Norwegian Star loses power

Norwegian Cruise Line experienced a bout of unfortunate publicity last month when its Norwegian Star experienced propulsion problems while cruising in Australian waters. The ship was en route from Melbourne on a trans-tasman cruise when it lost power – but fortunately for passengers all on-board systems continued operating, and they could continue to enjoy the shipboard amenities. The ship was towed about 30km back to Melbourne for repairs, meaning the itinerary missed a number of New Zealand calls, and once seaworthy again Star set off directly for Auckland to resume its next voyage. Most of those on board took the incident in their stride – and welcomed Norwegian’s generous offer of a 100% credit on the current voyage plus a 50% discount on a future booking. The line also offered flight credits for those who wanted to leave from Melbourne.