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The cruise line NCL announced yesterday that it has redeployed Norwegian Sun for the summer of 2010, moving the ship from Alaska to Europe. The 1.936-passenger Norwegian Sun is assuming the summer 2010 itinerary previously announced for Norwegian Jewel and will sail a 12-night Baltic Capitals itinerary from Dover (London) beginning May 11, 2010 through September 8, 2010. In addition, the 2.376-passenger Norwegian Jewel will move from Europe to New York, sailing a combination of seven-night Bahamas & Florida, 10-night Canada and New England and 10-night Eastern Caribbean sailings from April 24, 2010 through April 24, 2011.
“After carefully weighing the rising costs of deploying three ships in Alaska and taking into account the recently enacted legislation, in particular the US $ 50 head tax, we felt it was necessary to redeploy Norwegian Sun,” said Kevin Sheehan, NCL’s chief executive officer. “Alaska is an incredible destination, but we are clearly seeing the impact of these changes in 2009, emphasized even more by this challenging economic environment.”
Norwegian Sun had been scheduled to sail a seven-night itinerary between Vancouver and Whittier. The ship’s new deployment now includes a 15-night Panama Canal sailing from Valparaiso (Santiago de Chile) to Miami on April 11, 2010. Norwegian Sun will then reposition to Europe on a 15-night transatlantic voyage from Miami to Dover (London) on April 26, 2010, and begins her series of eleven 12-night Baltic Capitals cruises with stops in Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Berlin), Tallinn, overnight in St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Nynaeshamn (Stockholm).
“We are very pleased to welcome Norwegian Sun to Europe in the 2010/11 season. With her interior design and varied facilities, Norwegian Sun meets the preferences of our European customers”, says Michael Zengerle, General Manager NCL Continental Europe.
Following her winter season in Miami, Norwegian Jewel repositions to New York on a 13-night Circle the Caribbean voyage on April 11, 2010. Once in New York, the ship will sail a series of 20 seven-night Bahamas & Florida cruises with stops in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau.
Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Star will continue their deployment in Alaska next summer, sailing seven-night Sawyer Glacier and Glacier Bay cruises from Seattle.
NCL is contacting travel partners and guests with reservations on Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jewel’s previously scheduled sailings. The company is offering the option to transfer their reservation to a comparable sailing with their fare protected or re-priced if the fare is lower, along with an on-board credit. In addition, bookings can be cancelled without charges. Transfers must be completed by Monday, May 11, 2009. To assist impacted guests and travel partners, guest from Continental Europe can call the regular NCL reservations hotline.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
