Norwegian Sun Drops Four Baltic Ports Amid Propulsion Issues

Norwegian Cruise Line has further revised Norwegian Sun’s nine-night Baltic sailing from Helsinki after propulsion-related technical issues forced the ship to operate at reduced speed, cutting four scheduled port calls and extending its stay in Copenhagen ahead of July 3 debarkation. NCL told guests the problem affects the ship’s schedule but “does not affect the safety of our guests or crew.”

The June 24 departure is the second consecutive Norwegian Sun sailing affected by propulsion problems. NCL has escalated guest compensation from onboard and future-cruise credits to include a partial refund of the current voyage fare.

Four port calls removed from the schedule

Captain Teo Radun informed guests over the PA system that the technical issue was limiting the vessel’s speed. NCL later advised passengers of cancellations, revised arrival times and compensation tied to the changed itinerary.

The ship departed Helsinki on June 24 on a nine-night voyage originally scheduled to call at Tallinn, Nynashamn/Stockholm, Riga, Klaipeda, Gdynia/Gdansk, Warnemunde, Kiel and Copenhagen. NCL first canceled Nynashamn and Klaipeda and replaced those calls with sea days, while substituting Ronne, Denmark, on Bornholm for Gdynia. Warnemunde remained on the schedule for June 30 with a revised call from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Kiel was subsequently removed from the July 1 program. Norwegian Sun is now scheduled to arrive in Copenhagen at 7 p.m. July 1 and remain alongside until debarkation July 3, earlier than the previously revised 10:30 a.m. July 2 arrival.

Compensation expanded after Kiel cancellation

NCL first offered passengers a non-refundable onboard credit of $100 per stateroom, split equally between the first two occupants, and a 25% Future Cruise Credit for each guest. The future credit can be used on new bookings made within 12 months for sailings departing by Dec. 31, 2027, and is scheduled to be available from July 3, 2026.

After the Kiel cancellation, the line added a refund of the fare paid for the current cruise. “As a further gesture of appreciation for your understanding, we will now also provide a 25% refund,” NCL told guests, with refunds to be sent back to the original form of payment within seven to 10 business days after the voyage ends.

NCL shore excursions for the canceled calls at Nynashamn, Klaipeda, Gdynia and Kiel will be automatically canceled and refunded to onboard accounts. Tours for remaining revised calls are being adjusted where possible, with refunds issued if the modified schedules cannot be accommodated.

Repair work and the next sailing

At 78,309 gross tons, Norwegian Sun is a Sun-class vessel built in 2001 at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven and refurbished in 2026. It carries 1,878 to 1,936 guests at double occupancy and up to 2,323 passengers at maximum capacity, with 906 crew.

The ship’s published maximum speed is 23 knots. After the Riga call on June 27, satellite tracking showed Norwegian Sun making 11 knots toward Ronne; the vessel uses diesel-electric propulsion with two controllable-pitch propellers, but NCL has not publicly identified the component involved or said how long repairs will take.

In a later passenger communication, NCL said its technical teams had “identified the required repair solution.” Norwegian Sun’s next scheduled cruise is a nine-night July 3 Copenhagen-to-Helsinki sailing to Norway, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden and Estonia. The company has not announced changes to that departure.