The ships went on two cruises each in the late 1870s and early 1880s, primarily to East Asia. In 1878, "Leipzig" was involved with a diplomatic dispute with Nicaragua. "Prinz Adalbert" was used to secure Germany's growing colonial empire in Africa. In the mid-1880s, "Leipzig" was heavily rebuilt to allow her use as a squadron flagship on foreign stations. She served abroad in this capacity from 1888 to 1893; during this extended deployment, she participated in the campaign to suppress the Abushiri revolt in German East Africa in 1888–1890. She then alternated between East Africa, China, and Chile, where she protected German nationals during the Chilean Civil War of 1891. In the meantime, "Prinz Adalbert" had been converted into a training ship in 1886, and served in that role for three years, before being reduced to a barracks ship in May 1890. In 1907, she was sold for scrap; by that time, "Leipzig" too had been reduced to a barracks ship and stationary training hulk in 1895, though she survived until 1919, when she sank accidentally. Raised in 1921, she too was broken up for scrap.