Norwegian Cruise Line Revises Norwegian Star November 2027 Itinerary, Shifting From Lisbon To Tarragona and Replacing New Atlantic Route With their Western Mediterranean Ports

Written By: Gishan Das

Gishan Das

Gishan Das is a dedicated graduate with academic backgrounds in History and Political Science and practical experience in journalism and digital content creation. He completed his History Honours from Serampore College under the University of Calcutta and Political Science Honours from Indira Gandhi National Open University in 2025. His academic credentials are supported by professional certifications including a B2 level Certification in French language, NISM Financial Education certification in collaboration with the Aditya Birla Group alongside Gishan has strong expertise in journalism, news research and SEO-based content writing. He has demonstrated skills in news analysis, fact-checking, headline creation, digital storytelling and search-optimized reporting, which are also reflected in the journalism and media skills

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June 25, 2026 22:18 GMT+5:30

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Norwegian Cruise Line has altered the itinerary for its Norwegian Star cruising scheduled for November 2027. In this regard, Norwegian Star is set to depart from Tarragona in Spain instead of the earlier scheduled Lisbon embarkation. This cruise will no longer follow the previously planned journey through Canary Islands, Madeira, and Morocco.

Instead, it will head out into the Western Mediterranean where new port calls in France, Italy, and Malta have been scheduled. These alterations make the cruise itinerary significantly different as the cruise is set to take the passengers through historic, coastal towns and Roman influences of the Mediterranean.

Tarragona Replaces Lisbon as the New Starting Point

The most important change is the replacement of Lisbon with Tarragona as the departure port. The sailing, set to be operated by Norwegian Star from 12 November 2027, was first planned as a nine-night cruise beginning in Portugal and ending in Barcelona. Now, guests will begin the journey in Tarragona, a Spanish port city on the Costa Daurada.

The cruise line has linked the change to port availability in Lisbon. According to the notice sent to booked passengers, the company had worked with port authorities in advance, but operational conditions later changed and space was no longer available. This forced a wider itinerary revision. As a result, the sailing has not only changed its first port. It has also changed its entire travel theme.

The Original Atlantic Route Is Removed From the Sailing

The original itinerary was designed around the Atlantic islands and North African ports. It was expected to include Funchal in Madeira, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Arrecife in the Canary Islands, Agadir and Casablanca in Morocco, and Palma de Mallorca before finishing in Barcelona.

That route would have offered a mix of volcanic landscapes, Atlantic island culture, Moroccan city life and Spanish Mediterranean cruising. For passengers who booked the voyage for Madeira, the Canary Islands or Morocco, the change is significant. It removes the core destinations that shaped the original holiday expectation. Only Palma de Mallorca has remained from the earlier port list.

Western Mediterranean Cities Take Centre Stage

The revised voyage now follows a Western Mediterranean path. After leaving Tarragona, Norwegian Star is scheduled to call at Marseille, La Spezia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Salerno, Valletta and Palma de Mallorca, before ending in Barcelona. This creates a very different travel experience. The new route focuses on France, Italy, Malta and Spain. It brings passengers closer to some of Europe’s best-known cultural gateways.

Marseille opens access to Provence. La Spezia is linked with the Ligurian coast and nearby Cinque Terre access. Livorno serves as a major cruise gateway for Florence and Pisa. Civitavecchia connects travellers with Rome. Salerno offers access to southern Italy and the Amalfi region. Valletta adds Malta’s fortified harbour city to the itinerary.

Palma de Mallorca Becomes the Only Surviving Original Port

Palma de Mallorca is now the single port that connects the old plan with the revised voyage. Its inclusion helps keep one part of the original Mediterranean ending in place. However, the wider route now carries a very different identity. In the first version, Palma acted as a final Mediterranean stop after island and Moroccan calls. In the new version, it becomes part of a dense European cultural circuit. It follows France, multiple Italian ports, and Malta before the cruise concludes in Barcelona. That makes Palma less of a transition point and more of a final leisure and city stop before disembarkation.

Norwegian Star Brings a Mid-Size Ship to a Busy European Route

Norwegian Star is one of mid-size ships of Norwegian Cruise Line. The vessel has a listed guest capacity of 2,298 passengers at double occupancy, a 91,740 gross register tonnage, an overall length of 294 metres, and a crew of 1,031. It was built in 2001 and refurbished in 2021.

The ship is used across destinations including the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and Transatlantic routes. Its size gives it a broad role within the fleet. It is large enough to offer dining, entertainment, spa, family facilities and multiple lounges, while still being positioned below the scale of the largest resort-style cruise ships. For a port-heavy Mediterranean itinerary, that balance can suit travellers who want many shore days and a comfortable ship base.

Tarragona Gains Fresh Visibility Through the Change

The move to Tarragona gives the Spanish port fresh attention as a cruise departure point. The official Tarragona Cruise Port website notes that the terminal is located at Moll de Balears in the Port of Tarragona. It also confirms that terminal services include Wi-Fi, taxi availability and shuttle information for embarking and disembarking passengers.

Tarragona has also been building its cruise profile. The port forecast a record 2026 cruise season with 81 calls and 160,000 passengers. It has also highlighted growth in high-end cruise activity and port infrastructure development. This makes the new Norwegian Star departure notable. It places Tarragona more firmly into the wider map of European cruise embarkation options alongside larger names such as Barcelona, Rome and Lisbon.

The Change Shows How Port Availability Can Reshape Cruise Planning

Cruise itineraries are planned long in advance, but they still depend on port berths, local operations, harbour schedules, weather risk, security conditions and wider maritime logistics. A single homeport constraint can trigger a much larger route change. That is what appears to have happened with this sailing.

The move from Lisbon to Tarragona changed the geography of the cruise. Once the ship could no longer begin from Portugal, the original Atlantic route became harder to preserve. The new start in northeastern Spain made a Western Mediterranean sailing more practical. This explains why the voyage has shifted towards Marseille, Italian ports, Valletta and Palma de Mallorca.

Guests Face a Very Different Holiday Experience

For booked guests, the revision brings both disappointment and opportunity. Travellers who booked for Madeira, the Canary Islands and Morocco may feel that the cruise they selected has changed in substance. These destinations offered warmer Atlantic scenery, Moroccan urban culture and island landscapes. Their removal changes the emotional value of the booking.

At the same time, the new itinerary offers a strong European cultural journey. It includes several destinations with major heritage, food, architecture and shore excursion appeal. Passengers now gain access to Provence, Tuscany, Rome, southern Italy and Malta in one sailing. For some travellers, this may become an even more attractive itinerary. For others, it may no longer match the reason they booked.

Mediterranean Focus Gives the Sailing a New Market Identity

The revised route now fits the classic Western Mediterranean cruise model. This type of itinerary is often popular with travellers who want several countries in one journey. It allows guests to unpack once and visit different cities, coastlines and cultural regions across a short period.

The sailing now has a stronger city-and-heritage identity. It is less about Atlantic islands and more about major European access points. It can appeal to passengers interested in Rome, Florence, Pisa, Provence, Malta and the Balearic Islands. That could make the revised cruise easier to market as a culture-rich Mediterranean voyage, even though the change may still unsettle some existing bookings.

Norwegian Star Will Continue Its Wider Europe Deployment

The itinerary revision sits within Norwegian Star’s wider European deployment. After completing its summer season in Europe, the ship is also scheduled to offer a ten-night cruise to the Canary Islands and Morocco before repositioning towards South America for the winter in early December 2027.

That wider schedule shows how the ship remains part of a flexible global deployment plan. It can serve Europe, Atlantic routes and longer repositioning cruises. The November 2027 change does not remove Norwegian Star from the broader region. Instead, it adjusts one sailing to match port availability and operational needs.

A Route Change That Turns Disruption Into a New Mediterranean Story

The amended itinerary of Norwegian Star demonstrates how rapidly the cruise planning process may change with limited access to certain ports. As a result of no longer using Lisbon as the departure port, the initial theme concerning Madeira, Canary Islands and Morocco has been abandoned. Now, the cruise itinerary includes a variety of locations in Spain, France, Italy and Malta.

The differences are not only notable but also imply a complete change of the atmosphere and the idea behind the trip. At the same time, it creates an opportunity to form a great new travel narrative. The cruise takes the travelers to Tarragona, Marseille, La Spezia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Salerno, Valletta, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona on one tour around Europe.