Norwegian Cruise Line Drops Curaçao Calls on Epic and Sky

Norwegian Cruise Line has revised upcoming Caribbean itineraries for Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sky, removing scheduled calls to Willemstad, Curaçao during December 2025 and January 2026 sailings as the line cited naval activity in one case and “updated port availability” in another.

Curaçao calls removed from two Norwegian Cruise Line sailings

The changes affect a seven-night Norwegian Epic cruise and at least one Norwegian Sky sailing in early 2026. In both cases, Curaçao was dropped during the peak southern Caribbean season, though the circumstances and replacement plans differed between the ships.

Norwegian Epic substituted Barbados after captain cited naval exercises

Norwegian Epic skipped a planned visit to Willemstad on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, while sailing a seven-night Caribbean cruise roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico. That voyage departed on Sunday, December 14.

Guests on board said the ship’s captain told passengers the change was tied to naval exercises and that the ship needed to leave the area near Curaçao. Barbados was added as the alternative call for the sailing.

Satellite AIS tracking showed Norwegian Epic in Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday, December 18, aligning with the revised plan. Under the ship’s original schedule, that date had been scheduled as a sea day.

Norwegian Sky’s January 2026 adjustment removed Willemstad with no replacement port

Norwegian Sky has also dropped Curaçao from at least one upcoming cruise. For the ship’s January 5, 2026 departure, Willemstad has been removed from the itinerary and no replacement port has been added.

In a notification sent to booked guests and travel agents, Norwegian Cruise Line attributed the change to “updated port availability,” without providing further detail about why Willemstad was no longer available for that date.

Ports still listed on Norwegian Sky’s January 5, 2026 sailing

With Curaçao removed, Norwegian Sky’s nine-night itinerary continues to list the following calls:

• Cabo Rojo, still scheduled as a port of call on the nine-night itinerary.
• Aruba, remaining on the published schedule for the sailing.
• Bonaire, still included among the itinerary’s southern Caribbean stops.
• Grenada, continuing as a listed call despite the Curaçao removal.
• Barbados, remaining on the itinerary as published for the cruise.
• St. Lucia, still scheduled as part of the ship’s port lineup.
• Tortola, still listed as a call on the revised itinerary.

Additional timing changes shared with Norwegian Sky guests

The same guest notification also included two departure-time adjustments:

• La Romana departure: Now scheduled for 4:00 p.m., moved earlier from 5:30 p.m.
• Tortola departure: Now scheduled for 2:30 p.m., adjusted from 2:15 p.m.

What Norwegian Cruise Line has, and has not, tied together publicly

The onboard announcement described naval exercises as the reason Norwegian Epic departed the Curaçao area, while Norwegian Sky’s change was communicated as a port-availability update. Norwegian Cruise Line has not provided a broader public explanation linking the two changes, and the line has not confirmed whether other ships will also skip Curaçao.

Passengers said the Norwegian Epic captain suggested all Norwegian Cruise Line ships would avoid Curaçao, but a fleetwide move had not been formally confirmed at the time the itinerary updates became known.

Regional context cited by outside reporting, not by the cruise line

Willemstad sits on Curaçao’s southern coast, roughly 45 miles from Venezuela. Curaçao, along with Aruba and Bonaire, is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Dutch newspaper NL Times linked the itinerary disruption to heightened regional sensitivity involving the U.S. and Venezuela, including drug-trafficking operations and concerns about military aircraft operating near commercial airspace. Norwegian Cruise Line has not adopted that explanation in any public statement tied to the December and January itinerary changes.

Other cruise brands have continued to schedule Willemstad calls

While Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sky removed Curaçao from specific sailings, other major brands still had visits to Willemstad on their published schedules in the same period, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Virgin Voyages, along with several European operators.

Norwegian Sky’s wider transition: final NCL season, then a transfer to Cordelia Cruises

The Curaçao adjustment comes during Norwegian Sky’s final stretch with Norwegian Cruise Line. The 77,104-gross-ton ship, built in 1999 and designed for about 2,000 guests, is scheduled to operate a southern Caribbean program from La Romana, Dominican Republic through early April 2026.

Norwegian Cruise Line previously announced in April 2025 that Norwegian Sky would leave the fleet in 2026, with Norwegian Sun to follow later. Norwegian Sky has been acquired by India-based Cordelia Cruises and is expected to enter service as Cordelia Sky in 2026, with reporting also indicating a late-2026 debut focused on short itineraries departing from Mumbai.

Recent and upcoming Norwegian Sky sailings include trans-Atlantic and final repositioning voyages

Before the southern Caribbean winter program, Norwegian Sky sailed a 16-night trans-Atlantic itinerary connecting Europe and the Caribbean. Enapor Portos de Cabo Verde said the ship docked in Mindelo on December 14, 2025, with 1,468 guests onboard.

The voyage departed earlier in December from the Port of Barcelona and was scheduled to visit ten destinations across seven countries and islands. Stops listed for the itinerary include Málaga, Cádiz, Casablanca, Agadir, St. Maarten, Tortola, and St. Kitts, with the cruise set to culminate in La Romana on December 22, 2025.

Looking further ahead, Norwegian Sky is also scheduled to operate a final European season under Norwegian Cruise Line, including an 11-night sailing from Southampton to Barcelona with calls in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, and a nine-night itinerary through Italy, France, and Greece ending in Piraeus near Athens. The ship is then scheduled to sail a 21-night voyage to Dubai in early September 2026, transiting the Red Sea and the Suez Canal before exiting the fleet.

Ship transfers across the industry reflect a broader reshuffling in 2026 and beyond

Norwegian Sky’s sale is part of a wider set of ship transfers as older tonnage shifts to new operators and markets. Other moves cited for 2026 and early 2027 include Costa Magica, renamed Ideal, entering service for Tianjin Oriental International Cruise Line; Seabourn Sojourn, renamed Mitsui Ocean Sakura, joining Mitsui Ocean Cruises for Japan-focused itineraries; and Costa Fortuna set to join Margaritaville at Sea as Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which Norwegian Cruise Line sailings have skipped Willemstad, Curaçao?

Norwegian Epic skipped Willemstad on December 17, 2025 during a seven-night cruise roundtrip from San Juan, and Norwegian Sky removed Willemstad from its January 5, 2026 itinerary.

Why did Norwegian Epic skip Curaçao and call on Barbados instead?

Guests said Norwegian Epic’s captain told passengers the change was tied to naval exercises and that the ship needed to leave the area near Curaçao, with Barbados substituted as the alternative port.

Why did Norwegian Sky remove Curaçao from its January 2026 cruise?

Norwegian Cruise Line told booked guests and travel agents the itinerary change was due to “updated port availability,” and the notification did not add a replacement port for the removed Willemstad call.

What is Norwegian Cruise Line’s timeline for Norwegian Sky leaving the fleet?

Norwegian Cruise Line announced in April 2025 that Norwegian Sky would leave the fleet in 2026 (with Norwegian Sun to follow later). Norwegian Sky has been acquired by Cordelia Cruises and is expected to enter service as Cordelia Sky in 2026, with reporting also pointing to a late-2026 debut.

Has Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed a fleetwide decision to avoid Curaçao?

No. Passengers said the Norwegian Epic captain suggested all Norwegian Cruise Line ships would avoid Curaçao, but Norwegian Cruise Line had not formally confirmed a fleetwide move when the itinerary changes for Epic and Sky became known.

For now, the Curaçao removals are limited to the specific sailings identified for Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sky, with Barbados added as an alternative on Epic’s cruise and no substitute port announced for Sky’s January 2026 itinerary as the ship continues its final season with Norwegian Cruise Line ahead of its planned transfer to Cordelia Cruises.