Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has reached a $2 million settlement on April 10, 2026, with 12 states for using deceptive sales tactics during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. State investigators found that NCL’s sales team downplayed the health risks of the virus and made false claims to persuade consumers to book cruises and avoid canceling trips. 

The settlement follows an investigation into NCL’s conduct in 2020, when leaked internal emails showed sales managers encouraged employees to downplay the pandemic. In two examples highlighted by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office, sales staff were instructed to tell customers that “the coronavirus can only survive in cold temperatures, so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise,” and the “only thing you need to worry about for your cruise is do you have enough sunscreen.”

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson put the conclusion bluntly when announcing his state’s share of the settlement: “Norwegian lied to make sales.”

Other states used similarly harsh language. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said consumers were misled during a public health emergency, while Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford warned that companies cannot “put profits over the health of their customers.” 

The settlement covers Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. 

Under the agreement, Norwegian Cruise Line must stop using deceptive and unsubstantiated sales claims, train employees on proper sales communications, and require senior management to approve sales messaging “prior to their use during a declaration of a disaster in the future.”

NCL has already paid more than $3 billion in reimbursements between March 13, 2020 and November 30, 2025 for cruises cancelled during the pandemic.

Cruise Law News reported on similar concerns during the pandemic in a 2021 story on cruise lines misrepresenting COVID-19 risks and case counts, which also referenced NCL’s sales claim that the virus could only survive in colder weather. The new multistate settlement now turns that criticism into a formal finding backed by attorneys general across the country.

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