Tag Archives: Southern Caribbean

Norwegian Sky Repositions to Europe for Farewell Season

Posted on by
Reply

Norwegian Sky Repositions to Europe for Farewell Season

The Norwegian Sky recently kicked off a repositioning voyage ahead of its farewell season for Norwegian Cruise Line.

Having completed its winter season in the Southern Caribbean, the 1999-built vessel departed from the Dominican Republic on April 6, 2026.

The 13-night trans-Atlantic crossing sails to Le Havre and includes visits to destinations in the British Virgin Islands, Portugal, Spain and France.

Ports of call set to welcome the Norwegian Sky include Tortola, Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Vigo and La Coruña.

Once in France, the 2,000-passenger ship offers seven-night cruises to Northern and Western Europe between April and May.

Sailing between Le Havre and Copenhagen, the itineraries feature visits to ports in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and more.

In mid-May, the Norwegian Sky sails to the British Isles with a series of ten- and 11-night cruises departing from Southampton.

The itineraries will be offered through late August, when the ship repositions to the Mediterranean for a short season.

In addition to a repositioning voyage, the deployment includes a nine-night cruise between Barcelona and Piraeus in late August.

Sailing to destinations in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, the itinerary is highlighted by visits to ports in France, Italy and Greece, such as Villefranche, Salerno and Santorini.

In early September, the Norwegian Sky is set to offer a final cruise before being handed over to Cordelia Cruises.

The 21-night cruise sails from Piraeus to Dubai and features a transit of the Suez Canal, in addition to visits to a range of destinations in the Middle East and the Red Sea.

As part of a deal announced in April 2025, the ship will be leased to Cordelia Cruises, launching cruises from Mumbai in September 2026.

In late 2027, the Norwegian Sun is also scheduled to join the fleet of the India-based cruise line, which currently operates the Empress.

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.

Holland America’s Rotterdam Returns to Fort Lauderdale for Winter Season

Posted on by
Reply

Holland America Line’s Rotterdam returned to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades to kick off its winter season in the Caribbean.

After completing a summer deployment in Europe, the vessel docked at Port Everglades on Oct. 27, 2024.

To open its season in the region, the Rotterdam is offering a 12-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal.

Named “Panama Canal Sunfarer,” the itinerary features visits to six destinations, as well as a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

After departing Fort Lauderdale, the 2021-built ship sailed to Holland America’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.

The Rotterdam then visited Willemstad in Curaçao and Cartagena in Colombia before entering the Panama Canal.

Before returning to South Florida, the ship is also scheduled to sail to Colón in Panama, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica and George Town in the Cayman Islands.

Through mid-April, the Rotterdam continues to offer a series of seven- to 12-night cruises to the Caribbean.

The itineraries also sail to the Eastern Caribbean and feature visits to additional destinations, such as Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos), Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands).

Following the winter season, the Rotterdam is scheduled to return to Europe for a summer program sailing from the Netherlands.

The cruise program features departures from Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with itineraries that visit Scandinavia, Iceland, the British Isles, the Baltic, and more.

The Rotterdam is currently the newest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. It was built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and entered service in late 2021.

A sister to the 2016-built Koningsdam and 2018-built Nieuw Statendam, the 2,650-guest ship is the seventh in the company’s fleet to carry the Rotterdam name.

As part of Holland America’s Pinnacle Class, the vessel offers 11 different dining experiences, as well as a series of entertainment venues and other facilities.