Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Breakaway has updated its planned visit to Puerto Plata on New Year’s Day.
- The ship will arrive and depart one hour early to accommodate rough weather on its return to New York.
- As this is the final port call on the itinerary, no other destinations have been impacted.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway is starting the new year with an itinerary change.
The planned visit to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on January 1, 2026, has been adjusted due to developing weather conditions in the ship’s route back to Manhattan, New York.
“We would like to inform you of an amended schedule for our call to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic,” the cruise line wrote in a letter to the up to 3,903 guests onboard.
“Due to expected weather conditions and strong currents on our return to New York, the vessel must adjust the speed to ensure a safe and timely arrival. To accommodate this, we have modified the schedule and adjusted the time in port accordingly,” the update continued.
Read Also: What You Should Know About Cruise Port Cancellations
This is the final port call of a 12-night holiday cruise to the Caribbean, which embarked in New York on December 23, 2025.
Though an itinerary change isn’t the most ideal way to end a cruise (or begin a new year), this also means that the other ports on the itinerary won’t be impacted by this adjustment.
During this voyage, the 145,655-gross ton vessel also called to Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
What Actually Changed?
Rather than cancelling the visit to Puerto Plata or changing the date of the visit, Norwegian Cruise Line has simply adjusted the time in port.
The change is so minor, that it likely won’t even have much of an impact (if any) on many pre-booked tours or shore excursions.
Originally, the Breakaway-class vessel was scheduled to be in the port from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. local time. With the change, she will arrive an hour early at 6:30 a.m. and leave an hour early at 2 p.m.
The following two days will be sea days, allowing the ship to make her way back to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal to disembark on the morning of January 4, 2026.
The distance from Puerto Plata to Manhattan is somewhere between 1,400 and 1,600 nautical miles, depending on the route the captain decides to take.
How Bad is the Weather?
While phrases like “weather conditions and strong currents” can sound scary to novice cruisers, rest assured that modern cruise ships are well equipped to handle rough seas.
Norwegian Breakaway launched in 2013, but was just refurbished in dry dock earlier this year – meaning all her stabilization and navigational systems should be fine-tuned and in great shape.
The cruise lines often avoid rougher conditions out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all onboard, rather than concern that there is a significant risk to the vessel or its passengers.
In this case, the poor weather will be at sea while the ship is sailing from Puerto Plata to Manhattan.
During the visit on January 1, Puerto Plata is actually supposed to be quite pleasant. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, highs near 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and rain showers starting later in the afternoon.
On January 4, cruise guests can expect to disembark on a chilly, but sunny, day. The high will be 33 degrees Fahrenheit, but no rain or snow is expected.
For both ports, winds will be low at an expected 5 to 10 miles per hour, which is nothing a cruise ship of this size can’t handle.
