Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced its much-anticipated return to service, beginning July 25.
Operations will kick off with brand-new week-long itineraries onboard Norwegian Jade, in the Greek Isles, and Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Gem, in the Caribbean, all at reduced capacity. Cruises for July and August are discounted up to 30%, said the company.
Beginning July 25, Norwegian Jade departs from Athens, taking travellers to the Islands of Greece, where they will wake up to eight to nine hours of port-exploration time every day. Norwegian Joy will depart from Montego Bay, Jamaica as of August 7, offering guests a visit to Harvest Caye, NCL’s private resort destination in Belize. Cruises from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Norwegian Gem, will begin August 15.
These new Caribbean itineraries will provide guests with 10-11 hours of port time with each sailing featuring only two days at sea and four ports of call.
The cruise company’s president and ceo, Harry Sommer, said at a press briefing on Thursday, April 8, that the company selected these cruise itineraries because they are the top, most-demanded destinations among guests. He also said the ships would call in ports only where the majority of adults were vaccinated.
“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,” he said.
“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 up to and including October 31, 2021 will be required to be fully vaccinated and tested prior to boarding our ships,” he added.
NCL Holdings has also launched its SailSAFE Health and Safety program, which is founded on three pillars: safety for guests and crew with vaccination requirements, universal COVID-19 testing and enhanced health screening protocols; safety aboard with medical-grade air filtration, increased sanitation measures and enhanced medical resources; and safety ashore through the collaboration with land-based tour operator partners to extend health and safety measures to each destination.
