ORLANDO, Fla. – A Norwegian Cruise Lines ship set to sail from Port Canaveral this weekend for a weeklong cruise has been canceled.
The Norwegian Escape was scheduled for a 7-night sailing, but the company said repairs to the ship after it got stuck leaving the Dominican Republic last week are taking “longer than expected.”
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Port Canaveral Director and CEO Captain John Murray said underwater work is being performed to repair the ship after it got stuck when it hit a channel bed. He said repairs should be ready for April 2 or April 3 sailling.
Viewers told News 6 the ship was stuck for hours while waiting for high tide.
“There was a tone in the captain’s voice that sounded like he was a little nervous as well,” said Jason Van Dyke, a passenger on the cruise. “... Took a look around and you could tell that we were stuck.”
A passenger told News 6 the ship was freed and docked back at the pier at the Dominican Republic. The cruise was then canceled and passengers on board had to fly home on a charter flight from Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Norwegian said passengers would be refunded and provided a voucher for future cruises.