'Turning into a nightmare': Norwegian cancels sailing mid-cruise, passengers to be stuck on board for days

She noted earlier in the day that the ship had already opted to skip port calls in Grand Turk, St. Thomas and Tortola before it arrived in St. Maarten and before the decision to cancel was made by the cruise line.Christine Da Silva, senior vice president of branding and communication for Norwegian Cruise Line, told USA TODAY in a statement earlier Friday that the ship would overnight in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and would return to its port of origin, New York, "shortly."At the time, she did not have an estimate as to when the ship would make its return to New York.►CDC guidance:To become optional for cruise lines as COVID continues to spread►Cruising during COVID-19:Cancellation, refund policies vary by cruise line"As we continue to navigate the fluid public health environment, while focusing on delivering a safe experience for all on board, today, we made the difficult decision to cancel Norwegian Gem’s current Caribbean sailing, due to COVID-related circumstances," Da Silva said.