Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Getaway is remaining overnight in New York instead of departing on Sunday, October 12, as planned.
- Pilotage services have been temporarily suspended due to the nor’easter impacting the region and the ship cannot navigate safely out of the harbor.
- Because of the departure delay, the visits to Newport, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts have been cancelled.
As a strong nor’easter continues to pound the east coast of the US from Delaware to Maine, another cruise ship has had to change plans and remain in its homeport longer than expected. Guests aboard Norwegian Getaway received the news as they boarded the ship in New York on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
Embarkation proceeded as planned, but the 145,655-gross-ton vessel is unable to depart on schedule for her 7-night sailing, which is having a knock-on effect and also cancelling ports of call.
“A Nor’easter is forecasted to impact the region beginning Sunday afternoon, bringing strong winds and rough seas,” the letter delivered to boarding guests read. “In anticipation of these conditions, and as a precautionary measure, local authorities have suspended pilotage services in New York, a necessary step to ensure safe navigation in and out of the port.”
This means Norwegian Getaway is unable to leave on Sunday evening as originally planned. Instead, the ship is remaining overnight in the Big Apple. The plan is for departure on Monday, October 13, though the time of that departure has not yet been confirmed and will depend on when pilot services can safely resume.
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Because of the necessary delay, the ship will be unable to make her planned visits to Newport, Rhode Island on Monday, October 13 or Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday, October 14.
Instead, Monday will now be departure day, and Tuesday will be spent at sea as the ship makes her way toward Bar Harbor, Maine.
Any excursions booked through Norwegian Cruise Line for either Newport or Boston will be automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.
The visits to Bar Harbor on Wednesday, October 15 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as Saint John, Canada from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 16 are unchanged at this time. Similarly, the visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia on Friday, October 17 is not impacted.
The last day of the sailing is a day at sea, and Norwegian Getaway should return to New York on Sunday, October 19 as planned.
Norwegian Getaway in New York (Photo Credit: Steve Heap)
While guests may be disappointed at the change, the safety of the ship and everyone aboard is always the first priority. As soon as it is safe to do so, Norwegian Getaway will be on her way and guests are sure to have a fabulous vacation.
In the meantime, all onboard operations are fully functional, including dining, entertainment, and other activities. While options on the outer decks may be limited due to bad weather, guests can still find plenty to enjoy.
Other Ships Impacted
Norwegian Getaway is not the only ship impacted by the strong storms making their way up the US East Coast.
Despite an early embarkation for her October 12 sailing, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas is remaining overnight in New Jersey to wait out the rough seas.
The ship’s 7-night Bahamas itinerary has not yet been changed, but adjustments are likely depending on how long the ship must remain in port.
A similar storm is impacting the southeastern US and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine is late returning to Norfolk, Virginia.
Because of that, her October 12 sailing will be departing on October 13 instead, but the ship will still be able to visit Bermuda as planned on what will now be a 5-night sailing instead of a 6-night cruise.
Hopefully, guests aboard all three ships will still enjoy memorable and safe cruise vacations, even if the itineraries may not be exactly what they had hoped.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
