Norwegian Cruise Line is cancelling several cruises onboard the Norwegian Sky in late 2024 due to the conflicts in the Red Sea region.
“We have been monitoring the situation,” the company said in a statement sent to guests booked on one of the affected sailings.
“Despite our best hopes that it would de-escalate, we have made the decision to alter the published itineraries scheduled to transit through the region,” it explained.
“With this in mind, we have made the decision to cancel Norwegian Sky’s voyage in order to reroute her around Africa and accommodate her redeployment,” Norwegian Cruise Line added.
At least three cruises onboard the ship had to be cancelled, including the departures previously scheduled for Nov. 4, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, 2024.
Ranging from 15 to 16 nights, the one-way cruises were set to sail from the Western Mediterranean to Mauritius via the Suez Canal, the Middle East, the Red Sea and the East Coast of Africa.
Passengers are being offered full monetary refunds, in addition to a ten percent discount in the form of a Future Cruise Credit (FCC).
The FCC is being offered as a “genuine acknowledgment of the inconvenience caused,” Norwegian said, and can be used towards any published sailing through Dec. 31, 2025.
“We share your disappointment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” Norwegian said.
The cancellations have not affected Norwegian Sky’s itineraries scheduled to depart after Dec. 19, 2024 .
Sailing in the region for the first time, the 1999-built ship is set to offer a series of cruises to the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Far East, and more.
The vessel is then poised to return to Europe in early May 2025, via a repositioning cruise through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.