DOVER, England -- Norwegian Cruise Line, whose Norwegian Dream was
damaged in a collision with a cargo ship while sailing the English
Channel Aug. 24, canceled four scheduled cruises of 12 days each.
The vessel will resume its schedule on Oct. 11 with a 12-day
cruise from Rome to Istanbul, executive vice president Art Sbarsky
reported.
Canceled were the following cruises: an Aug. 24 Scandinavian
Capitals cruise roundtrip from Dover, England; a Sept. 5 Dover to
Rome cruise; a Sept. 17 Rome to Istanbul, Turkey, sailing, and a
Sept. 29 Istanbul to Rome cruise. Sbarsky said the Lloyd Werft
shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany, had been selected to make the
repairs.
While protecting agent commissions, NCL offered full refunds to
passengers booked on the Aug. 24 sailing, and extended a
certificate toward a future NCL cruise valued at 100% of the
canceled cruise.
He said NCL also will provide a $300 future-cruise certificate
to each passenger who was aboard the ship when it collided with the
cargo vessel. The certificate would be applicable to any NCL
voyage, including millennium sailings.
For the other three canceled cruises, the line protected
commissions and offered full refunds plus a certificate worth 50%
of the value of the cruises. Additionally, NCL said it will provide
agents with clients on the Aug. 24 canceled cruise a $75 per-person
fee for rebooking.
NCL set up a hot line,(800) 634-8000, that agents can call for
update on the status of the Dream.
While en route to Dover on Aug. 24, the 50,760-ton vessel
collided with the container ship in the English Channel, some 12
miles off the English coast.
NCL said that 21 of the 1,748 passengers aboard the Dream had
been treated by the ship's doctor for minor injuries, but no
persons aboard the vessel were airlifted off the ship. Eight crew
members also sustained minor injuries, the line said.
A news report by British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) quoted
passengers as saying they had heard a loud bang when the ships
collided and reported wearing life jackets and standing in
formation for just over one hour as life boats were lowered. An NCL
press release stated, "The passengers, crew or ship were not at any
time in danger."
Preliminary information indicated the container ship, Ever
Decent, had been in the process of bypassing the Dream before it
veered back into the passenger ship's path, NCL said.
The collision threw three shipping containers onto the Dream's
bow, according to reports, while some 40 crew members on the
container ship battled a fire that broke out as a result of the
crash.
NCL reported that the Dream had sailed into port under its own
power.
However, the starboard-side wing of the Dream's bridge was
damaged as a result of the accident, and the starboard-side hull
above the water line incurred damage along with one lifeboat.
Sbarsky said that guests who were on the voyage debarked under
normal procedures. He reported that most of the 1,700 passengers
who were scheduled to depart on the canceled Aug. 24 cruise were
accommodated overnight in their assigned cabins.
During the evening, NCL provided full meal service,
entertainment, drinks and a credit for phone charges. Passengers
would also be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, he said. Some
90% of the passengers on the canceled cruise were from North
America, he said. About 50 of the passengers remained on board a
second night while the line assisted with travel arrangements, he
added.
The Norwegian Dream was launched in December 1992 as a
41,000-ton vessel with 1,246 lower berths. In March 1998, the ship
was stretched to 50,760 tons and 1,748 lower berths.
The vessel is the only NCL ship currently sailing in Europe.
Sbarsky said the Dream had enjoyed a busy summer season, although
there are some availabilities for late fall sailings.
In addition, some space remains for Europe cruises of the Marco
Polo, operated by NCL sister company Orient Lines, he said.
The Dream is scheduled to conclude its European season on Nov.
28, with a Canary Islands cruise from Rome to San Juan, Puerto
Rico, before starting its winter program of seven-day cruises from
San Juan.