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Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Prima to Swap Homeports

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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.

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

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Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

The Anthem of the Seas recently completed ten years of service for Royal Caribbean International, having been delivered to the company on April 10, 2015.

As a sister to the 2014-built Quantum of the Seas, the vessel was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Following a delivery ceremony in Bremerhaven, the Anthem sailed for the English port of Southampton to kick off its maiden season.

Before welcoming its first paying guests, the 158,000-ton ship was named by actress Emma Wilby at a special ceremony that took place at its homeport on April 20, 2015.

Sailing round-trip from Southampton, the Anthem offered a series of itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe as part of its maiden season.

The 4,204-guest vessel was later repositioned to the United States for cruises departing from New York Harbour.

For its North American debut, the ship sailed from Cape Liberty Cruise Port to Bermuda and the Caribbean, as well as Canada and New England.

After additional seasons in the United Kingdom and the New York metropolitan area, the Anthem of the Seas recently repositioned to the Pacific Ocean for cruises to other destinations.

As part of a ship shuffle, the vessel debuted in Southeast Asia during the 2024-25 winter, offering cruises from Singapore.

Earlier this year, the Anthem kicked off its first summer deployment in Alaska, offering seven-night cruises that sail from Seattle and also include visits to destinations in Canada.

Before debuting on the West Coast, the vessel also underwent a routine dry dock in Singapore, which included minor updates to staterooms and public areas, as well as technical maintenance.

In mid-October, the ship will reposition to the South Pacific for its inaugural season in Australia. Sailing from Sydney, the Anthem offers itineraries to a wide range of destinations, including Nouméa, Picton and Airlie Beach.

Norwegian Epic Completes 15 Years of Service

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Norwegian Epic Completes 15 Years of Service

The Norwegian Epic recently completed 15 years of service after being delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line on June 17, 2010.

The 150,000-ton vessel was built as a prototype vessel at the STX France Shipyard, currently known as the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, in St. Nazaire, France.

After leaving its building dock, the Norwegian Epic embarked on a series of pre-inaugural cruises before setting sail from Southampton, England, for a seven-night crossing to New York City.

Continuing its maiden season celebrations, the vessel was christened by entertainer Reba McEntire on July 2, 2010.

After additional celebrations in New York City and Miami, the Epic officially embarked on its inaugural season on July 10, 2010.

Sailing from PortMiami, the ship offered a series of alternating seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Ports of call included Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Costa Maya, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; and Roatán, Honduras.

In 2011, the Norwegian Epic repositioned back to Europe for its first summer season in the Mediterranean, before returning to Miami ahead of the 2011-12 winter season.

Earlier this year, the 4,200-guest ship underwent a significant refit at the Chantier Naval de Marseille in France.

As part of the project, the ship debuted new venues, including an expanded Vice Beach Club and a refreshed Kids’ Aqua Park.

Other changes include the addition of eight new staterooms, as well as the debut of a new hot tub and enhanced exterior decks.

After completing its renovation, the Norwegian Epic embarked on a summer season in the Mediterranean.

Sailing from Civitavecchia, a port near Italy’s capital city of Rome, the ship is offering nine- and ten-night cruises to destinations in Greece and Malta.

Ports of call being visited include Valletta, Heraklion, Santorini, Piraeus, Katakolon, Argostoli and Mykonos.

In November, the Norwegian Epic repositions to the Southern Caribbean for itineraries departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.