Key Aspects:
- Hurricane Erin strikes again, this time delaying Norwegian Gem’s arrival into Boston, Massachusetts.
- The Gem-class ship was supposed to embark on a chartered music-themed sailing on August 22, but this has been pushed back to August 24.
- At least one port call, which was on Sydney in Nova Scotia, Canada, has been cancelled as a result of the delay.
Hurricane Erin continues to upend itineraries, and this time, the Category 2 storm will have future guests of Norwegian Gem singing the blues.
The NCL ship is supposed to host a themed “On the Blue Forever Autumn” music cruise from August 22 to August 29, 2025.
Unfortunately, the special sailing is based out of Boston, Massachusetts, which will be hit with strong winds, flooding, big waves, and deadly rip currents, courtesy of Hurricane Erin, on August 22 and August 23.
For obvious safety reasons, embarkation has now been moved to the morning of Sunday, August 24, 2025.
The check-in process will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. that morning, with terminal doors shutting at 12 p.m. local time. The new departure is planned for 1:00 p.m.
“We are reaching out with an important update regarding our upcoming charter. Due to hurricane Erin, NCL has just informed us that the Norwegian Gem is unable to arrive in Boston as originally planned,” On the Blue Cruise updated on social media.
“Because of this, our embarkation is expected to take place on Sunday, August 24, 2025 with check-in estimated to begin at 8:00 am and ending at 11:00 am.”
Luckily, embarkation can launch first thing because current passengers will not need to disembark.
The Jewel-class ship disembarked a 4-night sailing to the Bahamas in Miami, Florida, on August 19, and will not be operating another sailing before arriving in Boston for the themed cruise.
An Unavoidable Itinerary Change
As you likely already suspected, a delayed start does mean that the itinerary will have to change for the now 5-night sailing to New England and Canada.
Originally, the 2,394-guest ship was slated to call on Halifax and Sydney in Nova Scotia; Saint John, New Brunswick; and Portland, Maine.
But now, the call in Sydney on August 25 has been cancelled. Shore excursions booked for Sydney will be automatically cancelled and refunded.
Additionally, any pre-purchased Wi-Fi packages and drink packages that are charged at a daily rate have been updated to reflect the new length of the voyage.
It’s unclear at this time if the visit to Halifax that was planned for August 24 has been rescheduled, but in theory, it could now slot into the August 25 spot or the sea day on August 26.
Read Also: Complete List of Cruise Ship Changes Due to Hurricane Erin
While the unavoidable itinerary change may be disappointing, the organizers behind the themed sailing want to reassure passengers that the experience onboard won’t be any less fun or musical.
“Even with this update, our team is working diligently to ensure your experience is nothing short of spectacular,” the event organizers reassured guests.
“Your comfort, experience, and peace of mind are at the center of every decision, and we are committed to making sure that the time we spend on board together is a vacation filled with music, community, and connection.”
A new music-filled schedule is being created to pack every moment with performances and jam sessions, with the tunes expected to fill the ship early on embarkation day.
It’s also hard not to have fun with an impressive line-up of musical legends onboard, featuring names like Alan Parsons, Starship, Ambrosia, The Orchestra, and more.
