The Port of Honolulu reopened Sunday evening after Hurricane Lala passed through Hawaii as a tropical storm, allowing two Norwegian Cruise Line ships to resume homeport operations with delay-adjusted schedules. Pride of America departed late Sunday, August 16, after embarking passengers who were originally scheduled to sail the previous day. Norwegian Spirit, which had waited out the storm at sea, began its approach to Honolulu early Monday morning and is expected to complete debarkation on August 17.
Pride of America, which carries 2,180 passengers and operates year-round seven-night interisland cruises from Honolulu, lost more than a full day to the storm closure. The ship's originally planned stop in Kahului, Maui, scheduled for Sunday morning through Monday evening, will be adjusted, though Norwegian has not yet confirmed the exact changes to remaining ports. Passengers are being notified of the revised itinerary as details are finalized. The ship normally visits Hilo, Kona, and Nawiliwili before returning to Honolulu on August 22.
Norwegian Spirit, a 1,972-passenger vessel completing a 15-night voyage from Vancouver, had anchored near Honolulu before the storm hit, offering passengers the option to disembark early or remain onboard. The ship is now heading to port at approximately 11 knots to complete its scheduled debarkation. Passengers who originally selected Sunday embarkation windows have been asked to keep those times but shift their arrival to Monday.
The port's rapid inspection and reopening means no further significant schedule disruptions are expected for either ship. Passengers on both vessels should expect to receive final itinerary adjustments within the next day as Norwegian Cruise Line confirms which remaining ports of call will be affected by the delay. This situation underscores the importance of flexibility when cruising during Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November and occasionally impacts Caribbean and Hawaiian itineraries.
Originally reported by Cruise Hive, Melissa Mayntz (August 17, 2026).
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