NCL Cancels Cruise Sailings Across Fleet

NCL has canceled multiple cruise sailings across its fleet due to the ongoing pandemic.

The cancellations affect a total of 16 ships, including the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore, and Norwegian Joy.

Guests booked on these sailings will receive a full refund of their cruise fare.

The company is also offering a Future Cruise Credit to those who had booked on canceled sailings.

Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled several sailings, affecting voyages between November 29, 2025, and April 11, 2026.

The cancellations include nine cruises on Norwegian Bliss, ten cruises on Norwegian Breakaway, seven cruises on Norwegian Encore, and nine cruises on Norwegian Joy.

Passengers booked on these sailings will receive automatic refunds for their fare and any pre-paid expenses.

Affected guests will also receive a 10% future cruise credit (FCC), redeemable on a later Norwegian Cruise Line voyage.

Here's a breakdown of the affected cruises:

The passenger experience is a top priority for any cruise line, and NCL is no exception.

NCL's "Free at Sea" promotion offers free extras like drink packages, Wi-Fi, and shore excursions to enhance the passenger experience.

Passengers can enjoy a wide range of onboard activities, from rock climbing to spa treatments.

The ship's entertainment options include live shows, comedy clubs, and nightclubs.

Dining options range from fine dining restaurants to casual buffets and snack bars.

The ship's layout makes it easy for passengers to navigate and find their way around.

NCL's passenger experience is designed to be flexible and accommodating, with options for solo travelers, families, and couples.

Passengers can choose from a variety of cabin categories, each with its own unique amenities and perks.

NCL has canceled several cruises, affecting multiple ships. The Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore, and Norwegian Escape were among the ships impacted.

The Norwegian Bliss was scheduled to depart from New York on a 7-day cruise, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Norwegian Sky has been sold to Cordelia Cruises, India's leading premium cruise line, and will be chartered for a long-term period starting September 30, 2026, in Dubai, UAE.

This means that all Norwegian Sky sailings embarking on or after August 20, 2026, have been canceled. Norwegian Sky entered service in July 1999, over 25 years ago, after being ordered by Costa Cruises and later purchased by Norwegian as an unfinished hull.

The Norwegian Sky was initially supposed to be the Costa Olympia, but it became a part of the Norwegian fleet instead. Cordelia Cruises has also signed a lease to take over another Norwegian ship, the Norwegian Sun.

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The Norwegian Bliss has seen some significant cancellations. Nine total cruises are cancelled, including the ship's last roundtrip departure from Los Angeles on November 30.

These cancellations affect sailings from both Los Angeles and Miami. The ship's highly anticipated 15-night repositioning cruise to Miami, scheduled for December 5 and February 1, is also cancelled.

Norwegian Bliss will be remaining in Los Angeles before returning to Seattle to begin the Alaska sailing season in April 2026.

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Norwegian Breakaway has had its entire short stay at Port Canaveral cancelled, with 10 different cruises cancelled between January 6 and February 6, 2026.

The ship was originally scheduled to offer 3- and 4-night Bahamas itineraries with visits to Great Stirrup Cay during this time.

Instead, Norwegian Breakaway will continue to sail from New York for Caribbean, Barbados, Antigua, and Bahamas getaways throughout this period.

The ship did not have repositioning sailings scheduled between New York and Florida, and would have moved between the two homeports without guests onboard.

If you're one of the passengers affected by NCL's cruise cancellations, you're probably eager to know what compensation you can expect. All guests on the 35 now-cancelled cruises will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and all associated taxes, fees, and pre-paid expenses.

These refunds will be automatically returned to the original form of payment, though processing times may vary. This means you won't have to lift a finger to get your money back – it'll just appear in your account.

For those who want to book another cruise, Norwegian is offering a 10% discount with a future cruise credit (FCC). The details of the FCC will be sent to individual guests on Monday, December 9.