Norwegian Sun is scheduled to resume passenger sailings this week after striking an iceberg on Saturday, June 25, 2022, while transiting to Hubbard Glacier, Alaska.
Immediately after the impact, which was captured on video by guests on board, the ship slowed its speed and adjusted its route to head for inspection in Juneau.
The in-progress cruise was canceled and two additional cruises canceled as the ship was inspected and repaired.
Norwegian Sun to Sail Again
Repairs have now been completed, and Norwegian Sun is ready to sail again. Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed in a statement to Seatrade that “no further cancellations are set at this time,” and the ship’s next scheduled sailing – departing Seattle, Washington on Thursday, July 14, will proceed as planned.
That voyage is a 7-night, roundtrip itinerary with scheduled port visits to Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, as well as a day of scenic cruising near Hubbard Glacier.
The ship is already docked in Seattle awaiting guests. Undoubtedly the vessel’s 906 international crew members are ensuring the ship is refreshed, cleaned, and fully stocked for its upcoming sailing.
Guests on upcoming sailings are unlikely to notice anything different about the vessel, as the repairs have been completed and cosmetic repairs – refreshing scraped paint on the hull – have also likely been finished.
Damage Minor, but Caution Warranted
The Sun-class vessel struck the iceberg – classified as a growler, a relatively low berg of small to moderate size, roughly equivalent to a grand piano or pickup truck – on June 25. Because much of the impact was below the waterline, the extent of the damage was uncertain and the ship needed proper inspections to certify its condition.
The hull was not breached with the impact and damage to the vessel was minor, but did require repairs out of an abundance of caution.
There were no injuries to guests or crew members as a result of the iceberg impact, and onboard services and operations were not affected.
To provide time for the repairs to be completed, Norwegian Cruise Line canceled the June 30 and July 5 sailings for the vessel. This helped ensure not only could the repairs be completed properly, but that all necessary supplies would be available for the most suitable repair options.
Guests on the impacted sailings were provided full refunds, as well as Future Cruise Credit (FCC) compensation due to the last-minute cancelations.
Consideration was also given for reimbursement of airline change or cancelation fees, though those reimbursements had to be considered individually after guests submitted the necessary receipts or other claim paperwork.
Norwegian Sun weighs in at 78,309 gross tons and has a capacity of 1,976 guests at double occupancy, and up to 2,400 passengers when fully booked. She is one of five Norwegian Cruise Line vessels offering Alaska sailings this year, along with Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Spirit.
After finishing the Alaska season in October, Norwegian Sun will first return to Miami, then New York, and eventually Lisbon, where she will spend the winter offering a variety of European sailings to destinations around Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and the Canary Islands.
Norwegian Sun will return to Seattle for the 2023 Alaska season in May.
