Port Development Forces Norwegian Jewel to Change Bermuda Season
Key Aspects:
Norwegian Jewel will no longer be able to visit Charleston, South Carolina, on several cruises to Bermuda.
Charleston will be completing work on a redevelopment project that makes it impossible to accommodate larger cruise ships.
All voyages from July 2 to August 20 have replaced by Charleston with Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Norwegian Jewel is about to begin a historic season of cruising out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but her Bermuda-bound sailings will look a bit different from what was expected.
The NCL ship will be in Philadelphia from April 16, 2026, until August 27, 2026, making her the first ship to homeport there in years while also operating her first-ever season of dedicated Bermuda voyages.
The 2,368-guest ship was slated to primarily operate 7-night sailings to Kings Wharf, Bermuda, and Charleston, South Carolina, during the summer months, but plans for redevelopment in Charleston have led to an unfortunate change of plans.
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Because of construction related to the redevelopment, the cruise port will no longer be able to accommodate Norwegian Jewel.
“Due to a new development project in the city of Charleston, South Carolina, beginning in July 2026, the port is limiting its cruise operation to smaller vessels,” Norwegian Cruise Line wrote in a letterto impacted guests.
“As such, it will no longer be able to accommodate large cruise ships, and our scheduled visit has therefore been cancelled,” NCL continued.
Cruise Hive confirmed that all voyages scheduled to embark between July 2, 2026, and August 20, 2026, will be impacted by the itinerary change. The spring-time sailings from April 16 to June 25 have not been affected at this time.
New Port Added to the Itinerary
In an effort to still cultivate an exciting vacation for guests, Norwegian Cruise Line has replaced Charleston with a day in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
“In its place, we’re pleased to welcome Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to your itinerary,” the cruise line confirmed.
Understandably, the change was met with some disappointment. Some guests booked the cruise to specifically go to Charleston and weren’t happy about the change in plans.
The itinerary also calls for the 93,502-gross ton ship to be in Halifax from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. when it visits, which is both too early and too little time in port for many guests. The visit to Charleston would have lasted for a full day and started at 11 a.m.
“We are so very disappointed about this change. Charleston was the highlight for us, and the new ports are poor substitutes,” one impacted passenger said in Cruise Hive’s Norwegian Cruise Line News, Tips & Chat Facebook group.
Especially for those scheduled to sail in July, news of the change came after their full payment was due, which they incorrectly thought meant that they couldn’t cancel their sailing without penalty.
“I am on the July 2nd cruise and I am extremely angry. They sent this exactly at 119 days prior so I can not get a full refund since it’s less than 120 days. Very shady and not ok at all,” another passenger complained.
However, this guest was not entirely correct. Full payment is due 120 days out, but sailings can be cancelled with no penalty up to 90 days before departure.
Redevelopment & Cruise Ship Limits
It’s no secret that Charleston has been slowly phasing out cruising. Homeporting operations ceased at the end of 2024 with the departure of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine, which had called Charleston home for five years.
The purpose of ending cruise ship departures was to redevelop the Union Pier Terminal into a mixed-use, walkable waterfront district featuring residential houses, shopping, office spaces, and public green spaces.
Construction is ongoing, and no completion date has been announced as of the time of this publication. With the redevelopment, homeporting operations will not be possible, and only short one-day ship calls will be accommodated by the port going forward.
The Southern port has also set a voluntary limit of allowing no more than 104 cruise ship visits per year and not accepting ships that carry more than 3,500 passengers.
The purpose of these limitations is to protect Charleston’s historic downtown, reduce negative environmental impacts, and manage overtourism.
Hopefully, cruise guests who are missing out will get another chance to explore all that the city has to offer in the future, perhaps even taking advantage of some of the new developments.
Port Development Forces Norwegian Jewel to Change Bermuda Season