Exciting Cruise News - Norwegian Announces Return for Summer 2021!

This morning Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it will officially be returning to cruising for Summer 2021! On July 25, 2021, Norwegian Jade will be the first of the line’s 17 ships to sail offering seven-day Greek Isles cruises from Athens. Norwegian will resume in North America starting on August 7, with week-long Caribbean itineraries on Norwegian Joy from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Norwegian Gem will also begin offering roundtrip week-long Caribbean cruises from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic starting August 15, 2021.

Cruiseline.com had the opportunity to chat with Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and Katina Athanasiou, Chief Sales Officer, to discuss this exciting news. Check it out at: https://cruiseline.com/advice/what-s-hot/news/norwegian-cruise-line-announces-return-to-sailing-with-focus-on-safety-and-exceptional-passenger-experience.

Tags: ncl norwegianjade norwegiangem norwegianjoy

12 Answers

This is a great sign. I hope everything goes well.

Limited. They have to move product from Miami/FLL/PC to the Caribbean. As they really don't have large terminal space, I imagine it to be a rough embarkation at the start. Although they won't have US CBP to deal with either so might streamline things a bit. I'm not warm on getting on an early Caribbean cruise until they work out the bugs. Believe the cruises departing from the large European ports, like Athens or Singapore, will provide a more normal embarkation/debarkation process.

Let me answer you this way...we've been to just about every port in the Carib...most of them have NO facilities that can accommodate the imaginary world the CDC operates in....more importantly....many of them are..ahem...TENDER PORTS......the ships cannot dock. Even at ports that have dock facilities, (such as they are) during hi season you'll see 3-4 cruise ships "out there"......

Has anyone given any thought to NCL's and the other lines logistics regarding the sailing from Caribbean ports?

Although I'm not familiar with all the ports in the Caribbean, I have been to Nassau, Cozumel & St. Martens. I don't recall seeing any large cruise terminals on our ports of call. How are they going to handle embarkation? Will there be long lines waiting in the summer sun? Perhaps tents and folding chairs? "Go sit at that table with the nice lady & the "glitchy" laptop. She'll get you checked in".

What about the supply chain for the ships? I admit I wasn't looking closely, but I don't recall seeing long rows of warehouses filled with food & other provisions, and forklifts zipping to & fro with pallets of vegetables, beer, and sundries.

I'm sure they have cobbled something together that will work reasonably well in a pinch. But I don't think this is going to be a seamless transition, especially in the early weeks.

Hopefully they won't sail without the pallet load of toilet paper. I would hate to sail away seeing that still sitting on the dock.

Yep ... the ship is still out on this one. I am there with Yankee on waiting for news on cruising from a US port. Heck I would be even happier of they cruised from a Canadian port but that ain't happening any time soon. I like that there is lots of noise and plans being made .. just need for the dust to settle to see what options there are and hope they are viable.

Well if he's 6 then by the time he gets to high school I'll be 132....and don't think I'll care.......heheheheh....hmmmm...mebbe by then we'll be up to Covid 42.........

I'm right there with ya Yank. Please leave the door to the bunker unlocked for me.Angry

PS: Just got my cancellation email from CCL (our 4th in the last 13 months) regarding our 6/19/21 cruise on the Mardi-Gras.

Hopefully you'll be able to celebrate before he goes to high school Sad

Yep..and if other lines follow suit, I will need to reschedule my July trip since my 6-year-old is unable to get a vaccination. It wouldn't be fair to him if we went without him, he has been waiting just as long as we have, and the original cruise was his going into Kindergarten celebration.. now it will be to celebrate his kinder graduation to 1st grade LOL

Wake me when I can get on a ship at a US port...like a human. .....Flying to take a cruise might interest me if I was cruising the MED from EUROPE...but thats OUT...besides, NCL (et al) have to be careful, they don't run afoul of some more CDC regs....at some point you get off the ship, and fly home...they get the idea you brought covid back with you after a cruise, you get quarantined and thats the end of that...Its nice to believe its all a step forward, but why do have suspicions it isn't..........

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