UPDATE: West Hawaii Today is currently awaiting response from Norwegian Cruise Line, owner of Pride of America, which had not arrived in Kailua Bay as of 8:30 a.m., despite the company saying it would resume its weekly Wednesday visit starting today. This story will be updated as soon as information is confirmed.
KAILUA-KONA — The Pride of America was expected to resume its weekly Wednesday visit to Kailua-Kona starting today.
The dawn arrival of the Norwegian Cruise Line vessel in Kailua Bay marks the Pride of America’s first to visit to Hawaii Island’s leeward side since May 9 after the company ceased its weekly calling on island ports amid the ongoing Kilauea Volcano eruption in lower Puna.
Norwegian Cruise Line said it made the change to its itinerary after “carefully monitoring the geological conditions” on Hawaii Island for the last couple of weeks. The interisland cruise, for the time being, will depart from Honolulu with stops in Kahului, Maui, Kailua-Kona and Nawiliwili, Kauai.
The 2,186-passengers ship, however, will continue to forego visiting Hilo, where it last ported on May 1, pending “geological conditions.”
“Calls to Hilo will commence as soon as conditions allow,” the company said in a prepared statement provided to West Hawaii Today. … “Our top priority continues to be the safety and security of our guests and crew.”
Between the Pride of America’s last visit to Hilo on May 1 and today, seven cruise ships have canceled Hilo visits. A June 6 visit by Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Insignia has already been scrapped.
“We hope that they return to Hilo as soon as possible. We have a lot of businesses that are completely reliant on the cruise ship industry and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that are really feeling the pressure right now,” Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, said Tuesday.
Between May 1 and today, Kailua-Kona lost just two visits by the Pride of America. Calls by Royal Caribbean on May 5, Princess Cruises on May 17 and Crystal Cruises on May 24 went on as planned despite the vessels skipping Hilo.
Through July 18, the weekly Pride of America is the only vessel scheduled to visit Kailua-Kona. On July 24, Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony is on tap to return to Kailua Bay followed by the Pride of America on July 25.