NCL’s Norwegian Pearl Cancels October 26 Sailing for Repairs

Norwegian Pearl’s Oct. 26 seven-day Western Caribbean sailing has been canceled because the ship must enter dry-dock to repair a thrust bearing in the Azipod propulsion system, Norwegian Cruise Line said.

During routine inspections, Norwegian Pearl’s engineers identified localized wear in the thrust bearing. Therefore, Norwegian Pearl has been and will continue to travel at a reduced speed until it enters dry-dock. The Azipod issues do not impact the safe operation of the vessel.

The following itineraries for Norwegian Pearl have been modified as a result of the reduced speed capabilities: On the seven-day Alaska sailings departing Sept. 1, Sept. 7 and Sept. 14, the ship’s call in Victoria, B.C., has been shortened and guests cannot disembark. On the 19-day Sept. 21 Panama Canal cruise from Seattle to Miami, calls in San Francisco and Los Angeles have been canceled and a stop in Huatulco, Mexico, has been added. Timing of stops in Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Cartagena, Colombia, has been altered slightly.

As a result of this itinerary change, NCL is offering an onboard credit of $50 per person for a maximum of $100 per stateroom. On the Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 seven-day Western Caribbean cruises from Miami, the stop in Roatan, Honduras, is now from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For guests booked on the Oct. 26 sailing, NCL is offering a full refund and a 25 percent future cruise credit based on the cruise fare paid on this sailing. The future cruise credit is valid on any NCL ship through Oct. 26, 2009. NCL is encouraging guests who booked their reservation with a travel agent to contact the agent directly to rebook the cruise.