Norwegian Escape cruise cancelled, passengers sent home

Following the Norwegian Getaway Grounding in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on Monday, the cruise line has informed guests that the cruise underway on March 12 has been cancelled. The following trip on March 19 was also canceled.

Norwegian Cruise Line cancels trip

On Monday, March 14, the Norwegian Getaway ran aground leaving Taino Bay in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. After help from local authorities, including tugs, the large Breakaway-plus-class vessel was finally freed around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The ship was brought back to the Taino Bay port pier to assess any damage. Meanwhile, the guests were able to enjoy their time ashore again. All guests and crew were safe and full services were available onboard the ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line.

In another development, on March 15 the cruise line sent a letter to all guests on board stating that the current voyage is cancelled. NCL said in the letter, “Out of an abundance of caution, the remainder of Norwegian Escape’s March 12, 2022 cruise has been canceled and we will be disembarking all passengers between March 16-18, 2022 in Puerto Plata.”

The following March 19 departure from Port Canaveral is also cancelled. Affected customers are being contacted regarding their options. The trip was to be a seven-night itinerary to Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Great Stirrup Cay.

The cruise line did not detail the damage, but some minor scratches were observed. Additional checks may be required as a precautionary measure. With the ship remaining alongside at Taino Bay, sister ship Still Norwegian was forced to dock at nearby Amber Cove on March 15.

Guests sent home

All Norwegian Getaway customers will begin to be sent home between March 16 and 18. Customers who purchased flights through the cruise line will receive new flight schedules within 48 hours. Guests who did not book through the cruise line will be sent to Orlando, Florida via charter flights and bus transfers to Port Canaveral to pick up the vehicles.

NCL advises customers to work directly with their airline to arrange the necessary flights from Orlando to their homes. Travel insurance plays an important role in this situation, especially for those who did not book through the cruise line.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a full automatic refund that will be processed within five business days. Funds will then be back in the account within seven to ten business days from the date of processing.

To compensate for the Norwegian getaway In the event of cancellation, NCL offers a 100% future cruise credit, which will be applied to the Latitudes account. The future credit will be available from March 25, 2022 and can be used for any trip until March 25, 2023.

Also Read: Things to Know About Norwegian Escape Cruise Ship

Norwegian Getaway departed Port Canaveral on March 12 and Puerto Plata was the first port of call during the seven-day itinerary. Other ports were St. Thomas, Tortola and NCL’s private island of Great Stirrup Cay.

The Norwegian cruise ship is one of the largest in the fleet at 164,600 gross tons and has a capacity of 4,200 passengers based on double occupancy.