A tragic event unfolded on the Sun Princess, Princess Cruises’ newest and largest ship, when a crew member went overboard. This incident occurred on Wednesday night, 20th August 2025, as the ship navigated the Dardanelles Strait. The Sun Princess was on a 14-night journey from Barcelona to Athens, heading towards Istanbul.
The man overboard alert was triggered around 11 pm local time. The ship promptly turned back to the suspected location and deployed rescue boats. The Turkish Coast Guard also joined the search with at least five vessels, continuing their efforts into the early hours of Thursday, 21st August.
Crew Member Confirmed
Princess Cruises later confirmed that the individual was a crew member. However, the cruise line has not disclosed their name or role to respect the family’s privacy. Despite extensive search efforts, the crew member remains missing. Princess Cruises expressed their condolences, stating, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of our team member during this difficult time.”
Specially trained counsellors are on board to support both crew and guests. Additionally, Princess’ Family Assistance programme is in direct contact with the crew member’s family.
Impact on Itinerary
Following the incident, the Sun Princess was directed to anchor near Tekirdag, Turkey, to continue working with local authorities. The ship eventually reached Istanbul at 2 pm on Thursday, later than the planned 7 am arrival. Guests have been given until 11:30 pm to return to the ship, with some shortened half-day tours still available.
The scheduled stop at Mykonos on Friday, 22nd August, has been cancelled. Passengers will receive automatic refunds for any tours booked for the Greek island. Despite these changes, the cruise is expected to conclude in Athens on Saturday, 23rd August, as initially planned.
About Sun Princess
The Sun Princess, weighing 177,000 gross tons, is the first of the Sphere-class ships and the largest in the Princess Cruises fleet. It can accommodate 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew members. The ship began service in early 2024, offering a variety of Mediterranean itineraries. After the summer season in Europe, it will move to Fort Lauderdale in November for Caribbean voyages, returning to the Mediterranean in spring 2026.
This is the first reported overboard incident involving the Sun Princess, and investigations are ongoing.
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