Norwegian Cruise Line announced to booked guests that it is altering Pride of America’s Hawaii itinerary on all of the ship’s 2024 Hawaii Inter-Island cruises. The change impacts one port call and is driven by the line’s Sail & Sustain environmental program.
Longer Stay in Kauai for Pride of America
Norwegian Cruise Line guests booked on all Pride of America’s 7-day Hawaii Inter-Island cruises during 2024 will have more time in one port, Nawiliwili, Kauai, which is the final call of the voyage. The 2,186-guest ship sails roundtrip from Honolulu.
In a notice sent to cruise guests already booked on the sailings, Norwegian Cruise Line said it will extend the scheduled overnight call, allowing guests more time to experience the destination. The change affects all departures between January 6, 2024, and December 28, 2024.
The line’s Sail & Sustain program promotes global sustainable practices across the company’s operations, including fuel and energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling.
Norwegian’s notice to guests said, “We are committed to providing the best vacations at sea and exceptional guest experiences while driving a positive impact on society and the environment. As part of our global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, we are continually seeking opportunities to reduce our overall carbon footprint.”
Kauai, often called the Garden Island of Hawaii, is known for its lush vegetation, mountains and beaches. Nawiliwili Harbor is the island’s main port. Popular shore excursions offered to Pride of America guests include a luau and pig roast, and guided tours of natural attractions such as the 3,000-foot-deep Waimea Canyon and the Wailua River.
Reducing the Carbon Footprint
Norwegian Cruise Line previously deviated from a published schedule due to its Sail & Sustain policies. The line announced in late February that guests who are booked on the June 8, 2023 sailing of Norwegian Sky would experience an itinerary significantly different from the original.
The ports of call and the length of every port stay during the 10-day cruise from Miami were adjusted to adhere to the cruise line’s global sustainability program.
In an email notice to booked guests, Norwegian said, “We are continually seeking opportunities to reduce our overall carbon footprint, and recently committed to pursuing net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations and value chain by 2050. To support this mission, we have optimized our arrival and departure times.”
However, not all adjustments are necessarily the result of Sail & Sustain policies. Also in February, Norwegian Cruise Line said it was altering the March 19, 2023 departure of Norwegian Epic, with one port of call cancelled and another extended.
The impacted cruise is a 7-night roundtrip Caribbean sailing from Puerto Rico. The line removed a port call to Grenada, added a day at sea, and extended a call to Curacao. In this case, no reason for the changes was provided by the line.
