Norwegian Reroutes Hawaii Ships as Tropical Storm Lala Nears
The Coast Guard set Port Condition Zulu for Hawaii, Maui and Honolulu counties, with affected ports requiring inspections before reopening after Lala passes.
Updated September 16, 2026
Honolulu Harbor reopened after a Coast Guard inspection on Sunday, August 16, allowing Pride of America to embark guests and depart late that evening following delays caused by Hurricane Lala. The Norwegian Cruise Line ship began its shortened six-night Hawaii cruise more than a day behind schedule.
Norwegian Spirit, which also waited at sea during the storm, had its return to Honolulu, disembarkation and next embarkation postponed until Monday, August 17. Lala weakened to a tropical storm after passing Hawaii.
Pride of America begins shortened cruise
Pride of America had shortened its overnight call at Nawiliwili, Kauai, and returned to Honolulu before heading back to sea to avoid the storm. Passengers ending the previous cruise could disembark early or remain aboard during the weather-related disruption.
After Honolulu Harbor received clearance to reopen Sunday, NCL told guests booked on the delayed sailing to proceed to the port. Check-in remained open through 9 p.m. local time.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this weekend's weather-related delays. We are pleased to share that we have received the all-clear to begin embarkation, and check-in at Honolulu Harbor is now open through 9:00 p.m. local time,” the cruise line said in a text notification.
Pride of America departed shortly afterward. The cruise, originally scheduled to leave Honolulu on Saturday, August 15, was reduced from seven nights to six. NCL had not finalized the revised itinerary when embarkation began.
“We are currently finalizing itinerary details and will communicate as soon as it becomes available,” the cruise line told guests.
The original itinerary included Hilo and Kailua-Kona, along with overnight calls at Kahului and Nawiliwili. The delayed departure meant the planned Kahului visit could not proceed on schedule.
The 80,439-gross-ton Pride of America, built in 2005, carries about 2,186 passengers at double occupancy and 927 crew.
Norwegian Spirit turnaround moves to Monday
Norwegian Spirit reached Honolulu at about 12:45 p.m. Thursday after completing calls at Kahului and Nawiliwili on its 16-night cruise from Vancouver. The ship canceled its planned visits to Hilo and Kailua-Kona, both on the Big Island.
Passengers could leave the ship during the early Honolulu visit or remain aboard. Norwegian Spirit departed late Thursday and stayed at sea away from the storm, but rough conditions and limited berth availability prevented its scheduled Sunday return.
The ship’s arrival, disembarkation and next embarkation were moved to Monday, August 17. Guests joining the next cruise were told to use the same check-in time they had selected for Sunday, shifted one day later. NCL had not confirmed any additional changes to the following 16-night voyage from Honolulu to Vancouver.
Built in 1998 and refurbished in 2022, the 75,904-gross-ton Norwegian Spirit carries about 2,018 passengers and 912 crew. Its inbound voyage began July 31 and included Alaska ports before crossing the Pacific to Hawaii.
Honolulu Harbor reopens after inspection
The Coast Guard had placed Honolulu and other Hawaiian ports under Port Condition Zulu as Lala approached, closing Honolulu Harbor to vessel traffic. The storm passed near the island chain as a hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm.
The Coast Guard required inspections to assess harbor conditions before vessels could return. Honolulu Harbor passed its inspection and reopened Sunday afternoon, though berth availability remained limited while ship movements were rearranged.
Pride of America was the first cruise ship to enter Honolulu Harbor after the reopening. Norwegian Spirit remained at sea until its rescheduled Monday arrival.
