Key Aspects:
- For at least three sailings, and likely more, Norwegian Gem will no longer be visiting Koper, Slovenia.
- The port, which was featured on summer sailings from Rome to Ravenna, has been replaced by Trieste, Italy, or Zadar, Croatia.
- Norwegian Cruise Line did not directly confirm the cause of the switch, but port availability issues seem likely.
Norwegian Gem’s summer season in the Mediterranean is going to look a little different than what cruisers were expecting.
As of May 20, 2026, the port of Koper, Slovenia, has been removed and replaced from several of the 93,530-gross ton vessel’s Mediterranean sailings. Depending on availability, Trieste (Venice), Italy, or Zadar, Croatia, have been substituted in Koper’s place.
So far, Cruise Hive has confirmed that the port was removed from the June 14 and June 28 departures, both of which are 7-night, one-way sailings from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, to Ravenna, Italy. Koper is not featured on the reverse 7-night itineraries from Ravenna back to Rome.
“It looks like it’s being changed on every Gem itinerary …. my 6/14 sailing changed to Zadar, Croatia and my 6/28 sailing changed to Trieste, Italy,” one future guest, who will be onboard for back-to-back cruises, shared on Facebook.
Additionally, guests sailing in September 2026 have reported receiving the same update, although they did not specify which specific sailing they are booked on. In their case, the visit to Koper was replaced with a day in Trieste, Italy.
The same one-way sailings from Rome to Ravenna are being offered on September 6 and September 20.
“Just received this port change on the GEM on Sept, anyone else have this port change,” another impacted guest inquired on Facebook.
Norwegian Gem is also scheduled to operate these Rome-based itineraries throughout July, August, and the first half of October, and it’s quite possible that more itineraries will get the same adjustment if they haven’t already.
On November 1, the 2,394-guest ship will begin her transatlantic crossing to her next homeport in Tampa, Florida.
Why Did NCL Make the Itinerary Change?
Cruise lines are well within their rights to make itinerary changes for a variety of reasons, such as changes in port availability, safety concerns, and/or shifting courses.
In this case, Norwegian Cruise Line did not directly confirm the reason. However, the way in which the change was communicated to guests suggests port availability may be to blame.
“While we coordinate closely with port authorities to confirm every detail well in advance, operational conditions can change, and at times we’re informed that space is no longer available,” Norwegian Cruise Line wrote in letters to impacted guests.
“As a result, our planned call to Koper, Slovenia will no longer be part of this voyage,” the cruise line continued.
Koper is Slovenia’s largest and only major commercial seaport. It has one dedicated cruise ship berth, but can accommodate up to four ships simultaneously by utilizing multi-use quays.
However, availability could shift based on factors like maintenance needs within the port and/or issues with reserving the additional quays.
Shore Excursions Refunded
As is standard with port cancellations and adjustments, NCL is automatically cancelling all shore excursions for Koper that were booked directly through the cruise line. A full refund will be provided to the original form of payment.
Guests who booked independent tours will need to cancel those on their own and as soon as possible to avoid potential last-minute cancellation penalties.
“If you booked a shore excursion for Koper, Slovenia, through NCL, no worries, we’ve got it taken care of. Those tours will be automatically canceled, and a full monetary refund will be credited,” NCL confirmed.
New experiences will also be available to book for the replacement ports. For example, NCL offers 15 different tours to explore Zadar. There will also be no shortage of things to do around Trieste, which is the gateway to Venice for cruise guests.
