Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Joy’s April 12, 2027, sailing has been cancelled in favor of a full-ship charter.
- The cruise line suggested other voyages in April 2027 that impacted guests could book instead.
- Guests who don’t take any action will automatically receive a full refund of their cruise fare.
Soon-to-be guests of Norwegian Joy are likely feeling a lot less joyful after learning that their sailing has been cancelled in favor of a private charter.
Norwegian Cruise Line notified booked guests that the 5-night sailing that is scheduled to embark in Miami, Florida, on April 12, 2027, was cancelled because the entire 3,776-guest ship had been bought out by a private charter.
It’s not clear who is behind the charter at this time, but NCL does partner with various organizations for exclusive reservations from time to time.
“Your planned cruise on Norwegian Joy’s April 12, 2027, sailing, has unfortunately been cancelled due to a full ship charter,” Norwegian Cruise Line wrote in a letter to impacted guests, which was shared on Facebook.
Assuming the schedule doesn’t change, the voyage is the final roundtrip Caribbean cruise of the season before the Breakaway Plus-class ship relocates to Seattle to begin its 2027 Alaska deployment.
The now-chartered itinerary includes stops at Cozumel, Mexico, and at Great Stirrup Cay, which is Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas.
Guests Offered Alternate Sailings
Of course, Norwegian Cruise Line isn’t just leaving booked passengers high and dry. Cruise Hive has learned that guests have multiple options to choose from in order to make things right.
First, NCL highlighted some comparable cruises departing around the same time that guests with flexible travel arrangements may be interested in taking.
“If one of these options or any other adventure catches your eye, our dedicated team is available to help you rebook or plan a new cruise vacation when you are ready,” NCL wrote.
The first option is a 4-night sailing to the Bahamas onboard Norwegian Getaway, which just like the cancelled sailing, also embarks from Miami on April 12, 2027.
This replacement voyage would call to Nassau, Bahamas, and Great Stirrup Cay, so at least guests would still get to visit the newly upgraded private island.
Alternatively, Norwegian Viva is offering two sailings in April of 2027 that impacted cruisers might find appealing.
The first is a 5-night Caribbean cruise that departs from Miami on April 13, which includes calls at Great Stirrup Cay and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
This will be followed by a 7-night Caribbean sailing to Roatan, Honduras; Cozumel, Mexico; Harvest Caye, NCL’s private destination in Belize; and Great Stirrup Cay.
If any of these three itineraries or another unmentioned cruise seems intriguing, guests are encouraged to contact Norwegian Cruise Line to get rebooked on a new sailing.
Full Refunds Available
If another cruise vacation isn’t in the cards, guests don’t need to take any action. They will automatically receive a full refund of their cruise fare to their original form of payment in approximately seven to 10 business days.
If reservations were made using a Future Cruise Credit (FCC), the used credit will be automatically re-applied to guests’ Latitudes accounts within ten days. For context, Latitudes Rewards is the name of NCL’s loyalty program.
As a gesture of goodwill, the cruise line will also be giving every impacted guest a 10% discount in the form of a Future Cruise Credit, which can be put toward any NCL sailing through December 31, 2027.
The credit will be available starting on May 11, 2026, and will be given to all regardless if they pivot to a different voyage or accept the full refund.
