Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Spirit is not visiting Hilo or Kona as planned on her current sailing, but instead has arrived at Honolulu early.
- The itinerary change and early arrival to the debarkation port is due to Tropical Storm Lala moving toward Hawaii.
- Guests have been permitted to debark early if they wish, but the ship will leave Honolulu to wait out the storm.
Guests aboard Norwegian Spirit are having a rougher sailing than they might have wished for their 16-night, one-way trip from Vancouver to Honolulu. The ship departed Canada on Friday, July 31, 2026 with visits to various destinations in Alaska before turning out into the Pacific Ocean to head for Hawaii, expecting to debark in Honolulu on Sunday, August 16.
While the 2,018-guest ship has reached Hawaii as planned and enjoyed visits to Kahului (August 11) and Nawiliwili (August 12) already, her last two calls have now been cancelled. She was to have visited Hilo on Friday, August 14 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., followed by Kona on Saturday, August 15 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The west-northwest track and growing intensity of Tropical Storm Lala, however, have made it prudent for the ship to avoid calling on those ports, both of which are on the Big Island, and instead go to Honolulu earlier than planned. As a matter of fact, a hurricane watch is already in effect for the entire county of Hawaii, which is all of the Big Island.
Guests onboard the ship have shared updates on Facebook noting the changes, including screenshots from the cruise line’s app confirming the change. The ship arrived in Honolulu on Thursday, August 13 at roughly 12:45 p.m.
Announcements have also been made over the ship’s public address system to keep everyone informed of the itinerary change and what they can expect.
If guests wish to debark the ship early, they have been permitted to do so, but Norwegian Spirit will leave Honolulu at roughly 11 p.m. Thursday night to remain at sea until Sunday as planned. This will ensure the ship can be safely in deep water and not at risk from any debris or waves while docked.
According to guests onboard, onboard credit is being provided to those guests who remain on the ship as compensation for the missed ports.
As with any hurricane-related itinerary changes, the situation is fluid and further adjustments or announcements may yet be necessary as plans are refined and updated.
Are Hawaii’s Ports Closed?
While Norwegian Spirit is taking appropriate precautions to stay safely out of the way of the storm, the state of Hawaii is preparing for the impact of Tropical Storm Lala.
The US Coast Guard has all but two Hawaiian ports at Condition X-Ray, with gale-force winds expected within 48 hours. The remaining two ports, Port Allen and Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai, are both Condition Whiskey, with gale-force winds expected within 72 hours.
Full closures of the ports are likely as Tropical Storm Lala moves closer to Hawaii and is expected to strengthen.
According to the most recent update from the National Hurricane Center, Lala is expected to become an official hurricane as she approaches the Big Island of Hawaii. At the moment, she is 620 miles east-southeast of Hilo (830 miles east-southeast of Honolulu), moving west-northwest at 10 miles per hour.
“On the forecast track, Lala is forecast to be near or just south of the Big Island on Saturday, and pass south of the remainder of the islands later in the weekend,” the public discussion reads.
Read Also: Cruising During Hurricane Season – What You Must Know!
Maximum sustained winds have been recorded at 50 mph, still well below the 74-mph threshold for a Category 1 hurricane. Higher gusts have already been noted, while tropical-storm-force winds are extending out up to 205 miles from the center of the storm.
Storm surge and heavy rains are also expected with the storm and can impact port conditions. After the storm passes, ports will need to be inspected to be cleared for reopening.
