Passengers planning Southern Caribbean vacations aboard Norwegian Viva are facing unexpected changes after Norwegian Cruise Line cancelled a series of sailings from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The cruise line notified guests and travel advisors on June 1, 2026, that Norwegian Viva’s 7-night departures from San Juan scheduled between January 2, 2028, and July 23, 2028, will no longer operate.
In a letter sent to booked guests, the cruise line said the move is tied to changes in the deployment schedule of the newer Prima-class vessel, which entered service in 2023. The 3,195-passenger ship will now be operating out of Port Miami in Florida in 2028.
“While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, at times modifications are made to optimize voyages due to changing port availability. As a result of port availability, Norwegian Viva’s sailings from January 2, 2028, through July 23, 2028, have been cancelled,” the notice stated.
The cancelled voyages were part of the 142,500-gross-ton ship’s Southern Caribbean program from Puerto Rico, which offered roundtrip itineraries to destinations throughout the region. The cruise line did not provide additional details about the port availability issues.
Guests booked on the affected voyages are now being automatically removed from their reservations and offered refunds or future cruise incentives as the cruise line works to reaccommodate travelers.
Following Norwegian Viva’s redeployment, the ship will operate short Bahamas cruises from Miami. Those itineraries will include calls at Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island destination, Great Stirrup Cay, which is currently undergoing renovations and enhancements.
Alternatives, Refunds and Future Cruise Credits
Norwegian Cruise Line is providing several options for passengers impacted by the cancellations.
For guests still interested in sailing from San Juan, the company is directing passengers toward alternative Southern Caribbean itineraries aboard Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva’s sister ship in the Prima Class.
Norwegian Prima will operate similar roundtrip cruises from Puerto Rico and visit many of the same destinations originally scheduled for Norwegian Viva, providing minimal disruption to travel plans.
Its 7-night voyages will visit the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Passengers who choose not to rebook will receive a full refund automatically. The cruise line said refunds will be returned to the original form of payment used at the time of booking.
Refund processing will begin within 30 business days. Guests who paid using Future Cruise Credits will have those credits automatically reinstated to their Latitudes Rewards accounts within 10 days of the cancellation date.
In addition to refunds, Norwegian Cruise Line is offering passengers a 10 percent Future Cruise Credit that can be applied toward any published sailing through December 31, 2028. The credit becomes available beginning June 8, 2026.
The company did not announce any additional compensation beyond the refund and the Future Cruise Credit offer, as passengers have ample time to rebook a cruise without losing deposits
