Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Bliss is adjusting every port visit on the 7-night Alaska cruise departing July 11, 2026.
- Ongoing repairs to a propulsion component require the ship to sail at a slower speed but onboard operations are not impacted.
- The propulsion issue first arose in late May and there is no indication if this will be the last itinerary impacted.
Just two weeks before embarkation, booked guests have now been notified that every port visit on the July 11, 2026 departure for Norwegian Bliss has now been adjusted.
The 168,028-gross-ton ship is undergoing a propulsion repair that necessitates a slower sailing speed. Because of this, every port visit has been shortened on the 7-night Alaska cruise.
“Norwegian Bliss is currently completing required maintenance on a propulsion component that is being replaced with care,” the cruise line confirmed with the itinerary change notification.
The email is clear that the ship’s safety is not compromised in any way, but a “slightly reduced speed” is necessary while the work is completed.
“With this in mind, we’ve refined the timing of our visits to Sitka, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan, Alaska,” the email explained. “Additionally, Victoria, British Columbia will now be a brief technical stop, which means we will dock for a short time to meet local requirements, and guests will remain on board while in port.”
Norwegian Bliss will still depart Seattle on Saturday, July 11 at 4 p.m. as planned and Sunday will remain a day at sea. The arrival to Sitka will now be 90 minutes later, however, at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, July 13 rather than at 10 a.m. as originally scheduled.
On Tuesday, the ship will arrive to Juneau 30 minutes later (7 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m.).
Both planned departures from Sitka and Juneau remain as originally scheduled at 6 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.
Likewise, Norwegian Bliss will arrive at her next two destinations at 6 a.m. as planned. Wednesday, July 15 the ship will be in Icy Strait Point, while on Thursday, July 16 the ship will be visiting Ketchikan. At both ports, however, departure is now 30 minutes earlier: 2:30 p.m. from Icy Strait Point and 12:45 p.m. from Ketchikan.
The visit to Victoria is most impacted. The original itinerary had Norwegian Bliss spending the evening in British Columbia from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Now, the ship will arrive at 11 p.m., and guests will not be permitted to leave the ship. While the ship will still dock, the visit is effectively cancelled for guests.
These itinerary changes are identical to those made for the ship’s July 4 sailing. Cruise Hive has reported on these and other itinerary changes for the 4,002-guest ship, which first began experiencing propulsion difficulties in late May.
Guests are reminded that even though the visit to Victoria is just a technical stop, proper documentation to enter Canada is still required for everyone aboard. Exact documentation will vary depending on guests’ nationality and all guests are responsible for having the proper documentation at embarkation.
Compensation Offered as Onboard Credit
Because of the inconvenience and the loss of a total of seven hours of port time (which effectively includes the complete cancellation of the visit to Victoria), Norwegian Cruise Line is providing guests with a $100 non-refundable onboard credit for each stateroom. This will be credited as $50 each for the first two guests on the reservation for each room.
If guests have booked shore excursions through the cruise line for the visit to Victoria, those excursions will be automatically cancelled and refunded back to the original form of payment.
NCL also says that any impacted tours for other ports on the cruise will be adjusted to new arrival times as needed. If tours cannot be accommodated on the revised schedule, they will be automatically cancelled and refunded.
Other than the port visits, no onboard operations are affected. The ship’s entertainment, dining, activities, music, and hotel services are all operating as planned.
When Will the Ship Be Fixed?
Repairs to Norwegian Bliss have been ongoing for several weeks since the difficulties first arose. While this is currently a known issue, the cruise line is not adjusting itineraries far in advance in the hope that the repairs can be completed and original itineraries preserved.
Because this most recent letter notes that the ship is “completing” the maintenance with a component replacement, it is hoped that Alaska cruises later in the season may not need these itinerary adjustments. Norwegian Bliss remains in the Last Frontier through her October 3 departure.
Booked guests should stay in close communication with Norwegian Cruise Line in case of further updates.
