- Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled sailings on Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Breakaway.
- The cruise line is seeing huge demand for the Caribbean.
- Affected passengers will be offered a full refund and 10% future cruise credit.
Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled several months’ worth of itineraries on three ships, as the company begins to move their bigger ships to the Caribbean.
The line has cancelled cruises in 2025 and 2026 on Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Breakaway ships.
The change has come after the cruise line earlier reshuffled its 2024/25 winter season for ships to sail from Port Canaveral, Florida and New Orleans.
And now with the 2025/26 season, the line has more than doubled its Caribbean cruise options from Tampa, another popular Florida port.
- Norwegian Encore: November 2025 through January 2026
- Norwegian Bliss: November 2025 through March 2026
- Norwegian Breakaway: January 2026 through February 2026
The cancellations to the winter itineraries in South America, Antarctica, Africa and the Indian Ocean on Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn makes way for the ships to homeport to cruise the Caribbean.
A spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement the reason for the cancellations was due to a “a result of a fleet deployment”. Guests booked on those sailings will get a full refund of their paid fare and a 10% future cruise credit.
The discount can be used on any published voyage through till December 31, 2026.
“We are committed to providing exceptional vacation experiences, both aboard our ships and by taking our guests to some of the most sought-out destinations around the world,” the statement said.
“While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, occasionally, scheduled itineraries may need to be cancelled, to allow the opportunity to introduce enhanced voyages that accommodate strong guest demand and provide a more immersive experience.”
NCL replaces the entire Tampa cruise schedule for Northern Hemisphere winter 2025/26
The line has completely reworked its itinerary schedule to offer more Caribbean cruises and shorter sailings.
Norwegian Jewel is currently the only Norwegian ship that offers round-trip Caribbean cruises from Tampa, sailing mostly 12- and 14-day itineraries.
Norwegian Jade also offers two Panama Canal itineraries departing from Tampa in early 2025.
Instead, the line will send Jewel to Miami and introduce new itineraries from Tampa next year. Jewel will sail to the Bahamas, Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal from November 2025 to April 2026 while redeployed Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Star will offer new Caribbean cruise options from Tampa.
Dawn will start sailing from Tampa on November 16, 2025 following a repositioning cruise from Barcelona in Spain. The ship will start its winter season with a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise visiting Key West; Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Honduras; and Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s resort-style destination in Belize.
Norwegian Dawn will offer 10-day Southern Caribbean cruises and four-day Bahamas itineraries from November 2025 through to March 2026.
Tampa cruises will have more four- and five-day Bahamas itineraries
The Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn will homeport from Tampa over the 2025/26 season. Star will start her winter season from December 5, 2025 with a with a 10-day Caribbean cruise with stops in the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curaçao, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
The Star’s winter itineraries from Tampa also include a four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, four- and five-day Bahamas and Key West cruises, and a 12-day Caribbean cruise featuring eight ports including the Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
Norwegian Dawn is scheduled to return to Tampa to sail seven-day Western Caribbean cruises from November 2026 through March 2027. Norwegian Sky will also sail from Tampa during the winter 2026 – 2027 season offering a variety of Southern Caribbean, Bahamas and Panama Canal sailings.
It is not yet known where Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Breakaway will be deployed to.
