Technical snag halts Norwegian Cruise Line ship; passengers stranded

Friday, July 5, 2019

As some technical difficulties forced the end of a cruise of one of the ships of Norwegian Cruise Line, it has apologised to its customers.

The Norwegian Pearl, which sailed from Amsterdam, was set for a 13-day cruise with stops in Belgium, France, Spain and Monaco. However, the ship left its 2,732 passengers stranded in Barcelona on July 2. The cruise was supposed to finish in Livorno, Italy on July 5.

Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson Christine Da Silva said in a statement that the ship “experienced a technical issue which necessitated that she travel at a reduced speed.” The ship skipped a scheduled stop in Palma, Mallorca, in Spain, and went directly to Barcelona “to make necessary repairs”, she said. Norwegian has cancelled the Norwegian Pearl cruise that was set to take off on July 5.

“We are truly sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience our guests have experienced as a result of this unforeseen situation,” Da Silva’s statement continued. “Our team is working diligently to assist all of our affected guests and to keep them informed with the latest details as they become available. We thank them for their continued support and loyalty.”

Passengers have voiced their frustrations on social media.

Norwegian is giving all guests on the June 22 trip a 50% refund and 50% future cruise credit based on how much they originally paid for the trip, and will also pay up to $300 for guests’ flight change fees.

Guests on the upcoming Greek Isles and Italy cruise that’s been cancelled will get their trip reimbursed in full plus a 100% future cruise credit. They’ll also get the same $300 for flight changes.

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