Norwegian Spirit Completes Summer Program in Alaska

Alaska’s summer program for the Norwegian Spirit has come to an end. Taking a repositioning cruise to Hawaii on Aug. 30, the Norwegian Cruise Line vessel left the region after sailing nearly four months. This 16-night cruise voyage took passengers from Vancouver to Honolulu, stopping in several Alaskan ports, including Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka and Skagway.

Aboard the Norwegian Spirit, guests can now enjoy visits to Nawiliwili, Kahului, and Hilo before arriving in Honolulu on Sep. 15. A series of 12-night cruises between Hawaii and the South Pacific will follow before the boat repositions to Australia and New Zealand in December. Among the ship’s regular stops are Hilo, Nawiliwili, Kahului, Raiatea, Moorea, and Tahiti.

The Norwegian Spirit will not return to Alaska until at least 2025 after its future seasons were cancelled earlier this year. It is planned to spend the upcoming summers in the Far East instead of Alaska.

Lion Travel, a local operator that chartered the Spirit for the operation, will offer cruises from Taiwan on the Spirit. A series of open-jaw cruises were offered between May and August on the Norwegian ship, one of five Norwegian ships sailing in Alaska this summer. During Spirit’s weeklong itineraries, passengers visited Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, and Ketchikan, among other Alaskan and Canadian ports.

In late June, it was cancelled that the ship would make regular stops in Valdez. Five years after entering service for Star Cruises, the Norwegian Spirit was transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line. Most of the ship’s public areas and cabins were completely reconstructed in 2020 during a major refurbishment.