Citing challenges around the crew of its returning ships, Norwegian Cruise Line canceled its excursions from La Romana, Dominican Republic, this summer of 2021, two days after canceling Norwegian Joy’s season from Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The Caribbean season was to last from August 15 to October 10. In a letter to reserved passengers alerting them to canceled trips, the shipping company said the decision was based on the launch of Alaska cruises in August.
“As you know, for many months we have said that launching and crewing our vessels takes approximately 90 days. Right now, we are doing everything we can to maximize our operational fleet and active crew to deliver cruise vacations in destinations our guests value the most. We are very sorry that your cruise has been affected, but we look forward to welcoming you aboard another cruise,” they said.
When the line canceled the Jamaica trips, it also said it needed to transfer the Joy crew to Alaska due to the wait time required for Bliss trips and to “maximize Alaska’s short cruise season.”
The Gem is the third homeport-based ship just outside the U.S. borders this summer to cancel its season. Royal Caribbean International canceled the upcoming Vision of the Seas season from Bermuda, citing the growing prospect of a cruise restart from the US this summer.
“The likelihood of cruise ships leaving the United States this summer is increasing by the day, and with that, American travelers are increasingly showing a preference for more direct access to ports of departure,” Royal said in a statement.