Norwegian Gem Cancels Upcoming Cruise

Cruisers looking forward to their trip on the Norwegian Gem this weekend are in for a bit of disappointment. The line announced that the ship’s November 11th trip out of New York City has been cancelled due to technical difficulties.

Why The Norwegian Gem’s Trip Is Cancelled

According to a notification sent to the line’s travel partners, the Norwegian Gem has been experiencing propulsion issues. “Due to a technical malfunction with the ship’s Azipod propulsion system, Norwegian Gem’s speed is restricted from full capacity,” the notice explained. “In order to ensure the Azipod’s technical issue is resolved we will be cancelling Norwegian Gem’s cruise scheduled to depart from New York City on November 11. Norwegian Cruise Line sincerely appreciates your understanding of this unexpected situation and apologizes for any inconvenience or disappointment this may cause.”

So what’s next for those who were expecting to sail this weekend? “All guests booked on this sailing will receive a full refund,” the line explained, “plus a 50 percent future cruise credit of their cruise fare paid. Norwegian will also cover any airfare change fees of up to $300 per person for those guests who purchased air independently.”

Norwegian Drink Package Price Goes Up Again

Obviously, Norwegian is doing whatever possible to help passengers deal with the unexpected situation. “We understand” the wrote, “that your vacation has been planned for some time and our reservations team and travel partners are standing by to assist you with rebooking your upcoming vacation, either over the same dates or as soon as possible.”

The helpfully pointed out that there are deals out there waiting to be grabbed by those inconvenienced. “Norwegian is currently offering several limited-time promotions that offer guests four free on-board amenities in the popular Free At Sea promotion,” they elaborated, “including free unlimited open bar, a free specialty dining package, $50 towards shore excursions in each port per stateroom, and 250 minutes of free WiFi. On select sailings, Norwegian’s Friends & Family Sail Free offer also allows the third and fourth guests to sail for free on many 2017 and 2018 sail dates. We hope you will be able to take advantage of these promotions as you book your new reservation with us or your travel professional.”

Earlier this year, the line’s Norwegian Star was felled by similar propulsion issues off the coast of Australia and wound up having to be towed back to port.