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Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America has altered her Christmas cruise itinerary due to unsafe waves that make it impossible for the ship to dock in Maui for as long as originally planned.

The ship, which offers 7-night inter-island Hawaii cruises roundtrip from Honolulu all year long, departed on her current sailing on Saturday, December 21, 2024. Guests were notified of the itinerary change once onboard.

"While we have made every effort to maintain the original itinerary and provide you with the vacation you purchased, the safety of our guests and crew remains our top priority," the notification explained.

"Unfortunately, due to a winter swell phenomenon creating large breaking waves and strong currents along all north- and west-facing shores, making it unsafe to remain alongside, our scheduled visit to Kahului, Maui, on Sunday, December 22, 2024, has been canceled."

Fortunately for guests, Pride of America was scheduled to have had an overnight visit to Kahului. While that is no longer possible, the ship will still visit the picturesque port on Monday, December 23 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Sunday, the ship will instead enjoy a day of scenic cruising with panoramic views of volcanic mountain peaks and the lush landscape of Maui's dramatic, tropical coastline.

In the meantime, additional onboard activities are sure to be scheduled, and travelers will be able to enjoy all the features and amenities of the 80,439-gross-ton ship, the largest US-flagged cruise ship in the world.

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Any Kahului shore tours booked through Norwegian Cruise Line for Sunday will be automatically cancelled and a full refund returned to guests' onboard account.

Guests do not need to visit the Shore Excursion desk to make any changes for the now-cancelled visit, though they can check for additional tour options available on Monday if they have had already booked Sunday tours.

Winter swells are often caused by storms that begin near the Aleutian islands of Alaska, but then move unimpeded toward Hawaii.

This can cause immense waves along northern shores, damaging coastal communities and speeding erosion along the coastline.

Kahului is on the north shore of the island of Maui, and while the dock is reasonably sheltered, maneuvering for docking could be exceptionally hazardous. Furthermore, swells creating movement of the gangways can be unsafe for either guests or crew members leaving or returning to the ship.

While passengers for this Christmas cruise will be understandably disappointed to have their time in Maui cut much shorter than anticipated, safety is always the first priority for any cruise line.

At this time, there are no changes for any ports of call through the rest of the week-long cruise. Pride of America will visit Kahului on Monday, followed by Hilo on Tuesday, Kona on Wednesday (Christmas Day - Mele Kalikimaka!), and an overnight in Nawiliwili from Thursday into Friday.

While Hilo is on the north shore of the Big Island of Hawaii, Kona is on the west shore of the Big Island, and Nawiliwili is on the eastern coast of Kauai.

None of the other ports should be so strongly impacted, though Norwegian Cruise Line will continue to monitor the swell activity and will make further changes if necessary to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

Pride of America can welcome 2,186 passengers aboard at each sailing, and is also home to just over 900 crew members who strive to ensure that everyone has a memorable and enjoyable visit to the Aloha State.