Returning to the Asia market for the first time in three years, Norwegian Cruise Line marked the October 19, 2023, departure of Norwegian Jewel on an 11-day voyage from Tokyo.

The ship will sail a series of 16 unique itineraries with a choice of nine embarkation ports.

Norwegian Jewel Departs on First Sailing From Tokyo

Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,376-guest Norwegian Jewel has departed on the first of a series of cruises in Asia, offering 10- to 14-day itineraries on her six-month deployment to the region. It’s the first sailing in the continent for NCL in three years.

Her current 11-day sailing from Tokyo to Taipei, Taiwan, will call at such ports as Kyoto, Hiroshima City, Nagasaki, and Okinawa Island, Japan; and Hualien, Taiwan.

Besides Tokyo, Norwegian Jewel’s voyages offer eight additional departure ports: Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Bali, Indonesia; Yokohama, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea. The Seoul embarkation port is a first for the cruise line.

Depending on departure, the series of cruises features port calls in 11 countries and is heavily focused on lengthy calls, such as 13.5 hours in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Overnight stays are scheduled in Phuket, Thailand; Osaka, Japan; and Bali (Benoa), Indonesia, and the voyages feature fewer than two full days at sea, on average. 

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Some of the port calls in the series will mark inaugural visits for Norwegian Cruise Line, including to Manila, Boracay, Palawan, and Salomague, all in the Philippines; Bintan Island, Indonesia; and Hualien, Taiwan.

“Today is a milestone moment, as we return to Asia with Norwegian Jewel’s arrival to Tokyo.  We pride ourselves in delivering the best vacation experience and providing endless opportunities for our guests to explore the world…including Asia!” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.

“This region delivers some of the most intriguing history, cuisine, and culture for travelers to discover, and we are thrilled to deliver a diverse selection of port-rich voyages.  This market is important to us, and we are committed to servicing it in the long term,” Herrera added.

Three Additional Ships Will Deploy to Asia Pacific

Looking ahead into 2024 and 2025, Norwegian Cruise Line will expand its presence in Asia and in the Australia/New Zealand market, with the deployment of three additional ships —Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun, and Norwegian Sky.

Norwegian Spirit, with a capacity for 2,002 guests, will sail Down Under from December 2023 through March 2024 on open-jaw cruises between Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand.

Following some repositioning cruises in the South Pacific, the ship will offer 14 Asia sailings from September 2024 to April 2025. Departures will be offered from Manila, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, and Seoul.

The 2,400-guest Norwegian Sun will make its debut in the Asia Pacific region with a six-month deployment beginning in October 2024. The ship will operate 13 unique itineraries — four of them brand new. The new routings include three sailings from Melbourne, Australia, and the fourth is a voyage from Auckland, New Zealand, to Bali, Indonesia.

Embarkation ports for Norwegian Sun’s series are Melbourne and Sydney, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Honolulu; and Papeete, French Polynesia.

The 2,000-guest Norwegian Sky will deploy to Asia from December 2024 to March 2025, and sail a series of seven voyages with embarkation offered in Manila, Philippines; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo; and Port Louis, Mauritius. Guests can choose sailings from 10 to 17 days.

More Cruise Lines Expand Asia Offerings

Norwegian Cruise Line is not alone in seeking opportunities in Asia. MSC Cruises announced in May 2023 that it would deploy the mega-ship MSC Bellissima to Japan for the winter 2023-24 season.

Starting in November 2023, the 4,500-guest ship will sail  6-, 9-, and 11-night sailings from Yokohama. From January through March 2024, MSC Bellissima will reposition to a new homeport, Naha/Okinawa, and operate a series of 4- and 5-night itineraries.

Princess Cruises has also reaffirmed its commitment to the Japanese market with the current deployment of the 2,670-guest Diamond Princess to Tokyo. In 2024, the ship will sail 36 departures of 7- to 23-day voyages from Tokyo between March and August.

Norwegian Cruise Line has reached out to booked cruisers to alert them to itinerary changes, embarkation port changes, and port cancellations with respect to the situation in Israel.

The safety and security of all guests and crew members is the topmost priority, and all the applicable changes are being made to ensure smooth sailing for everyone aboard.

All 2023 Israel Calls Cancelled

In notifications to guests, Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed that all scheduled calls in Israel for all Norwegian Cruise Line ships have now been cancelled for the rest of 2023. On impacted itineraries, alternative port calls are being arranged where possible.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation in Israel. Our thoughts are with all those impacted during this time,” a statement from a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson reads. “As always, the safety and security of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our top priority. As a result, we have made the decision to cancel all calls to Israel for the remainder of 2023.”

Guests booked on individual sailings will be contacted when itinerary changes are confirmed, as it is now necessary to make multiple adjustments on some sailings that had planned multiple calls in Israel.

Furthermore, as many cruise lines are making similar adjustments to sailings within their respective fleets, it is becoming increasingly challenging to arrange alternative ports as the most convenient berths are full and dock space is limited.

Embarkation Port Changes

Some sailings face even more significant challenges that will have hefty impacts on cruise guests.

For example, the November 20, 2023 departure of Norwegian Epic was to have departed from Haifa, Israel, which is now no longer possible. The departure port has therefore, been changed to Piraeus (Athens), Greece, along with other port of call adjustments.

This can create travel difficulties for reaching the cruise departure port, especially only a month before setting sail when airline schedules may not have availability at the right time to reach the cruise.

Guests on this sailing – and likewise on others with affected departure ports – are having their flights automatically adjusted if they booked air travel through Norwegian Cruise Line. Guests who made independent air travel arrangements will need to contact their airline directly to reschedule flights.

Norwegian Cruise Line will reimburse air travel change fees up to $300 (USD) per person for such changes if they are not covered by the airline or any applicable travel insurance, but appropriate receipts must be submitted for consideration.

Refunds Not Offered for Everyone

Different cruise lines have different policies about refunds in the event of itinerary changes and port of call adjustments, especially in unexpected or extreme situations.

Cruises that are simply missing ports of call in Israel on sailings that embark and debark from other locations are not eligible for refunds from Norwegian Cruise Line. In particular, this applies to impacted sailings aboard Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Dawn.

Guests booked on cruises that begin or end in Israel through the end of 2023, however, are being offered the option to cancel their sailing and receive a future cruise credit of the fare amount, which will be valid for any sailing through December 31, 2024. This applies to the November 8 and November 20 departures of Norwegian Epic.

Additional charges – taxes, pre-paid gratuities, pre-paid Norwegian shore tours, airport transfers, etc. – will be refunded back to the original form of payment.

Israeli citizens and residents, however, can receive a full, monetary refund for any Norwegian Cruise Line sailing through the end of 2023, regardless of the cruise departure port, itinerary, or sailing region.

What About 2024?

At this time, Norwegian Cruise Line has not made any sailing adjustments for Israeli cruises in 2024. The situation continues to be monitored and future cruises will be adjusted as necessary to protect guests’ safety and to ensure smooth, comfortable cruises.

Similarly, there have been no changes at this time for sailings to Egypt, which has also seen recent tensions. Guests booked on any upcoming cruises to Egypt will want to remain in close contact with Norwegian Cruise Line for further updates as their sailing date approaches.