Norwegian Bliss which is the newest ship for Norwegian Cruise Line has been impacted by the category 5 Hurricane Willa and Tropical Storm Vicente in the Pacific. As a result, the cruise line has been forced to change the October 20 sailing.
Norwegian Bliss Changes Itinerary Due to Weather
Hurricane season in the Atlantic might be winding down, but that isn’t the case in the eastern Pacific along the Mexico and U.S. west coast. Norwegian Bliss which is the newest Breakaway-plus class ship for Norwegian Cruise Line has been forced to change the itinerary.
Also Read: 16 Reasons to Cruise on Norwegian Bliss
The ship’s October 20 departure from Los Angeles, California has been changed to keep guest and crew safe away from Hurricane Willa and Tropical Storm Vicente which are both off the Mexican coast.
A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told Cruise Hive the following:
“The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority. Due to Hurricane Willa and Tropical Storm Vincente in the Eastern Pacific, we have modified Norwegian Bliss’ itinerary from Los Angeles. Norwegian Bliss will now call to San Francisco and San Diego, California and Ensenada, Mexico. Our onboard team is prepared to ensure the best vacation experience possible given these weather-related changes. We will continue to closely monitor the storms and provide additional updates as they become available.”
Also Read: How a Hurricane Could Affect Your Cruise
The new cruise ship will no longer be calling in Puerto Vallarta Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas which are all ports based in Mexico. There will be alternatives, and the new port of calls are San Francisco, San Diego, and Ensenada, Mexico. The ship will still arrive back in her homeport as normal on October 27. You can see the original and new itinerary for Norwegian Bliss below:
Original Itinerary
- Sat, Oct 20 – Los Angeles – 0700/1600
- Sun, Oct 21 – Sea Day
- Mon, Oct 22 – Sea Day
- Tue, Oct 23 – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – 0900/1800
- Wed, Oct 24 – Mazatlan, Mexico – 0800/1700
- Thu, Oct 25 – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico – 0700/1500
- Fri, Oct 26 – Sea Day
- Sat, Oct 27 – Los Angeles – 0700/1600
Revised Itinerary
- Sat, Oct 20 – Los Angeles – 0700/1600
- Sun, Oct 21 – Sea Day
- Mon, Oct 22 – San Francisco – 0800/1800
- Tue, Oct 23 – Sea Day
- Wed, Oct 24 – San Diego – 0800/1800
- Thu, Oct 25 – Ensenada, Mexico – 0800/1800
- Fri, Oct 26 – Sea Day
- Sat, Oct 27 – Los Angeles – 0700/1600
Norwegian Cruise Line is making sure guests have the best experience possible while onboard and at the alternative ports of call. The cruise line also continues to monitor the active storms and will keep guest updated on any new developments.
Hurricane Willa Status
The category 5 Hurricane is extremely strong, and according to the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) based in Miami, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.
Willa is moving north at seven mph and is on track to reach the Mexican east coast on Tuesday. There is a Hurricane warning in effect for Mazatlan in Mexico which Norwegian Bliss was originally scheduled to call at on Wednesday, October 24.
Tropical Storm Vicente Status
The Tropical Storm is not far behind Willa and currently has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm is moving northwest at 12 mph. Vicente is expected to weaken over the coming hours but will still be a major threat when it reaches the Mexico west coast on Tuesday evening.
If you do have any upcoming cruises to the Mexican Riviera, do check with the cruise line first for official updates.
