Norwegian Cruise Line said the Norwegian Star lost propulsion about 20 miles offshore in Australia and is being towed to Melbourne.
The cruise line said the ship has full power and all onboard services are fully operational. All guest amenities remain open and available and the weather conditions are favorable.
Norwegian cited a technical problem with the ship’s azipods. When the ship arrives in Melbourne a technical team will assess the repair timeline and additional details about the remaining itinerary will be issued.
It said guests can stay onboard while the ship is docked and enjoy additional time exploring Melbourne and then continue on to Auckland on the revised itinerary once the repairs are complete. Norwegian said it expects to operate the Feb. 18 departure from Auckland.
The Norwegian Star departed on the current cruise Feb. 6. Guests on that cruise will get a full refund and a 50% future cruise credit. Guests wishing to disembark once the ship reaches Melbourne will get a credit of up to $350 per person for a flight to Auckland and up to $300 per ticket for an airfare change fee allowance.