Norwegian Cruise Line Ship (Photo Credit: James R. Martin)
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced a significant redeployment of its fleet for 2025, impacting seven of its cruise ships. The changes have already been communicated to travel agents, and several guests have begun receiving communications from the cruise line.
Operational Adjustments for Seven NCL Cruise Ships
Several travel agents and guests have received communications from Norwegian Cruise Line regarding cancellations of a large number of cruises onboard a total of seven ships across the fleet.
The ships that are affected include Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Sky, and the newest ship in the fleet, Norwegian Viva.
The cruise line has cited multiple reasons for the itinerary changes, which include to accommodate strong demand for cruises through the Panama Canal and to the Bahamas, the continuing unrest in the Red Sea, a scheduled dry dock, and full vessel charters.
Specifics regarding new cruises or sailing regions remain under wraps. However, NCL has assured that details on the new options will be unveiled in approximately two weeks, targeting an announcement on April 9 or 10.
In the email sent to travel agents, the cruise line states: “Due to fleet redeployments, charters, and a dry dock, we have decided to cancel select sailings aboard the specified ships.”
“Our team is diligently working to finalize the details of new itineraries for the cancellation dates mentioned. We will announce the replacement itineraries, which will be open for sale, in two weeks.”
Norwegian Viva Cruise Ship in Miami (Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line)
Guests booked on the cancelled cruises should receive more information from the cruise line specific to their sailing and ship. Guests affected by the changes have been promised a full refund and a 10% discount towards an alternative cruise in the form of a Future Cruise Credit, which will be available on April 4.
The full list of cancelled cruises and suggestions by Norwegian Cruise Line for alternative cruises is detailed below, as announced by Norwegian Cruise Line. For these alternative cruises, these are a suggestion by the cruise line, as the 10% FCC can be applied to any published sailings through December 31, 2025.
Norwegian Epic
Alongside the cancellations announced in January 2025, Norwegian Epic has seen cancellations for its November 1 and 11, 2025, sailings. Guests looking for alternative voyages have the option of embarking on a cruise onboard Norwegian Pearl on May 20, 2025, or Norwegian Sky on October 2, 2025.
Norwegian Jade
Norwegian Jade‘s sailings have seen several cancellations, including the February 20, March 4, March 13, and March 24, 2025, cruises. The voyages have been cancelled to accommodate the popular cruises to the Bahamas and Panama Canal.
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line
The recommended alternative for the February 20 sailing is Norwegian Bliss on February 22, 2025. For the March 4, March 13, and March 24 sailings, Norwegian Joy on March 29, 2025, has been offered as the alternative.
Norwegian Pearl
Norwegian Pearl has by far the most cancellations, which include the October 15, 2025, cruise, with alternatives on Norwegian Pearl on May 31, July 12, August 2, September 13, and October 4, 2025.
Other cruises that have been cancelled include the April 19, May 5, May 16, May 27, and June 5 sailings. Alternatives include cruises on Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Sky, and Norwegian Pearl across May, October, April, September, and June.
Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Spirit‘s January 1, 2025, voyage cancellation is accompanied by an alternative sailing on Norwegian Sky on January 6, 2025.
Norwegian Star
Norwegian Star sees adjustments with its May 17 and 29, as well as June 9, 2025, sailings. The recommended alternatives are Norwegian Prima on May 11 and 22, 2025, for the May sailings, and Norwegian Star itself on June 20, 2025, for the June sailing.
Norwegian Viva
For Norwegian Viva, the May 18, 2025, sailing is cancelled with alternatives including sailing onboard Norwegian Viva itself on August 24 through September 11, 2025, and October 9, 2025.
Norwegian Viva (Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze)
The May 27, 2025, cancelled sailing’s recommended alternatives are also on Norwegian Viva on May 18, October 9, and June 6 through 26, 2025.The September 20 and 29, 2025, cruises have alternatives on Norwegian Viva on May 18, October 9, August 24 through September 11, and June 6 through 26, 2025.
Norwegian Sky
Norwegian Cruise Line has also issued an important update regarding sailings scheduled from April 19, 2025, through June 5, 2025, onboard Norwegian Sky.
In response to the ongoing situation in the Red Sea, which has not de-escalated as hoped, the cruise line has decided to cancel sailings in the region. This decision facilitates the rerouting of Norwegian Sky around Africa, introducing her to a new series of itineraries focused on Africa.
Norwegian Sky Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: pio3)
“We have made the decision to cancel Norwegian Sky’s sailings from April 19, 2025 through and including June 5, 2025, in order to reroute her around Africa and accommodate her new redeployment to Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa,” Norwegian Cruise Line states in a letter to guests.
As with the other cancelled cruises, Guests affected by these changes will receive a full monetary refund of the fare paid, and a 10% discount in the form of an FCC towards any published sailings through December 31, 2025.
Frequent Itinerary Changes Across NCL
While the changes are part unavoidable, as is the case with Norwegian Sky, the fact remains that making changes such as this is not new to NCL. Over the last couple of years, the cruise line has made a number of changes to cruises on short notice, as is the case with the six other ships. Earlier this year, Norwegian Getaway was redeployed, which affected seven different sailings.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s trend of making abrupt adjustments across multiple ships raises concerns. These frequent, last-minute itinerary changes will not only undermine guests’ trust in the cruise line, they disrupt carefully planned vacations and leave guests feeling unsure about the reliability of future bookings.
