Norwegian Cruise Line's cruise ship Pride of America will return to service on April 9th. The only major US-flagged cruise ship will operate 7-day year-round sailings from Honolulu, Hawaii, as it did before the pandemic.
However, NCL said in a press release that not everything will be as usual for the time being. During the start-up phase, Pride of America will operate with lower guest capacity than usual. As a result, the crew onboard has also been reduced, which will result in limited dining options.
During the start-up period, the "Moderno Churrascaria" and the "Teppanyaki" will remain closed until further notice. The Skyline Main Dining Room is closed for breakfast and lunch. All other restaurants and facilities on board will operate as usual. Guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at the complimentary Aloha Cafe. Dining will also be available in the Skyline Main Dining Room and at select specialty restaurants such as La Cucina, Cagney's Steakhouse and Jefferson's Bistro for an additional fee. Last but not least, the "Cadillac Diner" will be open around the clock.
Norwegian Cruise Line has not yet revealed how long the current restrictions on the Pride of America will apply. In any case, the lower number of crew members is probably due to the fact that the crew flying the US flag may consist of US citizens and permanent residents of the Unted States, and is therefore expensive and not so easy to recruit.
While not the first ship to begin cruises to Hawaii, Pride of America is the first to offer Hawaii-based cruises. Pride of America seven-day itineraries include stops in Honolulu, Kahului (Maui), Hilo -Kona (Big Island), and Nāwiliwili (Kaua'i) before returning to Honolulu.
Pride of America is the only major cruise ship to comply with the Passenger Vessel Services Act. This law states that a ship carrying passengers between two US ports must fly the flag of the United States and be crewed exclusively by the United States. If a ship does not comply with this rule, it must call at least one foreign port on each voyage.
