Norwegian Cruise Line facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Norwegian Cruise Line

Headquarters in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Tourism
Founded	1966; 59 years ago (1966) In Norway
Headquarters	Miami, Florida, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Harry Sommer (CEO) David J Herrera (President)
Products	Cruises
Revenue	$8.55 billion (2023)
Parent	Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a big cruise company. It started in Norway in 1966. Its main office is in Miami, Florida, USA. NCL is one of the largest cruise lines in the world. It carries about 8.6% of all cruise passengers globally. It is part of a bigger company called Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

A Look Back: NCL's History

Norwegian Caribbean Line's first ship, the Sunward

Norwegian Cruise Line began in 1966. It was started by Knut Kloster from Norway and Ted Arison from Israel. Their first ship was the Sunward. It was a car ferry and cruise ship. At first, it sailed between the UK and Gibraltar. Ted Arison later left to start Carnival Cruise Lines. Knut Kloster then bought more ships for trips in the Caribbean. The company was renamed Norwegian Caribbean Lines.

Norwegian Caribbean Lines: New Ideas

Norwegian Caribbean Lines was a pioneer in the cruise world. They were the first to have their own private island. This was Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. They also created the first "air-sea" program. This meant you could get cheap flights along with your cruise. They also started "Freestyle Cruising." This made cruises more relaxed and informal. They were also the first to open new ports in the Caribbean. One example is Ocho Rios in Jamaica.

Building New Ships

The Starward and her sister ship Skyward were NCL's first ships built just for them.

NCL's second and third ships were the Starward and Skyward. These were the first ships built especially for the cruise line. They could even carry cars at first. Later, these car areas became cabins and a movie theater. NCL introduced many new ideas that are now common on cruise ships.

NCL then ordered two more ships. These were the first true cruise ships without car space. The Southward joined the fleet in 1971. Another ship, the Seaward, was planned but went to another company. NCL sold its first ship, the Sunward, in 1973. It was too small for the growing cruise market. In 1977, they bought another ship. They renamed it Sunward II.

The Famous SS Norway

The SS Norway arriving in Southampton.

In 1979, Norwegian made big news. They bought a huge ocean liner called SS France. They spent over $100 million to turn her into a cruise ship. They renamed her Norway. At 1,035 feet long, the Norway was much bigger than any other cruise ship at the time. She had lots of space for fun activities on board. Her success helped start a new age of giant cruise ships.

More Ships Join the Fleet

By the late 1980s, NCL's ships were getting older and smaller. Other companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean were building bigger, newer ships. NCL ordered a new ship in 1987, the Seaward. This was NCL's first new ship since 1971. NCL also added ships from other cruise lines they bought. These included the Westward and Sunward (III).

In the early 1990s, NCL ordered more new ships. These were the Dreamward and Windward. They were smaller than competitor ships. This allowed them to visit more places. In the mid-1990s, NCL bought more used ships. These included the Leeward in 1995. In 1996, the Norwegian Crown joined the fleet. In 1997, NCL bought Majesty Cruise Line. Their ships became the Norwegian Majesty and Norwegian Dynasty. During this time, NCL changed all its ship names to start with "Norwegian." They also changed their ship colors.

NCL also started sailing to new places. These included Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, and Hawaii.

New Owners and Freestyle Cruising

In 2000, a company called Star Cruises bought Norwegian. Star Cruises is part of Genting Hong Kong. With new owners, NCL started a new idea called "Freestyle Cruising." This began with the new ship, Norwegian Sky. Freestyle Cruising meant passengers didn't have to eat at set times. They could dress casually. There were many different places to eat. This idea changed the whole cruise industry.

Modernizing the Fleet

The Norwegian Star was the first new ship built after Star Cruises bought NCL.

With money from Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line could finally get new ships. They started replacing their older ships. The Norwegian Sun was one of the first new ships. Then, two ships originally ordered for Star Cruises were given to NCL. These were the Norwegian Star (2001) and Norwegian Dawn (2002). After that, NCL quickly added four more new ships over five years.

NCL America

In 2002, Norwegian bought a ship that was only half-built. It was being built in the US. They finished it in Germany. This allowed NCL to start a special US-flagged cruise line. It was called NCL America. In 2003, they also bought two famous American ships. These were the United States and Independence. The Independence was later sold. The SS United States was sold to a group that wanted to save it.

The SS Norway Leaves the Fleet

In May 2003, there was a problem with the Norway ship. A boiler exploded. This meant NCL had to take the Norway out of service. She was later sold for scrap. She was taken to India to be taken apart.

New Owners and Changes

In 2007, Star Cruises sold half of Norwegian to a US company. This helped Norwegian become stronger financially.

In 2013, Norwegian Cruise Line became a part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH). This new company was listed on the stock market.

More New Ships and Fleet Changes

In 2008, NCL announced changes to its fleet. The Pride of Aloha ship would return to the international fleet. It was renamed the Norwegian Sky. The Norwegian Majesty and Norwegian Dream were sold to another cruise line.

The Norwegian Epic

NCL ordered two large ships in 2006. They were called the Epic class. But there were some problems. Only one ship, the Norwegian Epic, was built. It was delivered to NCL in 2010. It is a very unique ship.

Breakaway Class Ships

The first two Breakaway-class ships started sailing in 2013 and 2014. They were the Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. NCL then ordered two more ships. These were bigger and called the "Breakaway Plus Class." The Norwegian Escape started sailing in 2015. The Norwegian Joy followed in 2017. Two more ships were ordered in 2014. These were the Norwegian Bliss (2018) and Norwegian Encore (2019). The Norwegian Encore is the largest ship in NCL's fleet.

The sale of the Norwegian Dream was later canceled. It became the Superstar Gemini for Star Cruises.

In 2012, Norwegian bought the Norwegian Sky ship.

In December 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line made a deal with the Cuban government. In May 2017, the Norwegian Sky was the first NCL ship to visit Cuba. The Norwegian Sky made weekly trips from Miami to Havana. NCL continued these trips until June 2019. New rules from the US government stopped them.

Project Leonardo Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line Terminal B at PortMiami (March 2024).

In February 2017, Norwegian ordered four new ships. They were part of "Project Leonardo." These ships would be delivered between 2022 and 2025. They are about 140,000 tons big. In July 2018, NCL ordered two more ships for 2026-2027. The first ship was named Norwegian Prima. It started sailing in August 2022. The second ship was named Norwegian Viva. It started sailing in 2023.

NCL also announced a new terminal at PortMiami in 2017. Construction began in 2018 and finished in late 2019. In 2018, Norwegian also planned a new pier in Alaska at Icy Strait Point.

Cruising During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told cruise ships to stop sailing. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings stopped all cruises for its three brands. All 28 ships were in port or anchored. All passengers left the ships by March 28, 2020. This pause in cruises lasted for several months.

Norwegian worked to make cruising safe again. They installed special air filters on their ships. They also worked with the CDC on new health and safety rules.

Private Islands

Great Stirrup Cay, one of NCL's private islands.

Norwegian owns two private islands in the Caribbean. These are special places for cruise guests. They are Harvest Caye in Belize and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.

Other Cruise Lines NCL Has Owned

Over the years, Norwegian Cruise Line has owned or been connected to other cruise lines:

• Royal Viking Line (1984–1994)
• Royal Cruise Line (1989–1996)
• Norwegian Capricorn Line (1997–2001)
• Orient Lines (1998–2008)
• NCL America (2004–2008)
• Oceania Cruises (2014–present)
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises (2014–present)

NCL's Fleet of Ships

As of April 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line has 19 cruise ships sailing. They also have eight more ships ordered for the future. NCL has also owned or operated 19 other ships in the past. Most of their ships sail under the flag of the Bahamas. However, the Pride of America is special. It sails only within the United States. It is flagged and registered in the US.

Current Fleet

Ship	Built	In service for NCL	Last refurbishment	Gross tonnage	Passengers (Double Occupancy)	Flag	Notes	Image
Leo class
Norwegian Spirit	1998	2004–present	2022	75,904	2,018	Bahamas	Used to be called SuperStar Leo
Sun class
Norwegian Sky	1999	1999–2004, 2008–present	2024	77,104	1,928	Bahamas	Was Pride of Aloha for NCL America from 2004 to 2008.
Norwegian Sun	2001	2001–present	2021	78,309	1,976	Bahamas
Dawn class
Norwegian Star	2001	2001–present	2021	91,740	2,348	Bahamas
Norwegian Dawn	2002	2002–present	2021	92,250	2,340	Bahamas
Pride of America class
Pride of America	2005	2005–present	2022	80,439	2,186	United States	The only US-flagged cruise ship.
Jewel class
Norwegian Jewel	2005	2005–present	2022	93,502	2,376	Bahamas
Norwegian Jade	2006	2006–present	2022	93,558	2,402	Bahamas	Was Pride Of Hawaii, renamed in 2008.
Norwegian Pearl	2006	2006–present	2021	93,530	2,394	Bahamas
Norwegian Gem	2007	2007–present	2022	93,530	2,394	Bahamas
Epic class
Norwegian Epic	2010	2010–present	November 2020, October 2015	155,873	4,100	Bahamas	The only ship in its class.
Breakaway class
Norwegian Breakaway	2013	2013–present	2020	145,655	3,963	Bahamas
Norwegian Getaway	2014	2014–present	2020	145,655	3,963	Bahamas
Norwegian Escape	2015	2015–present	2022	164,600	4,266	Bahamas	Part of the Breakaway Plus subclass.
Norwegian Joy	2017	2017–present	2024	167,725	3,883	Bahamas	Part of the Breakaway Plus subclass.
Norwegian Bliss	2018	2018–present	2021	168,028	4,002	Bahamas	Part of the Breakaway Plus subclass.
Norwegian Encore	2019	2019–present	None	169,145	3,998	Bahamas	Part of the Breakaway Plus subclass. Largest ship in NCL's fleet.
Prima class
Norwegian Prima	2022	2022–present	None	142,500	3,099	Bahamas
Norwegian Viva	2023	2023–present	None	142,500	3,215	Bahamas
Norwegian Aqua	2025	2025–present	None	156,000	3,571	Bahamas	Part of the Prima Plus subclass.

Future Fleet

Former Fleet

Ship	Built	In service for NCL	Gross tonnage	What happened to the ship	Image
Sunward	1966	1966–1973	10,558	Taken apart for scrap in 2004.
Starward	1968	1968–1995	15,781	Taken apart for scrap in 2018.
Skyward	1969	1969–1991	15,653	Taken apart for scrap in 2021.
Southward	1971	1971–1994	16,710	Taken apart for scrap in 2013.
Sunward II	1971	1977–1991	14,194	Taken apart for scrap in 2014.
Norway	1961	1979–2003	76,049	Taken apart for scrap in 2008.
Seaward / Norwegian Sea	1988	1988–2005	42,285	Taken apart for scrap in 2022.
Westward	1972	1991–1993	28,613	Taken apart for scrap in 2022.
Sunward	1973	1991–1992, 1992–1993	28,551	Taken apart for scrap in 2021.
Dreamward / Norwegian Dream	1992	1992–2008	50,764	Became SuperStar Gemini in 2012. Taken apart for scrap in 2022.
Windward / Norwegian Wind	1993	1993–2007	51,309	Became SuperStar Aquarius in 2007. Taken apart for scrap in 2022.
Leeward	1980	1995–1999	25,611	Became Celestyal Crystal in 2014. Taken apart for scrap in 2025.
Norwegian Crown	1988	1996–2000, 2003–2007	43,537	Became Balmoral in 2008.
Norwegian Star	1973	1997–1998	28,518	Taken apart for scrap in 2021.
Norwegian Dynasty	1993	1997–1999	24,344	Became Braemar in 2001.
Norwegian Majesty	1992	1997–2009	41,662	Became Crown Iris in 2018.

Ships NCL Almost Had

These ships were considered by NCL but never actually joined their fleet.

Ship	Built	Years NCL was interested	Gross tonnage	Why NCL didn't use the ship	What happened to the ship	Image
Independence	1951	2003–2005	26,658	NCL wanted to make it a cruise ship for NCL America.	Wrecked and taken apart for scrap in 2010.
SS United States	1952	2003–2009	38,216	NCL wanted to make it a cruise ship for NCL America.	Being planned to become an artificial reef near Florida.
Seaward	1972	1972	17,042	NCL ordered this ship, but the shipyard had money problems. The ship was then sold to another company.	Sank in 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Norwegian Cruise Line para niños