Norwegian Joy Comes Back Into Service

Norwegian Cruise Line is now nine ships into its Great Cruise Comeback.

Norwegian Joy this weekend resumed service out of Miami, the ninth ship from the cruise line to re-enter service post-pandemic-pause, and the fourth Norwegian ship in Miami following Encore, Getaway, and Pearl.

Joy will now welcome guests a series of seven-day roundtrip Caribbean cruises to Roatán, Bay Islands; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Harvest Caye.

The ship will also offer a special 11-day holiday sailing that embarks on Dec. 23, visiting Willemstad, Curaçao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Castries, St. Lucia; St. John’s, Antigua; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and then New Year’s Day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

“The momentum of our Great Cruise Comeback continues as Norwegian Joy resumes voyages from our beloved hometown of Miami to join our other world-class vessels sailing from our brand-new terminal to continue delivering unforgettable guest experiences,” said Harry Sommer, president, and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “With the launch of our ninth ship, we now have more than two-thirds of our berths in operation, and we couldn’t be more excited.” 

Norwegian is currently sailing with a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all guests, a policy that it said it expects to continue “indefinitely.” NCLH, Norwegian’s parent company, first announced the vaccination requirement in April and then extended it to the end of the year in August. All three of its cruise lines have been operating with the requirement in place since their post-COVID restart.

Norwegian executives have not been shy about how crucial the vaccination requirement is for the success of its comeback.

“If you don’t have a vaccine, you are not stepping foot onboard a Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings ship. Period. No exceptions.”

Travel advisors recently spoke to TMR about Norwegian Bliss, the line’s most successful ship to date, and why it sells itself.