The Norwegian Cruise Line has been collaborating with destination partners and others to ensure that guests have not only a comfortable vacation but also an exceptional experience.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the world’s leading cruise line, has announced that it will resume operation on July 25, 2021, with new itineraries sailing Europe and the Caribbean.
The Norwegian Cruise Line will relaunch operations at a reduced capacity, with the Norwegian Jade, Joy, and Gem becoming the first of its 17 ships to welcome passengers back on board. Beginning July 25, 2021, travellers who have been waiting for a return to cruising will be able to spend the summer discovering ancient ruins and sandy beaches on Norwegian Jade’s all-new seven-day cruises to the Greek Isles from Athens (Piraeus).
They can also go island hopping on Norwegian Joy’s week-long Caribbean itineraries beginning Aug. 7, 2021, or Norwegian Gem’s week-long Caribbean itineraries beginning Aug. 15, 2021, departing from Montego Bay, Jamaica.
“Over a year after we initially suspended sailings, the time has finally come when we can provide our loyal guests with the news of our great cruise comeback. We have been working diligently towards our resumption of operations, focusing on the guest experience with health and safety at the forefront. The growing availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has been a game-changer. The vaccine, combined with our science-backed health and safety protocols, will help us provide our guests with what we believe will be the healthiest and safest vacation at sea.”
“All guests sailing aboard cruises with embarkation dates through Oct. 31, 2021, will be required to be fully vaccinated and tested prior to boarding our ships. Given the ever-evolving nature of the pandemic, the accelerating rollout of the vaccine, and the speed of scientific learnings, it is premature to make decisions about our health and safety protocols for cruises with embarkation dates beginning Nov. 1, 2021.
We will continue to evaluate our health and safety protocols and rely on science and our expert council as we make decisions and evolve our policies and procedures.”
said Norwegian Cruise Line’s President and Chief Executive Officer Harry Sommer.
While the Cruise Line always had strong health and safety procedures in place, it has spent the last year improving and updating them, based on the most recent research studies and expert advice.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the company’s parent company, recently unveiled the SailSAFE Health and Safety initiative, which is built on three pillars:
1) Vaccine guidelines, universal COVID-19 testing, and improved health screening procedures ensure the safety of guests and crew.
2) Safety on board, with medical-grade air filtration, improved sanitation, and expanded medical resources.
3) Safety ashore, with cooperation with land-based tour operator partners to apply health and safety initiatives to each destination. Updates will be posted at www.ncl.com/sail-safe as procedures change and new information becomes accessible.
The SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council (“the Council”), composed of six experts at the forefront of their fields, was also announced by the Company.
The Council’s work will complement the Healthy Sail Panel initiative and will focus on the implementation, compliance with, and continuous improvement of health and safety protocols. It will be led by Chairman Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and Co-Chair of the Healthy Sail Panel, which was established to guide the cruise industry’s safe resumption of operations. Here’s where you can get more stuff.
With its latest docuseries, EMBARK – The Film, available on demand as of April 16 at www.ncl.com/embark, visitors will follow along as the Company makes final arrangements to welcome guests on board.
Sommer remarked, “Resuming operations is a large-scale undertaking involving multiple parties all over the world. We are very proud of our collaborations and look forward to forging deeper relationships in the future.”
These new Caribbean itineraries offer guests ten to eleven hours of port time, with just two days at sea and four different ports of call on each sailing. Guests sailing on Norwegian Joy from Montego Bay, Jamaica will also have the opportunity to visit Harvest Caye, the company’s private resort destination in Belize.
Guests on Norwegian Jade’s Greek Isles itinerary will wake up in a new destination every day during the summer and early fall, with eight to nine hours of port time to explore.
Norwegian Cruise Line today cancelled all July and August itineraries on the Norwegian Breakaway, Dawn, Escape, Getaway, Sky, Spirit, Star, and Sun as part of its return to service announcement. In addition, Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Pearl cruises have been cancelled until September 1, 2021, and until November 7, 2021, respectively. Guests and Travel Partners that have reservations that have been affected will be contacted directly.
Guests sailing on cruises booked by April 30, 2021, with embarkation dates through Oct. 31, 2021, will benefit from the Cruise Line’s temporary Peace of Mind cancellation policy. These passengers have the option to cancel their cruise 15 days before it departs.
Those that use the Peace of Mind scheme will get a full refund in the form of a future cruise credit that can be used on any sailing until December 31, 2022. In addition, final payment will be required 60 days prior to embarkation for all voyages departing through Oct. 31, 2021, rather than the usual 70 days.
Travelers seeking the latest details about Norwegian’s redeployment can register here.
For more information about the Company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional or visit www.ncl.com.
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