Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Sailing on Its New Ship Due to Charter

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Norwegian Cruise Line informed booked guests and travel partners today that the January 22, 2023 sailing of Norwegian Prima from Port Canaveral has been canceled, due to a full ship charter sailing on that date. Impacted guests will automatically be receiving full refunds, and additional compensation is also being given.

7-Night Sailing Canceled

The affected sailing is the 7-night sailing of what will soon be Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Prima. The cruise was to have been a Western Caribbean and Bahamas voyage, scheduled to visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Grand Cayman, as well as the cruise line’s private island in The Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. Two days at sea were also part of the itinerary.

At this time, Norwegian Prima will still be sailing the itinerary as planned, but the voyage is no longer available for public booking as it has been reserved for a private full ship charter.

The email explained, “As a result of a private full ship charter, the Norwegian Prima January 22, 2023 voyage has been canceled. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship at Shipyard
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line

Already-booked guests will automatically receive a full refund of all monies paid, including the cruise fare, pre-paid gratuities or packages, taxes, and fees. The refunds will be processed within 30 days back to the original form of payment.

If guests used a future cruise credit (FCC) to book this Norwegian Prima sailing, 100% of that credit will be returned to their Latitudes accounts.

In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line is also giving all affected guests an FCC equal to 10% of their cruise fare paid, valid for use on any future sailing through May 11, 2023.

“We sincerely appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you aboard very soon,” the email, signed by Senior Vice President of NCL Guest Services Katty Byrd, said.

Norwegian Prima to Debut in September

While Norwegian Prima has not yet debuted, the new vessel, namesake of the Prima class, is scheduled for her maiden voyage sailing from Amsterdam on September 3, 2022. The ship’s original maiden voyage in mid-August was recently canceled due to supply chain issues.

Norwegian Prima Render
Render Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line

The 142,500-gross-ton ship has a variety of amazing features sure to thrill guests, including the first three-level go kart racetrack at sea, the fastest slides at sea, infinity pools, extra-spacious staterooms, outstanding decor, more than 30 restaurants and lounges, an exclusive charcoal sauna, and much more.

Norwegian Prima is the first of six vessels planned for the new class. The second Prima-class ship, Norwegian Viva, is scheduled to join the fleet in June 2023. The remaining ships are tentatively scheduled to enter service with a new vessel each year through 2027.

Canceling Cruises for Charter Sailings

Most major cruise lines do occasionally cancel sailings when full ship charters are arranged. These charters, which are typically organized many months in advance, range from lifestyle cruises to seagoing music festivals to corporate events to celebrations of popular movies or television shows. Any interested group is welcome to contact cruise lines about charter options.

Norwegian Cruise Line is a popular choice for many charters because of the freestyle cruising concept that appeals to a wide range of travelers, allowing for very diverse groups to come together for a cruise vacation.

In the coming months, Norwegian ships will host a variety of charter sailings, including the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean sailing aboard Norwegian Jade from August 23-28, 2022; the The KISS Kruise XI aboard Norwegian Jewel from October 29th through November 3rd, 2022; and The Outlaw Country Cruise 7 aboard Norwegian Pearl from February 21-27, 2023.

While a full ship charter does cause frustration for other passengers who may already have been booked on the impacted sailing, it is important to note that a cruise ticket contract does generally stipulate that sailings may be changed or canceled at any time, provided guests are given a refund.

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