The Norwegian Escape is back in action. After a month out of service due to a grounding incident, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship welcomed guests back on Saturday in Port Canaveral.
Marking its first cruise since Mar. 12, the 2015-built vessel departed on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean voyage that includes calls in Tortola, St. Thomas, Puerto Plata and Great Stirrup Cay.
With the ship back alongside in the Dominican Republic, guests were sent back to the United States between Mar. 16-18 using charter flights.
Upon returning to its homeport with no passengers on board, the Escape remained docked in Port Canaveral while repairs were being carried out.
A total of five cruises have been affected by the incident. While the Mar. 19, Mar. 26, Apr. 2 and Apr. 9 departures have been entirely cancelled, the Mar. 12 sailing was cut short due to the event.
Upon completing the Apr. 16 Caribbean cruise, the Norwegian Escape is set to cross the Atlantic for a summer season in Europe.
Based in Civitavecchia, Italy, the vessel is offering a series of ten- and 11-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.
The Norwegian Dawn is welcoming guests back today as the tenth vessel to resume commercial service for the Norwegian Cruise Line.
The 2002-built ship is also marking the company’s return to homeport operations in Tampa after a 21-month hiatus.
Through April, the Dawn is set to offer 15 cruises from the Florida port, sailing to the Bahamas, the Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean.
The five- to 11-night itineraries feature visits to popular destinations such as Cozumel, St. Thomas, Curaçao and Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s private resort in Belize.
Originally ordered for Star Cruises, the Norwegian Dawn entered service in 2002. The 92,250-ton vessel is a sister to the Norwegian Star and can carry up to 2,200 guests in double occupancy.
The Germany-built ship also introduced the concept of hull art, a feature that was later added to the entire fleet.
In 2016, the Dawn underwent an extensive revitalization as part of The Norwegian Edge program, which aimed to elevate the standard of the NCL fleet. During the refit, the vessel received several new features, including Los Lobos Cantina, a Mexican speciality restaurant, and the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
The design and décor in all of the ship’s public rooms and staterooms were also updated, including a complete makeover of the Garden Villas, the largest suites in the Norwegian fleet.
In addition to the Norwegian Dawn, the Norwegian Pearl is also resuming guest services this month. The 2,400-guest ship is set to welcome passengers back on Dec. 23 in Miami, kicking off a program of Caribbean and Panama Canal itineraries.
The brand later expanded its restart to additional destinations, including Alaska, the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean, the West Coast, Bermuda and more.
Currently, Norwegian is offering cruises in the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Mexican Riviera and Europe from nine different homeports.
The Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) and Royal Caribbean Group have partnered to revitalize the U.S. Virgin Islands’ cruise industry with a commitment from Royal Caribbean Group to develop infrastructure and attractions.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations was signed by VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe and Royal Caribbean Group’s Vice President of Destination Development Joshua Carroll during a cruise event in Miami. The memorandum is a recommitment from Royal Caribbean Group to extend its existing 10-year, pier-use agreement for preferential berthing at VIPA’s cruise facilities in Crown Bay, St. Thomas and Frederiksted, St. Croix.
The existing agreement was executed in June 2016, and by signing the memorandum, VIPA and Royal Caribbean Group agree to collaborate on an extension of that agreement for an additional number of years.
Dowe also announced that in addition to guaranteed minimum revenues to VIPA and increased cruise visits to both St. Thomas and St. Croix, Royal Caribbean Group has expressed an interest in developing enhancements to the cruise facility in Crown Bay and making “landside improvements” in the Crown Bay District and St. Croix to enhance the island’s tourism products.
Dowe stated that this development signals “an important boost for the territory’s economy and increased opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs in the tourism sector in the USVI.”
“Royal Caribbean is the leading cruise company in the industry, and it has committed to a major infusion of capital as well as guaranteed cruise visits to our islands. In this currently strained economic climate, this substantial commitment indicates Royal Caribbean Group’s dedication to the people of this territory and our economy,” he said.
Dowe added that VIPA is “pleased” to continue its working relationship with Royal Caribbean Group.
“This MOU extends what has been an exceedingly amiable, reliable, and beneficial arrangement for both parties. Our unified goal is to ensure that the U.S. Virgin Islands is a premier destination in the Caribbean,” he noted.
VIPA will align with Royal Caribbean Group to expand the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Facility in Crown Bay to allow the berthing that includes Icon- and Quantum-class ships and the development of a third berth. The vision for the Crown Bay District will complement the port authority’s plans to revitalize the district to appeal to residents and cruise visitors.
Royal Caribbean Group has also committed to partner with VIPA and the Government of the USVI to develop and enhance the overall visitor experience in St. Croix.
“The U.S. Virgin Islands is one of our best destination partners and the opportunity to continue innovating on ways to refine the guest experience helps guide our decision to expand our already strong relationship with the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Carroll. “We thank Governor Albert Bryan Jr., the VIPA Board of Governors, Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte and Executive Director Carlton Dowe and his team for collaborating on this exciting opportunity to develop destination experiences that benefit tourists and citizens of the USVI.”
The U.S. Virgin Islands recently started receiving cruise visits to its islands following the halt of cruising in March 2020. Most of the territory’s cruise visits have been Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises vessels.
The Celebrity Edge was the first ship to call on St. Thomas on July 20, and in St. Croix, the Celebrity Equinox was the first ship to berth since the pandemic on Aug. 8.
According to a press release, VIPA has had 22,991 cruise visitors to the territory since July 2021, making it one of the most visited cruise destinations in the world.
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