Key Aspects:

• A massive earthquake in Russia has caused tsunami warnings as far away as Hawaii, where the first wave is expected to hit in a matter of hours.
• Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America departed from Hilo early to get to the safety of the open ocean, leaving some passengers behind. 
• Based on cruise tracking data, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Regatta appears to have fled from the Kailua-Kona cruise port early as well. 

Though the situation is still developing, a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the East Coast of Kamchatka, Russia, on July 29, 2025, has already had an impact on a global scale.

Widespread tsunami warnings are in effect around the globe, with the entire state of Hawaii notably under a high alert and throwing a wrench into cruise plans. 

“A tsunami warning continues in effect for the state of Hawaii,” reads an official update from the National Weather Service.

“A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii. Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property.”

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has also issued a three-hour warning to evacuate coastal areas immediately ahead of the first wave, which is expected to hit the Hawaiian islands just after 7 p.m. on July 29.

“Sirens sounding for tsunami threat. 3HRS out from 1st wave arrival estimated at 7:10 PM HST. Evacuate coastal areas,” the emergency alert read.

The cruise lines have taken this warning to heart, and so far, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America has already made an urgent departure from the port of Hilo because the danger diminishes significantly in the open ocean. 

The up to 2,186 passengers booked on this sailing received this message: “Due to a TSUNAMI WARNING issued by the State of Hawaii, Pride of America will be departing Hilo immediately as directed by the Department of Transportation.”

“If you’re not in the vicinity of the port, seek higher ground and follow the direction of the local authorities for your safety,” the message continued.

Unfortunately, not everyone made it back to the port quickly enough, as guests didn’t expect to depart until 6 p.m. local time and many were in the middle of shore excursions.

“I have family on a cruise in #Hawaii. They were on an excursion on the Big Island when they got the #tsunamialert,” One person confirmed on X on behalf of their loved ones.

“They made it back on the cruise ship right before it left Hilo.They said a lot of people out on excursions were left behind. You can hear the warning sirens,” she shared.

Some cruisers also reported that they were separated from their loved ones after only a portion of their travel party made it back onboard.

It’s unclear how Norwegian Cruise Line will compensate or assist passengers who were left behind once the danger passes.

For now, initial reports show that at least some guests that did get left behind are being brought to higher ground by tour providers.

More Cruise Ships Impacted in Intense Situation 

Although we have not received direct confirmation from the cruise line, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Regatta can also be seen on cruise tracking data leaving Hawaii’s Kailua-Kona early. 

Like Hilo, Kailua-Kona also services the Big Island of Hawaii.

As with the NCL ship, the small luxury cruise ship was not supposed to set sail again until 6 p.m. local time. 

She is due to dock in Kahului (Maui) tomorrow, July 30, and it’s unclear if the tsunami will result in a change of plans for this port call as well. 

Cruise Hive has reached out to Norwegian Cruise Line for a statement, which is also the sister brand of Oceania Cruises.

Read Also: Can a Cruise Ship Tip Over? – All You Need to Know

No other cruise ships will be calling on the main Hawaiian cruise ports through the end of July, but it’s possible that more ships in other parts of the world will be impacted by what has been ranked as Russia’s sixth-largest earthquake of all time.

Active tsunami warnings remain in place throughout Alaska, which is bad timing as it’s currently the peak cruising season.

Additional warnings are in place for the US West Coast, parts of British Colombia, Japan, and several US Territories like Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

So far, larger waves of 3-4 meters tall (or 10-13 feet) have already hit parts of Kamchatka, which is near the epicenter of the earthquake.

Some initial 30 cm waves (or 12 inches) have also already been noticed in Hokkaido, a city in Northern Japan. While these may seem small, bigger waves could get closer to 3 meters (10 feet) tall.

In the US, Alaska (and specifically the Aleutian Islands) is most likely to be hit first, followed by Hawaii, and then finally the West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California).

If you are in an impacted area, especially near the coast, please spread the word, get to higher ground, and stay safe.