Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Spirit‘s return to Honolulu for debarkation and subsequent embarkation is delayed until Monday, August 17, 2026.
- The Port of Honolulu remains closed as of press time, which is also impacting the Pride of America ship.
- Berth availability is impacting when the cruise ship will be able to return and new guests can embark to begin their vacation.
With rough water still impacting Honolulu, Hawaii, following the passage of now Tropical Storm Lala (downgraded from a hurricane), Norwegian Cruise Line has delayed the return of Norwegian Spirit until Monday, August 17. Pride of America, also operated by NCL, awaits the reopening of the Honolulu cruise port.
The cruise line has texted guests booked on the ship’s August 16 departure to alert them to the confirmed delay and how their embarkation will be impacted.
“Delayed Embarkation Update: Hurricane Lala brought strong winds and challenging conditions to Hawaii. While Honolulu Harbor is expected to begin supporting vessel operations upon a successful inspection by the United States Coast Guard [USCG] later this afternoon, berth availability will be limited,” the text notification explained.
As of 1:45 p.m. local time on Sunday, the USCG Port Status website lists Honolulu Harbor still as closed under Port Condition Zulu. Once the port is inspected and reopened, vessels can begin to return.
Another text message from Norwegian Cruise Line, this one sent to guests booked on Pride of America who were supposed to embark on Saturday, August 15, confirmed that a USCG inspection was scheduled for 2 p.m. local time.
Inspections are essential to assess any potential debris or damage following a storm, as well as to check the integrity of docks, channels, and equipment so ships can safely use the facilities.
Following the inspection and port reopening, berth schedules must be rearranged to accommodate all necessary traffic. For the 2,018-guest Norwegian Spirit and the 2,186-guest Pride of America, that now means delaying Norwegian Spirit until Monday, August 17, and Pride of America does not yet have a confirmed day or time.
Guests waiting to embark the next Norwegian Spirit cruise are being advised to use the same check-in arrival window they originally selected for Sunday, August 16, but instead move the date to Monday. More detailed emails are being sent with further instructions.
For Pride of America, guests are being asked to continue waiting for further instructions as details are confirmed.
“We appreciate your continued patience and flexibility as we work through this evolving situation and will keep you informed as new information becomes available,” text messages to guests for both ships said.
The cruise line noted that they will provide additional information by 3 p.m. local time, which would likely be after the USCG inspection has been completed and docking plans can be confirmed.
In the meantime, satellite tracking shows Norwegian Spirit due south of Honolulu and heading toward the port city at 10 knots (11-12 miles per hour). The ship stayed clear of the storm’s direct path and safely out at sea to avoid the worst effects of Hurricane Lala.
How Will the Next Cruise Be Affected?
Norwegian Spirit‘s next sailing is a 16-night, one-way voyage from Honolulu to Vancouver, with stops at both Hawaiian and Alaskan destinations along the way.
The delayed embarkation will be frustrating and disappointing to guests eager to start their cruise vacation, but any further itinerary impact is not yet known.
It may be possible for Norwegian Spirit to speed enough to recover the time on the cruise so port visits could be preserved, or a port or two may need to be cancelled in order for the ship to arrive in Vancouver on Tuesday, September 1 as planned.
Any itinerary adjustments in Hawaii will need to be coordinated with ports that could still be recovering from the storm and have the same berth availability challenges as Honolulu.
Cruise Hive has already reported on the storm’s impact to Norwegian Spirit as well as Pride of America. While this latest update may not be the news guests had hoped for, any confirmed update is certain to be reassuring.
