Passengers on the upcoming Norwegian Escape transatlantic cruise will spend less time in various ports on its 16-night Italy, France, and Spain itinerary.
Technical Maintenance Leads to Altered Schedule
Norwegian Cruise Line has announced a change to the scheduled itinerary for Norwegian Escape’s 16-night transatlantic voyage, set to depart from New York City on April 8, 2024.
The revision to the Breakaway Plus-class ship, which affects several port calls, including her visit to Bermuda, comes as the company prioritizes necessary technical maintenance.
“While maintaining original itineraries is always our preference, we occasionally need to make adjustments to enhance the journey for our guests,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in an email to travel partners and passengers.
“Due to required technical maintenance, we have revised the Norwegian Escape’s itinerary, ensuring that our guests’ experience will remain uninterrupted and enjoyable.”
Port Arrival and Departure Times Updated
The 4,266-passenger Norwegian Escape’s voyage, departing from New York City on April 8, 2024, at 7 p.m. EST (1900 hours), is slated to include a series of port visits that remain intact. However, the arrival and departure times for four of the ports have been adjusted.
Originally, passengers were scheduled to arrive at King’s Wharf in Bermuda on April 10 at 8 a.m. (0800 hours) and depart at 4 p.m. (1600 hours). This would be followed by an arrival at Ponta Delgada in the Portuguese Azores on April 15 at 7 a.m. (0700 hours), with a departure scheduled for 4 p.m. (1600 hours).
Under the updated schedule, the ship will now arrive in Bermuda an hour later, docking at 9 a.m. (0900 hours) and maintaining its 4 p.m. (1600 hours) departure time on April 10. The ship will arrive as scheduled at 7 a.m. (0700 hours) on April 15 in Ponta Delgada but will now depart an hour earlier, at 3 p.m. (1500 hours).
Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Line Reveals New Itineraries for Multiple Ships
After a day at sea, the 164,600-ton Norwegian Escape will make its way to Lisbon, Portugal, on April 17 and Cadiz (Seville), Spain, on April 18. The expected arrival in Lisbon was originally 10 a.m. (1000 hours) with a departure at 5 p.m. (1700 hours), and in Cadiz at 10 a.m. (1000 hours) with a departure at 8:30 p.m. (2300 hours).
The new itinerary has the ship arriving in Lisbon an hour earlier, at 9 a.m. (0900 hours), and in Cadiz at 10:30 a.m. (1030 hours), a 30-minute later arrival.
Impact on Pre-Purchased Excursions
As Norwegian Escape adjusts its clock for port visits on the upcoming transatlantic cruise, passengers may need to adjust shore-side plans.
Norwegian Cruise Line automatically adjusts any excursions purchased directly through them to fit a new schedule. In cases where adjustments aren’t possible, guests who have booked their onshore activities through NCL will be reimbursed to the payment method in which the excursion was purchased.
Passengers who have made private bookings will need to proactively reach out to their respective tour operators to ensure their itineraries align with the new port timings.
Norwegian Cruise Line advises all guests to review their excursion details and make necessary arrangements before their sailing date.
Escape to Explore the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas
Norwegian Escape’s transatlantic journey’s additional ports remain unaffected, including Malaga, Ibiza, and Barcelona, Spain; Cannes, France; and Livorno (Florence/Pisa) and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, where she arrives on April 24, 2024.
Following this cruise, Norwegian Escape is set to embark on a long season of enchanting Mediterranean and Adriatic adventures, beginning with its “11-Night Mediterranean: Italy, France & Greece” sailing on April 24.
She will stay in the Mediterranean and Adriatic, visiting calling in numerous ports in Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Croatia through November 26, 2024, before crossing the Atlantic again to conduct her winter in the Caribbean.
