A tragic incident has taken place onboard Sun Princess, Princess Cruises’ newest and largest vessel, after a crew member went overboard while the ship was sailing through the Dardanelles Strait on Wednesday night, 20th August 2025.
The man overboard alert was issued at approximately 11 pm local time as the Sphere-class ship was en route to Istanbul during a 14-night voyage from Barcelona to Athens.
The vessel immediately turned back to the presumed location and launched rescue boats, while at least five Turkish Coast Guard vessels joined the search effort through the early hours of Thursday, 21st August.
Princess Cruises confirmed the overboard in a statement, saying:
“Our ship’s emergency response team immediately initiated search and rescue procedures, which are actively underway at this time. We are working in coordination with local maritime authorities to support the operation.”
Crew Member Confirmed
The cruise line later confirmed that the individual was a member of the ship’s crew, though their name and role have not been released to protect their family’s privacy.
Despite extensive searches, the crew member has not been located. Princess Cruises said:
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of our team member during this difficult time.”
Specially trained counsellors are onboard Sun Princess to support both crew and guests, while Princess’ Family Assistance programme is working directly with the crew member’s relatives.
Impact on Itinerary
Due to the incident, Sun Princess was directed to an anchorage near Tekirdag, Turkey, to continue coordination with local authorities.
The ship reached Istanbul at 2 pm on Thursday, later than its originally scheduled 7 am arrival.
Guests have been given until 11:30 pm to return to the ship, with some shortened half-day tours still running.
The ship’s scheduled call to Mykonos on Friday, 22nd August, has been cancelled. All tours booked for the Greek island are being automatically refunded to passengers’ onboard accounts.
Despite the changes, the voyage is still expected to conclude in Athens on Saturday, 23rd August, as originally planned.
About Sun Princess
At 177,000 gross tons, Sun Princess is the first of the Sphere-class and the largest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, with capacity for 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew.
The vessel entered service in early 2024 and has been sailing a mix of Mediterranean itineraries.
After her summer season in Europe, she will reposition to Fort Lauderdale in November for Caribbean voyages before returning to the Mediterranean in spring 2026.
This is the first reported overboard incident involving the new ship, and investigations remain ongoing.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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