All cruisers are aware that itineraries can and do change for a wide variety of reasons, but it can be frustrating when travelers book a sailing specifically for certain ports of call, only to find those ports of call cancelled well before setting sail.
This is different from last-minute, weather-related changes or other unexpected itinerary adjustments, which most cruisers are understanding about.
Unique sailings are particularly popular based on their ports of call and how infrequently such cruises may be offered. Such is the case with Norwegian Prima‘s spring 2025 transatlantic cruise from New York to Southampton as the ship repositions to spend the summer in Europe.
The 14-night, one-way cruise originally included seven ports of call, including an overnight visit to Reykjavik, Iceland – not a bad ratio of port days for such a long sailing that crosses roughly 3,700 miles of ocean.
Now, however, booked guests have been informed that the itinerary has been adjusted and two ports of call are now cancelled.
“The itinerary for your upcoming vacation on board Norwegian Prima on April 27, 2025 has changed,” the email notification read. “As we continue to optimize itineraries for fuel efficiency, as a part of our commitment to the environment and sustainability efforts, we have adjusted the itinerary.”
Now, the ship will no longer visit St. Pierre & Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland on Wednesday, April 30, nor will the visit to St. John’s, Newfoundland take place on Thursday, May 1.
This means that of the ship’s first six full days of the cruise, five will now be spent at sea with just a single call to Halifax, Nova Scotia to break up the sea days on the second full day of the cruise.
To help compensate for the now-cancelled ports of call, Norwegian Prima has slightly extended her time both in Halifax as well as for her overnight visit in Reykjavik. Originally, the visit to Halifax on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 was to have been from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the ship will now remain in port until 6 p.m. to give guests more time to explore ashore.
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Similarly, the ship will arrive earlier than scheduled in Reykjavik on Sunday, May 4. The original itinerary had the ship arriving in Iceland at 2 p.m., but she will now arrive at 8 a.m. that morning for an extra six hours in port.
At this time, the rest of the ship’s itinerary, including her calls to Belfast, Liverpool, and Le Havre (Paris), are not impacted.
The 143,500-gross-ton Norwegian Prima can welcome 3,099 travelers at double occupancy. Also onboard are approximately 1,500 international crew members to ensure all guests have a fantastic cruise vacation, whether at sea or in ports of call.
Why Are the Ports Cancelled?
Other than for “fuel efficiency” Norwegian Cruise Line has not offered any detailed explanation for why the two ports of call are now cancelled.
The cruise line does “recognize the importance that destinations play in our guests’ vacation decision-making process and assure you that these modifications were made with an optimal guest experience in mind.”
Of course, what is an optimal experience to one traveler may be a disappointment to another. Different cruise travelers have different opinions on multiple sea days, with some cruisers loving that time to explore all the amenities a vessel has, while others preferring more extensive time in port to enjoy new destinations and cultures.
Norwegian Cruise Line in particular has a well-known habit of “tweaking” itineraries by adjusting port times and shifting or cancelling visits in the name of fuel efficiency and sustainability, but all cruise lines make similar changes occasionally.
Just recently, for example, Carnival Cruise Line has been changing a number of itineraries to accommodate pier construction at Half Moon Cay.
Do you prefer more sea days or more port days on a longer cruise? Share your best itineraries on the Cruise Hive boards!
