Cruising to Alaska is a bucket-list voyage for many travelers, but Norwegian Cruise Line has reached out to eager cruisers with the unfortunate news that the very first 2025 Alaska sailing for Norwegian Bliss has been cancelled.
The impacted voyage is a coveted 10-night sailing that was to have departed Seattle, Washington on April 2, 2025, with calls to Ketchikan, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau, and Victoria, as well as scenic cruising in the iconic Glacier Bay.
“Norwegian Bliss’ sailing on April 2, 2025, has been canceled as a result of a fleet redeployment,” the notification letter read. “Norwegian Bliss will be redeployed, and her new itineraries will be available to book beginning on September 16, 2024. We apologize for the inconvenience, as we appreciate that you have chosen to spend your vacation with us.”
It is curious that the term “fleet redeployment” is used to explain the cancellation, as only one voyage for the 168,028-gross-ton, Breakaway Plus class ship is impacted.
To be clear, Norwegian Bliss will be sailing her 2025 Alaska season, but that season will now begin with the second scheduled departure on April 12, 2025. That is a 7-night cruise, as are the rest of the ship’s voyages until the final departure of the season on October 11, 2025.
The now-cancelled cruise may simply be adjusted to a shorter sailing, or could have been chartered for private use at that time for all or part of the 10-night period.
Read Also: The Best Time to Cruise Alaska – Months to Choose
All guests on the April 5, 2025 sailing are automatically receiving a full refund of their cruise fare and any pre-paid purchases. This refund will be returned to the original form of payment, but may take up to 30 business days to process.
If travelers had used a future cruise credit (FCC) to purchase their Alaska getaway, the full credit will be automatically returned to their cruise line loyalty Latitudes account within 10 days and will be available for use on another Norwegian Cruise Line vacation.
Additional Compensation Offered
Along with the full refund, Norwegian Cruise Line is also offering impacted guests extra compensation with a 10% discount FCC for any published sailing through December 31, 2025.
This means guests could rebook an alternative Alaska cruise with the discount, or may choose any other itinerary – the Caribbean, Europe, the Mexican Riviera, or anywhere else any Norwegian ship is sailing.
If travelers want to rebook a comparable Alaska cruise in 2025, several sailings are still available on Norwegian Bliss (April 12, April 19, April 26) as well as Norwegian Encore (April 20, April 27).
Each of those sailings, however, is a 7-night sailing rather than the original 10-night cruise that has been cancelled.
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: achinthamb)
Even closer is the 9-night sailing of Norwegian Joy, departing Seattle on April 23, 2025 with visits to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Victoria, as well as Glacier Bay cruising.
This similar itinerary may be very tempting to travelers, as Norwegian Joy is a sister ship to Norwegian Bliss in the Breakaway Plus class, ensuring a close experience between the two vessels.
It should be noted that Norwegian Cruise Line is not offering any further onboard credit, price protection, or other discounts if travelers do rebook to an alternate 2025 Alaska cruise, beyond the availability of the 10% FCC discount.
With more than seven months before the now-cancelled cruise was to have departed, travelers do still have time to make alternative vacation plans, though their selection may be more limited due to strong bookings.
If passengers have already booked airfare or made other pre- or post-cruise travel arrangements, they will need to contact their airline, hotel, or other service provider for cancellations or refunds as necessary.
If those arrangements were made through Norwegian Cruise Line, guests can contact the cruise line or their travel agent to ensure the full cancellation and refund is processed.
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Publish date : 2024-09-02 02:31:00
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