Mechanical Issue Causes Norwegian Gem Cancellation, Changes

Some of the travelers scheduled to sail on the Norwegian Gem during a November cruise are out of luck as one voyage has been canceled and another changed due to a technical problem with the ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced the November 11 cruise from New York has been officially canceled and the current itinerary has been impacted due to an issue with the Azipod propulsion system that caused the ship’s speed to be restricted from full capacity.

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The Norwegian Gem is currently sailing an 11-day Eastern Caribbean cruise that departed New York on October 31. The revised itinerary now includes an overnight call in Barbados on November 10, and then Norwegian will fly the passengers back to New York on November 11.

As a way to apologize to the passengers on the impacted cruise, Norwegian is compensating all guests with a future credit of 25 percent of their cruise fare paid. For the travelers on the canceled voyage, the cruise line will receive a full refund, a 50 percent future cruise credit and airfare change fees up to $300 per person.

Norwegian officials did not reveal a repair plan for the ship.

The cruise line’s reservations teams and travel partners are working together to help rebook impacted passengers on alternate sailings over the same dates.

READ MORE: Are Solo Travelers Forgotten by Cruise Lines?

Norwegian is also offering a limited time Flash Sale offering all four free amenities in its 'Free At Sea' promotion, including free unlimited open bar, a free specialty dining package, $50 toward shore excursions in each port per stateroom and 250 minutes of free Wi-Fi.

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