Norwegian Cruise Lines Drops Antarctica from Itineraries, Leaving Passengers Furious
Norwegian Cruise Lines has made a last-minute decision to remove Antarctica from the upcoming itineraries of its ship, the Norwegian Star, leaving passengers angry and disappointed.
Over the weekend, while the Star was navigating the Drake Passage, passengers were informed that the trip would be altered due to operational reasons.
The current sailing and another scheduled trip departing on February 18 will no longer include a visit to Antarctica, effectively shortening NCL’s cruise season. Additionally, the sailing on February 26 has replaced the planned stop in Antarctica with Admiralty Bay in the sub-Antarctic South Shetland Islands.
A notification sent to travelers stated, “While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, unfortunately, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances. As such, in order to enhance the guest experience, the itinerary has been revised.”
Online and on the NCL app, any mention of Antarctica has been removed from the sailing, leading to widespread uproar among passengers.
Guests aboard the Star reported that the ship was operating under a "go-slow order," which affected the itinerary. The original stop in Paradise Bay and continental Antarctica would no longer be reached; instead, the ship would skirt past the tip of the sub-Antarctic South Shetland Islands and Elephant Islands. Australian cruiser Shane Grant and his wife discovered the update after noticing a change to the ship’s passenger app, which had been renamed from Antarctica and South America to “just South America.”
“There was no explanation,” Grant said. “The entire ship is really upset.”
Passenger Greg Giles, booked on the upcoming February 18 sailing, expressed his frustration, stating, “I am angry to say the least.” He criticized the company for changing the itinerary without providing a reasonable explanation.
Another passenger launched a TikTok channel titled “@ruinedvacation,” alleging that the cruise line was aware of the operational issues before passengers boarded on January 31.
“We’ve lost that trip that we had all been hoping for and waiting for. We won’t get another chance to go to Antarctica,” she said.
In response, a spokesperson for NCL explained that while the cruise line aims to adhere to original itineraries, certain circumstances necessitate modifications to enhance the guest experience. The ship’s current itinerary was revised to allow more time for guests to explore Stanley, Falkland Islands, replacing the cruise by Paradise Bay, Antarctica, with a cruise by Admiralty Bay on Antarctica’s South Shetland Island chain.
Regarding the ‘go-slow’ order, the spokesperson attributed it to a recent regulatory requirement in the area, which mandated reduced speed for the protection of migratory whales. However, NCL and other members of IAATO, the governing body for Antarctic tourism, had been aware of this change since 2021.
The Norwegian Star, a 23-year-old 2300-passenger cruise ship, is one of the larger vessels to visit Antarctica this summer. The ship has faced previous mechanical issues, leading to cancellations of ports of call and earning it the nickname “the unluckiest ship at sea” by the Independent.
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