New Croatia and Montenegro Calls

What happened

Princess Cruises is dropping Istanbul from several Summer 2027 Mediterranean sailings, including itineraries that had advertised overnight stays in the city. The line told Cruise Critic on May 20, 2026 that it adjusted select voyages on Enchanted Princess and Sun Princess because of deployment changes, and that it is working with affected guests and travel advisors on rebooks and refunds.

For travelers who booked specifically for the Bosporus, the news lands as a port swap — not a full-season cancellation. Princess framed the edits as preserving "high-quality Mediterranean experiences" while keeping core ports in the rotation.

Context and details

Cruise Critic community reports flesh out what changed on at least one sailing: the September 14, 2027 voyage now ends in Trieste, Italy, instead of Istanbul, with Mykonos, Kusadasi, and the Istanbul overnight removed. Additions include Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia and Kotor in Montenegro — a shift from classic Greek-Turkish highlights toward the eastern Adriatic.

Princess said guests on modified sailings can receive refunds or rebooking support, with fare protections on select cruises where itineraries changed. The line did not publish a fleet-wide deployment memo in the trade piece — treat any 2027 Princess Med booking as subject to verification until your final cruise documents match the current itinerary.

Why it matters beyond Istanbul: Eastern Med cruises are often sold on a single marquee port (an overnight in Istanbul, a Santorini sunset, a Ephesus day from Kusadasi). When that anchor disappears, the emotional hook of the trip changes even if the night count stays the same.

What this means for travelers

If you are already booked: read Princess's email carefully, compare the new port list to your original, and decide whether the Adriatic additions compensate for lost Greek and Turkish calls. Ask your advisor about fare protection eligibility before you cancel — Princess flagged protections on some modified sailings, not a blanket policy across the fleet.

If you are still shopping 2027 Med: do not assume any Princess sailing still includes Istanbul. Pull the live itinerary on princess.com and match disembark port (Rome, Barcelona, Trieste, etc.) to your flights.

Who might prefer the revised route: travelers who have already done Istanbul and want Dubrovnik walls and Kotor Bay scenery; guests who like a Trieste ending for a Venice or Slovenia add-on.

Who should look elsewhere: cruisers set on Turkey and Greece as the core — compare Princess sailings that still call those ports, or shop other lines' 2027 Med inventory in our grids while you verify Princess dates line-direct.

What to do next

Open your Princess booking (or quote) and confirm every port and the final disembarkation city against the latest PDF. If the swap does not work for you, use Princess's rebooking window before air becomes nonrefundable.

To compare other 2027 options, browse Princess Mediterranean sailings below or search sailings by line and month.