Princess Cruise Ship Leaves Japanese Port Ahead of Tsunami Warning as It Heads to Alaska

A Princess Cruises ship safely left the Japanese port of Hakodate on Monday, April 20, 2026, just before a major earthquake triggered tsunami warnings along parts of Japan’s northern coast.

The 2,000-passenger Coral Princess was in Hakodate as part of its scheduled North Pacific crossing from Japan to Alaska.

According to a passenger’s Facebook post shared during the event, “The Coral Princess left the Port of Hakodate about 30 minutes before this afternoon’s earthquake hit the region. We did not feel it at sea and we are in waters deep enough that a tsunami is not a worry for our ship. All safe here!”

The magnitude 7.5–7.6 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeast coast around 4:53 p.m. local time. Japan’s Meteorological Agency quickly issued tsunami warnings for coastal areas including Hokkaido (where Hakodate is located), Aomori, Iwate, and Miyagi.

Officials warned of possible waves up to 9 feet in some spots. The warnings were later downgraded and fully lifted after only minor sea-level changes that were between half a foot and over 2 feet.

Thankfully, early reports detail only a handful of injuries and some minor damage due to swaying buildings and objects.  No major tsunami damage took place.

Cruise ships typically will move to deeper waters during tsunami warnings because the waves lose energy far from shore. This precautionary step keeps passengers and crew safe.

Silver Nova

A second cruise ship, Silver Nova from Silversea Cruises, was also in Hakodate that day on its published schedule (arriving around 8 AM and originally set to depart by 6 PM JST).

It left the port very close to its planned time and is now heading to its next stop at Miyako-Iwate on Japan’s east coast.  So far, there is no word on any impact on the itinerary.

From there, Silver Nova will continue its Japan-to-Alaska repositioning cruise.

Coral Princess to Alaska

Coral Princess arrived in Hakodate on time Monday morning and departed roughly on scheduled late-afternoon.

With the ship now well out at sea, it is continuing its itinerary without delay. Its next major destination is Whittier, Alaska, with an estimated arrival on April 28.

The Princess Cruises ship will then take passengers through Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay, plus calls at popular Alaska ports such as Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.

This North Pacific Crossing from Japan to Alaska is the final Asia-to-North America leg of the ship’s larger 131-day Circle Pacific voyage.  This long itinerary began on January 5, 2026, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is scheduled to end in Los Angeles in mid-May.