As the continued conflict in the Red Sea impacts the cruising industry, more cruise lines are either canceling or repositioning cruises.
In addition to the Red Sea situation, shifting dry dock schedules have led one cruise line to cancel at least 20 cruises that were originally scheduled for 2025.
According to news reports from Travel + Leisure, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced adjustments to its 2025 itinerary, cancelling cruises for seven of its vessels.
This decision is due to a combination of factors, including safety concerns in the Red Sea and Israel, dry dock schedules that have changed, and a full ship charter for one of Norwegian’s cruise ships.
Additionally, a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told Travel + Leisure that a greater demand for cruises to the Bahamas and from mainland United States also led to the decision to cancel other voyages.
The specific cancelled sailings are spread across the following ships and dates:
· Norwegian Epic (3 departure dates: 2/20/25, 11/1/25/, 11/11/25)
· Norwegian Jade (4 departure dates: 3/4/25, 3/13/25, 3/24/25)
· Norwegian Pearl (4 departure dates: 4/19/25, 5/5/25, 5/16/25, 10/15/25)
· Norwegian Sky (2 departure dates: 5/27/25, 6/5/25)
· Norwegian Spirit (2 departure dates: 1/1/25, 5/17/25)
· Norwegian Star (3 departure dates: 5/18/25, 5/29/25, 6/9/25)
· Norwegian Viva (3 departure dates: 5/27/25, 9/20/25, 9/29/25)
Norwegian Viva is the newest ship in Norwegian’s fleet, having just sailed her maiden voyage in August of 2023 as the second Prima-class vessel.
The ship will be offering longer sailings throughout the Mediterranean Sea before being repositioned to San Juan, Puerto Rico in December of this year.
What happens if guests already had booked cruises on these sailings?
Full Refunds and Future Cruise Credits: Guests booked on cancelled sailings will receive a full refund for their trip. Norwegian Cruise Line is also is offering a 10% Future Cruise Credit that can be applied towards any sailing departing by December 31, 2025.
Alternative Cruise Options: The cruise line is making alternative itineraries available to guests as well, identifying other cruise itineraries that are similar to the ones originally booked. Impacted guests will receive information about these options directly from Norwegian.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s itinerary adjustments, while inconvenient for booked passengers, shows the need for flexibility when booking a cruise and making plans.
There are other factors that could change the itinerary or destination of a cruise ship. We have detailed many of those reasons a ship may skip a port or two here.
There’s not much a cruise line can do when there are geopolitical issues that threaten the safety of passengers, so the cancellations of cruises in the Red Sea region were not a big surprise.
It’s also another reason to look into cruise travel insurance before any cruise.
In just the last few months several other cruise lines have decided to pull their ships from the Red Sea as well.
MSC Cruises was one of the first cruise lines to cancel cruises that sailed through the Red Sea. Princess Cruises and Holland America also adjusted itineraries scheduled for the region, and several world cruises had to change plans to ensure passenger safety.
