Two More Norwegian Cruise Line Ships Return to Service

Norwegian Cruise Line continues to celebrate its return to service.

On Monday, two more of its ships again welcomed guests as Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway both returned to normal operations in the Mediterranean. With those two ships, Norwegian now has one-third of its 17 ship fleet back in operation, the first stage of its “Great Cruise Comeback.”

“It has been exhilarating to watch our Great Cruise Comeback unfold over these past three months with a third of our fleet now back, offering unforgettable vacation experiences,” said Harry Sommer, president, and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line.

“The joy of reuniting with our shipboard families and welcoming our guests back on board will never grow old,” he added.

Norwegian kicked off its comeback on July 25, marking more than 500-days of no sailings, when Jade welcomed guests onto a Greek Isles itinerary. Both Epic, which completed its first voyage to ports in Spain and Italy from Barcelona, and Getaway, which departed from Rome on Monday, joined Jade and other ships, including Encore, in celebrating a return to sailing.

All of Norwegian’s 2021 sailings will require guests to be fully vaccinated. It’s part of NCL’s plan to sail in an environment that Frank Del Rio considers “the safest place on earth.” 

“Under the guidance of globally recognized public health experts and to prioritize the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, we have decided to extend guest vaccination requirements for all sailings through December 31, 2021. Guests who are not old enough to be vaccinated will not be allowed on these sailings. However, we eagerly await an expansion of the age criteria for vaccinations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration so we can once again welcome these guests back on board,” a spokesperson for NCL said.

“We will continue to evaluate and modify our health and safety protocols with our team of scientific and public health experts as science and technology evolve. For the latest updates regarding our health and safety protocols, please visit ncl.com/sail-safe.  We thank our guests for their understanding and support as we address the challenges posed by COVID-19 to deliver a safe vacation experience.”