Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America cruise liner again skipped a scheduled call at Kailua-Kona because of fears over poor air quality.
Last week, Norwegian said it would likely return to Kona after previously canceling port calls due to the ongoing Kilauea eruption.
"We’re disappointed that they made the change. We understand that they have to do what they feel is best for their passengers," said Ross Birch, Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau executive director.
The ship is scheduled to call there next on June 6.
The fastest-moving lava flows yet have been threatening to cut off new neighborhoods near the coast.
"Hawaii County Civil Defense decided to evacuate all of lower Puna to ensure that people would be able to get out," said U.S. Geological Survey scientist Wendy Stovall.
"This is the hottest lava that we’ve seen in this eruption, even just a matter of 50 degrees centigrade makes a big difference in how quickly lava flows can move," Stovall said.
USGS said one fissure was spewing hot lava over 200 feet into the air.
Wind conditions sent volcanic smog over a much wider area of the Big Island with Kona impacted heavily on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service said winds will die down at the weekend, which could create even more hazardous air quality for some communities.
