In a message sent to travel partners, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced the cancelation of the June 30, 2022 sailing of Norwegian Sun. This last-minute cancelation is due to the ship’s condition after hitting an iceberg near Hubbard Glacier on June 25.
Next Sailing Canceled
The next voyage for the 78,309-gross-ton Norwegian Sun was to have been a 5-night Alaska sailing, roundtrip from Seattle and calling on Ketchikan, Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia.
Such short Alaska sailings are relatively rare, but may be used to fill out a ship’s schedule or adjust sailing dates when different voyage lengths are planned.
The email communication sent to travel partners reads, “As a precautionary measure, Norwegian Sun’s June 30, 2022, sailing has been canceled.”
Guests booked on the sailing have also been notified of the cancelation via email and text message, with some guests reporting receiving the news on June 28 – just two days before they were to have set sail. This short notice is relatively unavoidable, however, but can make rearranging or canceling travel plans difficult for travelers.
After hitting the iceberg on June 25, Norwegian Sun skipped her planned visit to Skagway and instead headed straight for Juneau for the ship to be carefully assessed for damage.
On June 27, after the ship was examined, the remainder of the 9-night sailing the ship was on was canceled, and the vessel began to head directly back to Seattle at reduced speed.
Guests remained onboard, but were given a 100% refund as well as a 100% future cruise credit (FCC) to compensate for the interrupted voyage.
At this time, Norwegian Sun is still en route back to Seattle, and is anticipated to arrive Thursday morning for guests to debark on their original schedule.
Reimbursement Offered
Because the cruise line is canceling the ship’s next sailing, all impacted guests are automatically receiving full refunds of their cruise fare, port taxes, and fees, as well as other pre-paid charges such as gratuities, drink packages, and shore tours. Standard and platinum travel protection is the only charge not being refunded.
Refunds will be returned to the original form of payment within five business days, but may take several days longer to show in guests’ accounts depending on their financial institutions’ policies.
If guests paid for their cruise with an FCC, the full amount of the FCC will be returned to their Latitudes loyalty account. The book and sail by dates of those FCCs are also being extended until December 31, 2023, to give guests additional time to choose and enjoy another Norwegian cruise.
In addition, all impacted guests will also receive another FCC worth 50% of their cruise fare for the canceled sailing. These new FCCs will also be valid through December 31, 2023, and can be used on any Norwegian Cruise Line sailing or ship through that date.
The new FCC will be available in guests’ Latitudes accounts on July 7, 2022.
Norwegian Cruise Line will also consider reimbursement of up to $300 per guest for airline change or cancelation fees, but guests must submit receipts and other documentation for consideration for that reimbursement. Each case will be individually reviewed.
How Many Cruises Will Be Canceled?
Guests booked on upcoming July sailings of Norwegian Sun may be rightfully concerned at this time as to whether or not their cruises will take place.
Norwegian Cruise Line faced a similar situation earlier this year when Norwegian Escape ran aground in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on March 14, 2022. After returning to its homeport of Port Canaveral, the ship required repairs for the hull damage and ultimately, five sailings were canceled before the ship set sail with passengers again.
The cancelations were in part due to the need for repairs, as well as supply chain delays for required parts and equipment to complete those repairs.
Norwegian Cruise Line opted to cancel those sailings one at a time, usually just a couple of days prior to the scheduled embarkation, which left many passengers scrambling with hotel, airline, and related cancelations.
The cruise line has not issued details about Norwegian Sun‘s current condition or repair plans at this time, but stay tuned to Cruise Hive for updates on further cancelations or additional information about the ship’s condition as it is released.
