During the early morning of February 10 local time, the Norwegian Star’s propulsion system malfunctioned, leaving the ship without propulsion approximately 20 miles offshore near Melbourne, Australia, according to a statement from Norwegian Cruise Line.
The ship has full power and all onboard services are fully operational, Norwegian said. All guest amenities remain open and available and the weather conditions are favorable. The ship is in no danger whatsoever and the comfort and safety of the ship’s guests and crew are unaffected by this situation. All of the appropriate authorities have been notified and the ship is currently being towed to shore in order to complete all necessary repairs.
Additional details on the ship’s itinerary for this current cruise that departed on February 6 from Sydney will be available once the ship arrives alongside and a technical team has assessed the repair timeline. All guests can stay onboard while the ship is docked and enjoy additional time in Melbourne and then continue onto Auckland on the revised itinerary once the repairs are complete. Norwegian said it expects that the itinerary that commences in Auckland on February 18 will operate as originally scheduled.
All guests onboard were provided a full refund, as well as a 50 percent future cruise credit. In the event any guest wishes to disembark once the ship returns to port, Norwegian said that it will provide them with a credit of up to $350 per person for a flight to Auckland and provide up to $300 per ticket for a change fee allowance if a guest wishes to fly home immediately.
“We thank our guests for their understanding and patience in this very unusual and unprecedented situation,” Norwegian said. “While very rare, mechanical equipment malfunctions do occur and we assure our guests that our dedicated team on board is working tirelessly to deliver the absolute very best guest experience possible during this adjusted cruise.”
Further information and updated itinerary details will be available once the ship returns to port.
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