Norwegian Spirit left waiting at sea as Tropical Storm Lala closes Honolulu port

Norwegian Spirit missed its final two Hawaii port calls after the ship's captain cancelled stops at Hilo on 14 August and Kona on 15 August, ahead of an approaching storm. Tropical Storm Lala had reached hurricane strength before making landfall. It was heading straight for the islands.

The US Coast Guard shut Honolulu Harbor on 16 August. Norwegian Spirit and Pride of America, a second NCL ship that had also been in Hawaiian waters, were left riding out the storm in open water while the port stayed closed. No disembarkation. No new boarding.

Lala dropped back to tropical storm strength by the time it crossed the coast. The Coast Guard kept Honolulu shut through Saturday and into Sunday, then cleared Norwegian Spirit to return on Monday, 17 August. Hundreds of passengers had already left the ship from an earlier port ahead of the diversion. NCL offered those who stayed extra sea days with onboard credit.