The Saturday, December 14, Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard Holland America's ms Nieuw Amsterdam was canceled due to issues with one of the vessel’s two Azipods.
The vessel, scheduled to sail a 7-night voyage, didn't leave the dock at Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades. Sunday afternoon, December 15, passengers were notified that the sailing was canceled due to issues with one of the Azipod propellers.
The line said on Facebook that while the ship could safely sail with one Azipod, to do so required approval from several regulatory authorities which were still in progress.
"Given the impact of the delay on delivering a satisfactory itinerary for guests, a decision was made to cancel the cruise."
Vacationers will receive a full refund of the cruise fare, reimbursement for air change fees, in addition to a 100% future cruise credit. Some travelers were able to re-book on Holland America’s ms Koningsdam and ms Nieuw Statendam, also cruising from Port Everglades FL on Sunday.
It is not known at this time what impact there may be on upcoming ms Nieuw Amsterdam sailings.
For other ms Nieuw Amsterdam accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.