Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in Miami, Florida. It is most well known for its Freestyle Cruising, which means that there are no set times or seating arrangements for meals, nor is formal attire required. Norwegian Cruise Line has two daughter companies, Orient Lines and NCL America. NCL itself is a fully owned subsidiary of Star Cruises, who in turn are owned by the Genting_Group.
History
It was founded as Norwegian Caribbean Lines in 1966 by Knut Kloster and Ted Arison, with just one 830-ton cruise ship/car ferry offering low-cost Caribbean cruises. Arison soon left to form Carnival Cruise Lines, while Kloster acquired additional ships for Caribbean service. NCL pioneered many firsts in the cruise industry like: the first Out Island Cruise, the first combined air-sea program (marketed as "Cloud 9 Cruises") which combined low cost air fares with the cruise, first shipline to develop new ports in the Caribbean, like Ocho Rios in Jamaica. Like the original Sunward of 1966, NCL's second ship, the Starward had the capability to carry automobiles through a well concealed stern door. Later, this area was turned into cabins and a two deck movie theater, which is now a casino. NCL was responsible for many of the cruise innovations that have now become standard throughout the industry.
NCL made headlines with the acquisition of the France in 1979, rebuilding the liner as a cruise ship and renaming her Norway. The conversion cost more than $100 million USD. The Norway was at the time significantly larger than any existing cruise ship, and exploited the extra space available by adding a greater than usual variety of onboard entertainment. Her success paved the way for a new era of giant cruise ships. Sadly a boiler explosion in May 2003 forced NCL to withdraw the Norway from service, later being laid up in Bremerhaven, Germany until 2005 where she was towed to Pt. Klang, and later beached at Alang in August 2006. Currently she is beached in Alang, waiting for a final court decision as to whether she is permitted to be broken up, or required to leave Indian waters, asbestos being the major issue.
NCL has since expanded to other areas of the Western hemisphere, including Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, and Hawaii, (NCL America, Inc.).
Its subsidiary Orient Lines, founded in 1991 to run the Marco Polo was acquired in 1998. NCL itself was acquired by the Star Cruises, subsidiary of Malaysia-based Genting Group, in 2000. Recently there have been talks that Star is putting Orient Lines up for sale.
Fleet
NCL
- Norwegian Crown (Sold to Fred Olsen Cruises; leased back until 11/07. New name Balmoral)
- Norwegian Dawn
- Norwegian Dream
- Norwegian Jewel
- Norwegian Majesty
- Norwegian Sun
- Norwegian Spirit
- Norwegian Star
- Norwegian Pearl
- Norwegian Gem
- F3 Hull C33 and D33(Project name for a minimum of two 150,000 gross ton ships to be constructed at Aker Yards S.A. of France. The ships are due for delivery between 2009 and 2011.)
NCL America
- Pride of Aloha
- Pride of America
- Pride of Hawaii (Leaves Hawaii in February, 2008 for redeployment to Europe.[1] Vessel will be given a new name, Norwegian Jade, as well a new hull art. [2])
Orient Lines
- Marco Polo(Sold effective March 23,2008)
Stored ships
- SS United States (stored in Philadelphia)
- SS Oceanic (stored in San Francisco, formerly Independence. Apparently there are no plans to refurbish this ship for service)
Past ships
- MS Sunward 1966-1976 (scrapped April 2004 at Chittagong)
- MS Starward 1968-1995 (now MS Orient Queen for Louis Cruise Lines, Cyprus) - sistership to Skyward
- MS Skyward 1969-1991 (now MS Leisure World for New Century Cruises, Singapore) - sistership to Starward
- MS Southward 1971-1994 (now MS Perla for Louis Cruise Lines, Cyprus)
- MS Sunward II 1977-1991 (now MS Coral for Louis Cruise Lines, Cyprus)
- SS Norway 1979-2003 (renamed SS Blue Lady beached August 15, 2006 at Alang, India awaiting court decision in May 2007.)
- MS Norwegian Sea 1988-2005 (now MS SuperStar Libra for Star Cruises)
- MS Westward 1990-1993 (now Black Watch for Fred Olsen Cruises)
- MS Sunward (2) 1991-1993 (now Boudicca for Fred Olsen Cruises)
- MS Leeward 1995-1999 (now MS Opera for Louis Cruise Lines. Currently laid up in Tilbury, England.)
- MS Norwegian Star (1) 1996-2004 (now MS Albatross (2) for Phoenix Reisen)
- MS Norwegian Dynasty 1997-1999 (now MS Braemar for Fred Olsen Cruises)
- Norwegian Wind 1993-2007 Now with Star Cruises as SuperStar Aquarius
References
- ^ NCL Announces Temporary Withdrawal of Pride of Hawai`i, retrieved 12. April 2007
- ^ NCL Announces Jade, Jewel And Gem For Largest Ever European Deployment, retrieved 16. April 2007
External links
- Norwegian Cruise Line homepageNew Site Launched 10/02/2006
- Orient Lines homepage
- Star Cruises homepage
- Genting Group homepage