Thursday, July 31, 2025
Hawaii’s Big Island was plagued by major disruption to its thriving tourism industry on July 29, 2025, after a tsunami alert saw cruise ships leave Hawaii ahead of time. But passengers on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America and Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Regatta were stranded in opposite ends of Hawaii, the Hilo and Kailua-Kona ports. This sudden chain of events, a result of a massive 8.8-magnitude quake that had just struck off the coast of Eastern Russia, prompted Hawaii officials to declare a tsunami state of emergency.
The tsunami warning was one of the strongest warnings that has been issued in the past few years, and it prompted local authorities to move quickly to protect people who live in and travel to the area. Both the cruise lines opted to depart from the port early putting safety before punctuality. The decision left some passengers marooned on islands as the cruise ships sailed on to escape any possible tsunami danger.
Tsunami Alert Prompts Cruise Ships to Depart Early
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America had just arrived in Hilo, for its scheduled port stop when the tsunami warning was triggered. Following the great earthquake, she sailed two hours ahead of schedule in response to the warning. Norwegian Cruise Line said that the early return was required to follow emergency protocols and protect the crew and guests aboard the ship. The vessel had planned to return directly to Hilo after local authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, had surveyed the safety of the port, however there was not a firm timeline for the return.
An NCL spokesperson said the crew made every effort to reach out to the passengers but many did not make it back in time, as their return time was reduced. Passengers and crew who had been ashore on shore excursions at the time were transported to a local high school, where they were given refreshments and information. The Pride of America kept in touch with its passengers, sending text messages warning whoever was still at the port to head uphill if they were unable to return to the ship.
Safety First: Tsunami Warning Further Impacts Oceania Regatta
Meantime, the Oceania Regatta, which was docked in Kailua-Kona, was also forced to depart port prematurely. Despite having only 10 passengers left in the land, the cruise line fought hard to bring them home safely. The company’s ship’s statement said both ship-based and shoreside teams were communicating with the impacted passengers as well as local authorities to arrange their return to the ship.
The earthquake off Russia’s northeastern coast was widely felt beyond Hawaii, setting off tsunami alerts throughout the breadth of the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to South America. Some warnings had been reduced to advisories by late in the morning, but the advisability of the tsunami risk was still an unsettling reality for tourists and locals.
Hawaii Reacts to Threat of Tsunami
Hawaii state officials immediately sprung into action to respond to the tsunami warning. Local officials made safety inspections of affected areas, which included the Hilo cruise port where everyone was safe. Even as the threat of a tsunami receded, officials cautioned of possible flooding, strong currents and hazardous waves, cautioning people to remain vigilant.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had announced the warning in response to the earthquake in the Russian peninsula, which was one of the most powerful in history. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) was keeping a close watch on the situation and had issued and later lowered alerts for some areas.
Passengers Left Behind: What to Do Next?
Although the situation on Hawaii has improved, passengers who were abandoned there or have been denied boarding do not yet know where they will be able to go. Here’s what Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises are doing to get passengers back on board safely. The cruise lines are still working with local officials, including the United States Coast Guard, to open the port and ensure it is safe for ships to arrive.
It was reported that stranded pax were provided with accommodation and transport if needed. But there are still lingering questions about the long-term effects the evacuation will have on Hawaii’s tourism industry, particularly if more natural disasters interrupt cruise schedules.
Impact on Hawaii’s Tourism Industry
The cruise disruption, for a Hawaiian economy dependent on tourism, adds a level of unpredictability to what was already a fraught travel season. While the lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises, continue to provide alternative itineraries and modify schedules, such occurrences put the sensitivities of tourism during natural disasters in stark relief.
The disruption also calls into question emergency preparedness and how such future natural disasters will be communicated in Hawaii’s densely populated tourism hubs. Local economies and tourists may struggle to cope with the inconvenience when safety has to trump timetable.
Global Effect of Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings
The earthquake off Russia’s eastern peninsula was felt across the region. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked a Pacific coast also triggered global travel and safety procedures. A tremor of this magnitude is extremely rare and sends alarm bells ringing along the entire Pacific Rim, experts say.
While the rest of the islands’ 10 million annual visitors listen for word of their return to the fleet of cruise ships that provides a substantial economic engine for the islands as a centerpiece of the broader tourism industry here, the broader tourism industry, for its part, waits and watches, hoping that disruptions of this sort will continue to be infrequent. In light of more frequent natural phenomena, such as tsunamis or earthquakes – will cruise lines and tour operators have to rethink their disaster strategies when it comes to Pacific regions?
Bottom Line: A Sigh of Relief for Hawaii (and Cruise Passengers)
Though the tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory, the near hit for both Hawaii and cruise passengers reinforces nature’s uncertainty — and the value of being ready to bollocks down. As the cruise lines scramble to get passengers back on their ships, Hawaii’s tourism industry will be looking at how to deal with future natural disasters in ways that minimize disruption for their visitors.
In the meantime, tourists and cruise passengers in the region are staying on alert and waiting for Sound moves are a series of toned up to return.
