- Norwegian Cruise Line rerouted two major vessels due to the strengthening Tropical Storm Lala near Hawaii.
- The Norwegian Spirit canceled all Big Island stops and offered passengers early disembarkation in Honolulu.
- Pride of America adjusted its Kauai departure and scheduled its final passenger disembarkation for August sixteen, twenty twenty-six.
Norwegian Cruise Line rerouted Norwegian Spirit and Pride of America around Tropical Storm Lala, canceling two Big Island calls and cutting short a Kauai stop. The changes also shifted passenger disembarkation plans in Honolulu.
Norwegian Spirit dropped scheduled visits to Hilo and Kona. The ship reached Honolulu ahead of schedule, then sailed south to wait at sea as the storm approached Hawaii.
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Some passengers left there. Accounts from passengers said roughly 200 guests chose to disembark early in Honolulu, rather than continue aboard while the ship waited out the weather.
The cruise line did not identify that figure as its own count. Its guest notice instead focused on the expected conditions around Honolulu.
“A developing tropical storm in the Central Pacific, southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, is expected to bring strong winds and challenging conditions to the region, resulting in the potential closure of the Port of Honolulu,”
Pride of America also shortened its Nawiliwili call on Kauai and returned to Honolulu early. Passengers could leave on August 14 or stay aboard until the revised disembarkation date, Sunday, August 16, 2026.
The ships changed course in different ways
| Ship | Revised movement | Passenger effect |
|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Spirit | Canceled Hilo and Kona visits, reached Honolulu early and headed south | Guests could leave early or remain onboard while the vessel waited offshore |
| Pride of America | Left Nawiliwili early, returned to Honolulu and planned to move into deeper water | Guests could disembark August 14 or remain aboard until August 16 |
The storm was described as strengthening toward hurricane status as it neared the islands. Forecasts called for strong winds and heavy rain, while port restrictions and harbor closures became possible.
Those conditions drove the reroutes. The ships moved toward Honolulu before anticipated restrictions, then planned to remain away from the worst weather rather than continue the original island schedule.
Norwegian gave guests a specific timetable for the second vessel. The company said it would leave Nawiliwili on August 13, 2026, reach Honolulu and remain there until 5:00 pm local time on August 14, 2026.
“To ensure we can safely arrive in Honolulu ahead of these anticipated restrictions, Pride of America will depart Nawiliwili on August 13, 2026, and proceed to Honolulu where we intend to remain until 5:00 pm local time on August 14, 2026.”
The altered turnaround also disrupted the next Pride of America sailing. The storm-related return to Honolulu delayed preparations for that departure.
Travelers with flights, hotels or other post-cruise arrangements around August 14–16, 2026 were told to recheck those plans. The revised passenger handoff put August 16 at the center of the ship’s schedule.
