Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Aqua will skip Bermuda and sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, to avoid Hurricane Erin.
- Guests will receive a $100 onboard credit per stateroom and a 20% Future Cruise Credit.
- All Bermuda shore excursions have automatically been cancelled and refunded to passenger accounts.
When Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Aqua, departs on its 4-night voyage today, August 18, 2025, its surprised guests won’t be sailing to the beautiful pink beaches of Bermuda.
Instead, passengers have been told they will be heading north to Saint John, New Brunswick, in Canada.
“To steer clear of Hurricane Erin and the forecasted rough weather, we’ve made the decision to adjust our route to keep everyone safe and sound,” the cruise line said in a letter to passengers.
The cruise’s only call on its 4-night roundtrip voyage was meant to be Kings Wharf in Bermuda on August 20. However, with Hurricane Erin, a Category 4 hurricane at press time, heading north, the ship’s sailing route would have it passing right into the storm’s projected path.
Worth Reading: Norwegian Cruise Ship Skips Port Due to Weather, But Not Tropical Storm Erin
According to the National Hurricane Center, Erin will be off of Florida’s southeastern coast on August 19; its northern coast, Georgia, and South Carolina on August 20; and the Mid-Atlantic Coast on August 21.
By traveling to Saint John, the 156,300-gross-ton Norwegian Aqua will keep guests away from stormy seas and able to enjoy a more relaxed call from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. (Maybe.)
Despite the “exciting” news that passengers will now get to take in the beauty of the Bay of Fundy, Norwegian Cruise Line added a worrisome disclaimer:
“Once we arrive, the Captain and Harbor Master will carefully review conditions to determine if we can remain docked or if we will need to depart shortly after clearance,” the cruise line revealed.
Passengers, unfortunately, won’t be notified until arrival in Saint John.
To compensate for the itinerary change, Norwegian Cruise Line is automatically adding a $100 non-refundable credit per stateroom ($50 per guest for up to two).
It is also offering a 20 percent Future Cruise Credit to be applied to a sailing through December 31, 2026.
All shore excursions in Bermuda were also automatically cancelled and refunded to passenger accounts, with bookings open for excursions in Saint John available at Norwegian Aqua’s Deck 7 Shore Excursion Desk.
Guests will be back in New York on August 22, just as the storm is scheduled to arrive in the northeast.
An Unpredictable Storm
Norwegian Aqua is not the only cruise ship rerouting in an effort to stay away from Hurricane Erin. The storm, which developed off the Western Coast of Africa on August 11, 2025, rapidly gained strength and became a hurricane by time it reached the Caribbean on August 15.
Within 25 hours, the storm became one of the fastest-progressing hurricanes, reaching Category 5 status with winds of 160 miles per hour by August 16.
Read Also: Rough Seas on a Cruise Ship – How They Handle It
Although the storm has been downgraded to a Category 4, it’s carrying wind speeds of 130 miles per hour and is just north of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The storm’s projected path does not have it directly hitting any coast towns in the US or Canada, but weather can be unpredictable.
Traveling at 13 miles per hour, the good news is that cruise ships are faster than hurricanes and can maneuver out of its path should it surprise forecasters again.
