As Tropical Storm Nolo continues to develop and gain strength south of the Hawaiian Islands, Norwegian Cruise Line, which operates one ship in the region, has been forced to delay embarkation operations.
The 2,180-passenger Pride of America is the vessel that’s impacted for its seven-night cruise departing Saturday, September 26 out of Honolulu.
In a letter sent to booked guests on September 24, the cruise line stated, “As Tropical Storm Nolo is forecasted to impact the Hawaiian Islands in the coming days, port operations in Honolulu are preparing for significant weather-related disruptions.“
Although the ship is returning to Honolulu early from its September 19 sailing, embarkation for the following cruise cannot safely go ahead.
The cruise line stated, “Although adjustments have been made to Pride of America’s current voyage to facilitate an earlier return to Honolulu, current forecasts indicate that Honolulu Harbor will be unable to safely support embarkation operations on Saturday, September 26, 2026.“
It now means that Pride of America’s planned embarkation on September 26 has been pushed back to Monday, September 28, a two-day delay. However, NCL has made it clear this may not be the final decision and has told guests that further updates via text and email will continue over the coming days.
With the delayed embarkation planned, it does mean a shortened itinerary for the delayed sailing. Tuesday, September 29 will be a call in Hilo from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Wednesday, September 30 will be a call to Kona from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Thursday, October 1 will be a visit to Nawiliwili from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and then the final port of call will be on Friday, October 2 to Kahului from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM before returning to Honolulu on October 3.
Norwegian Cruise Line Giving Guests Compensation Options
Norwegian Cruise Line is providing impacted guests with compensation options. Option 1 allows guests to continue to embark on Monday and receive a 50% refund of the original fare paid, service charges, and any applicable Free at Sea drink package charges.
Guests will also receive a Future Cruise Credit of 50% of the fare they paid. This can be used on a future sailing with the cruise line through December 31, 2027. For guests who booked shore excursions through NCL, the cruise line said it’s working on adjusting them to match the new port times.
Norwegian Cruise Line has been very apologetic to guests regarding the situation: “We recognize how disappointing it is when unexpected weather affects the vacation experience you looked forward to, and we are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience this change may cause.“
Of course, guests also have a second option: they can choose not to sail and receive a full refund, but they must do so no later than September 26. They will also receive a Future Cruise Credit with a 10% discount toward any Norwegian cruise through December 31, 2027.
Tropical Storm Nolo Gaining Strength
Tropical Storm Nolo is gaining strength just south of Hawaii, and according to Advisory 17 from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (NOAA), Nolo has maximum sustained winds of 70 MPH and is 455 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.
The storm is moving north at 2 MPH, and it’s gaining strength, with tracking showing it could become a major hurricane by the time it passes near or just south of the Big Island.
