Thousands stuck on cruise ship after 'mechanical issue' forces it to skip stops and cancel next trip

More than 2,000 people found themselves stranded on board a Norwegian Line cruise ship due to a ‘mechanical issue’, with thousands affected after its next cruise was cancelled.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship the Norwegian Pearl missed two ports of call on its 13-day cruise and is at risk of being late for its planned arrival in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, where its passengers are due to fly home from.

According to NCL, the ship suffered a ‘mechanical issue’ which meant it had to travel at a reduced speed.

Passengers said they were given little information, making it impossible to plan for what might happen.

In a statement, NCL said the issue meant the cruise ship had not called at Palma, Majorca but sailed straight to Barcelona, staying for an extra evening then sailing on to Livorno rather than sailing to Monte Carlo.

“She will conclude her voyage in Rome, Italy,” the statement said. “Due to necessary repairs, Norweigan Pearl’s upcoming Greek Isles and Italy sailing departing on July 5, 2019, will be canceled.

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“We recognize the disappointment and inconvenience our guests have experienced as a result of this unforeseen situation and we offer our sincere apologies.”

Passengers on board vented their frustration via Twitter, saying they had not been told anything about the situation.

Laura Mustard, whose 75-year-old parents are stuck on the ship, said they were “panicked due to poor communication”.

She told Yahoo News UK: “I received a call from them at 4am saying they were stuck in Barcelona and had no idea if they would make it to Rome in time to get their flight.

“They say communication on the ship has been terrible, with passengers getting inconsistent responses. It’s just chaos. I’ve tried to get some kind of response from NCL but haven’t got anywhere either.

“Obviously it’s very worrying for my parents. Their biggest concern is that they won’t make it to Rome in time for their flights home to the US and that if the ship decides to end the trip in Barcelona they’ve have 2,000-plus people trying to book flights at the same time.”

Ms Mustard also said to Yahoo News UK: “It’s gonna cost me $10k to get a one way ticket home from Barcelona for them last minute.

“I just heard from my parents ON the ship and this is NOT the latest. According to them the cruise will NOT continue to Rome and they’ve been told to make “other” arrangements to get home from Spain. And to do so by noon Friday. Good grief.”

Passengers who were due to join the ship for its Greek cruise were also left high and dry after it was cancelled.

Patricia Del Mar tweeted that she had already flown to New York from Puerto Rico and was about to travel from there to Rome when she received a call saying her trip had been cancelled and to fly back to Puerto Rico.

NCL has reportedly said it would refund the cost of the cruise and any pre-booked excursions, as well as offering a future cruise to the same value, but will only pay £235 ($300) in ‘flight change fees’.

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