Tag Archives: Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Prima to Swap Homeports

Posted on by
Reply

Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Prima to Swap Homeports

Norwegian Breakaway

The Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Prima will swap homeports for the 2026-27 winter season, Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement.

After announcing the cancellation of over 40 sailings onboard the ships, the company said that the Breakaway will now offer itineraries from New Orleans, while the Prima will sail from Puerto Rico.

“Due to a fleet redeployment, the Norwegian Breakaway’s sailings from November 8, 2026, through and including March 29, 2027, have been cancelled, and the ship will be repositioned to New Orleans,” Norwegian explained.

“In her place, the Norwegian Prima will sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico, offering the Norwegian Breakaway’s original Southern Caribbean cruises during the same time frame,” the company continued in a letter sent to booked guests.

Bookings for the new itineraries on both ships will be available for booking starting August 8, 2025.

“As passionate cruisers ourselves, we know this wasn’t part of your plan, and we truly apologise for any disruption or disappointment this may cause,” Norwegian added.

The company stated that it’s working to implement the change “as smoothly as possible,” noting that full monetary refunds will be automatically issued to the original form of payment used by guests at the time of booking.

“We recognise that this wasn’t part of your original travel arrangements, and as a token of our appreciation for your patience, we’re pleased to offer a ten per cent discount in the form of a Future Cruise Credit (FCC),” Norwegian added.

According to the company, the credit can be used towards any published sailings through December 31, 2027.

Earlier this month, Norwegian announced the cancellation of over 40 sailings set to take place onboard the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Prima between November 2026 and March 2027.

The Norwegian Prima was initially set to debut in New Orleans during the 2026-27 season, while the Norwegian Breakaway was poised to debut in Puerto Rico.

Port NOLA Reports 1.2 Million Cruise Passengers in 2023

Posted on by
Reply

Brandy D. Christian, Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) president and CEO, delivered the 2023 State of the Port address on Nov. 3. She highlighted successes across the Port’s four lines of business: cruise, cargo, rail, and industrial real estate.

According to a press release, the cruise industry has recovered from the pandemic, and cruise line partners maintain their trust in the Louisiana cruise market through New Orleans.

Port NOLA achieved new records in 2023, including in March when it set a monthly passenger record. This record surpassed the prior monthly record established in February 2020, shortly before the global pandemic.

As the 2023 fiscal year concluded, Port NOLA reported 1.2 million cruise passenger movements, setting the stage for a potential new annual passenger record in the current calendar year.

In November 2024, Royal Caribbean is set to make a comeback with a new ship, the Brilliance of the Seas. Port NOLA has also secured an agreement with Carnival, ensuring at least five more years of having two year-round vessels, the port said in a press release.

Norwegian Cruise Line is bringing back the port’s largest homeported vessel, the Norwegian Breakaway. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line will resume its sailings in January.

The Port is experiencing growth in the river cruise sector, with a total of nine homeported riverine vessels, including Viking Cruises, which began sailing from Port NOLA in 2022.

“As I think about the past eight years, and all of the work we have done to grow the gateway, two pillars are constant: diversification and transformation,” said Christian.

“Diversity in our lines of business and in our leaders, transforming our organization and our outlook. These are the tenets of our master plan, which will guide us into new territory… Let’s continue to deliver Louisiana’s future together.”

NCLH: Amendment and Extension of Operating Credit Facility

Posted on by
Reply

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced it has amended and extended the majority of its operating credit facility consisting of its senior secured revolving credit facility and senior secured term loan A facility on December 6, 2022.

The amendment has resulted in the extension of maturities of approximately $1.4 billion of the Operating Credit Facility by one year to January 2025, according to a press release.

The Company is actively pursuing alternatives to address the remaining debt associated with the Operating Credit Facility that will otherwise mature in January 2024.

“We are pleased to have successfully amended and extended the majority of our Operating Credit Facility by one year to 2025,” said Mark A. Kempa, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “As part of this amendment, we were able to modify certain financial covenants and secure additional debt capacity of $1.5 billion, including approximately $0.5 billion of secured debt capacity. While we continue to believe our ongoing and organic cash generation provides a path to restore our balance sheet over time, the increase in debt capacity provides meaningful additional financial flexibility if needed, as we prepare for multiple scenarios in an uncertain macroeconomic environment.”

The Operating Credit Facility consists of the $875.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility and the senior secured term loan A facility with an outstanding principal amount of approximately $1.5 billion as of September 30, 2022. Additional details on the terms of the amendment can be found in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 9, 2022.