Cruises from New York on hold in wake of Sandy

The closure of the Port of New York this week in the wake of Superstorm Sandy is wreaking havoc with cruises scheduled to begin and end in the city.

Norwegian Cruise Line says the New York-based Norwegian Gem will make an unscheduled stop in Boston today for several hours to take on supplies and fuel before returning to sea to await the New York port's reopening. The 2,394-passenger ship was scheduled to return to New York on Monday after a nine-night cruise to the Caribbean but has been stuck at sea for the past two days.

Norwegian says customers who were scheduled to board the Norwegian Gem in New York on Monday for the ship's next voyage should monitor the line's website for updates.

Also affected is the current voyage of Princess Cruises' 3,100-passenger Caribbean Princess, which was scheduled to end today at New York's Brooklyn terminal. The ship remained in Boston overnight due to the Brooklyn terminal's closure, and Princess says passengers have the option of disembarking the ship today in Boston.

Princess says the Caribbean Princess sailing scheduled to begin today in New York is being delayed for an indeterminate period.

"The Brooklyn port is closed to all vessels until the weekend," Princess notes in a statement. "We are researching other ports and are hopeful we can secure a berth in Manhattan on Friday if the area is approved for sailing by the U.S. Coast Guard."

Another cruise scheduled to end today in New York operated by luxury line Crystal also is being affected. Crystal says the 940-passenger Crystal Symphony is sailing for Charleston, S.C., where it should arrive on Thursday. Passengers who had been scheduled to disembark in New York today will be able to leave the ship in Charleston on Thursday or Friday.

The Crystal Symphony sailing to Los Angeles that was scheduled to begin today in New York now will begin on Friday in Charleston.

Norwegian says passengers currently on the Norwegian Gem who want to disembark the ship today will be able to get off in Boston. The line says it will assist passengers who booked air travel through the company in re-booking flights home from Boston.

Princess says Caribbean Princess passengers who booked air travel to New York through the line for today's delayed departure are being contacted to rearrange their travel plans. Passengers will receive compensation for any cruise days missed due to a late embarkation, the line adds.