Belize was spared. Sorry Costa Maya wasn't.
The Spirit sails mostly North-South on the itinerary this year. Sailing eastward or westward consumes many miles and time. Costa Maya was the first port on the itinerary. So whichever port NCL decides, if it decides to subsitiute, would have to be within 40 hours of New Orleans (~1000 miles) and 16 hours (~400 miles) of it's schedules second stop at Santo Tomas.
Math:
The Spirit can dash for a short period of time up to 24 knots, but it can't sustained that speed for a long time. Therefore, 22 knots is the most we should hope for in less than perfect sea states.
22 knots (1.15 mph) x 40 hours = 1012 miles
22 knots (1.15 mph) x 16 hours = 404 miles
Distances:
Progresso to New Orleans = ~600 miles /
Progresso to Santo Tomas = ~625 miles X
Grand Cayman to New Orleans = ~920 miles /
Grand Cayman to Santo Tomas = ~540 miles X
That really doesn't leave many choices. Progresso is close enough to New Orleans, but too far from Santo Tomas. Grand Cayman is close enough to New orleans, but too far from Santo Tomas too.
If NCL does decide to substitute a port for Costa Maya for the Norwegian Spirit's itinerary, it'll have to be either Playa del Carmen or Cancun. Both would be tender ports, and both ports frequently have seas that are too rough to actually tender safely. If NCL did subsitute either of these ports, I don't expect they will tender 75% of the time.
The other possible port the Spirit can actually meet without a major overhaul of it's schedule is Cozumel, which it visit again later.
Lastest news bulletin:
A decision on Norwegian Spirit's new schedule will be finalized by the end of this week, according to a spokesperson from NCL.
NCL has changed the Norwegian Sun's itinerary by dropping Costa Maya, and replacing it with Cozumel on the cruises that had sailed to Costa Maya. It was already scheduled to do so on the following sailings from Miami;
December 1, 8, 15, 22; January 5, 12.
I don't know if it will dock or tender at Cozumel on these sailings:
October 27; November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 29; January 19, 26; February 2, 9, 16, 23; March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; April 5, 12.
I hope this helps!:wave
