The Norwegian Jewel which was stranded at sea after ports denied guests to disembark also has propulsion problems but this has ended up kind of good!
Norwegian Jewel Latest
Since Norwegian Cruise Line announced a suspension of operations due to the coronavirus outbreak it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Norwegian Jewel.
According to the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), the Norwegian cruise ship experienced propulsion problems that required repairs at the next port of call which was Honolulu Harbor.
This comes as good news for guests onboard as authorities in Hawaii originally denied them to disembark. The technical issues can only be fixed without passengers onboard which has forced the hand of the authorities in Hawaii.
It is important to be clear that the ship has never had any cases of COVID-19. The 2,000 guests and 1,000 crew members remain in good health even though they have remained onboard since March 11 when the ship was in the Cook Islands.
Director Jade Butay, Hawaii Department of Transportation, said:
“A detailed plan is being developed with Norwegian Cruise Line that keeps passengers isolated to avoid any potential strain on Hawaii’s resources, while also addressing the well-being of the cruise line passengers who have been at sea for a very long time,”
“Because of the additional precautions we are taking in response to the COVID-19 crisis, it will take some time to transport these passengers safely to their chartered planes and we thank the public for its cooperation and understanding.”
Confirmed in a tweet from Norwegian Cruise Line, chartered flights have been arranged from Honolulu to Los Angeles; Sydney; London; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Frankfurt, Germany. The flights will depart on March 23 & 24 and guests will not be able to disembark until three hours before their scheduled departure.
Norwegian Jewel will no doubt be reaming in Hawaii for some time so the issue can be fixed. As Norwegian Cruise Line along with the entire insert has suspended operations there will be plenty of time.
Also Read: 40 Best Things to Do in Honolulu, Hawaii (Oahu) for Cruisers
The vessel was sailing a repositioning cruise that departed Sydney, Australia on February 28. Those onboard did not expect such an impacted voyage due to the coronavirus outbreak. Ports including Fiji and New Zealand denied the ship forcing passengers to remain onboard for much longer.
Norwegian Jewel is more than 93,500 gross tons with a guest capacity of over 2,300 at double occupancy along with 1,100 crew members.
