Norwegian Buys Ship from Princess Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced a definitive agreement with Princess Cruises, Ltd. to purchase Ocean Princess for its newly acquired Oceania Cruises brand. The 684-passenger ship, to be named Siren, joins Oceania Cruises' trio of recently refurbished sister ships Insignia, Regatta and Nautica.

Upon delivery in March 2016, Sirena will immediately undergo a 35-day, $40 million refurbishment in Marseille, France to elevate the ship to the Oceania Cruises' standard of elegance. Drawing on the recent transformation of Insignia as inspiration, the ship will feature Oceania Cruises' specialty dining restaurants, Toscana and Polo Grill, along with more recent additions to the fleet such as Baristas and the cook-to-order grill at Terrace Cafe. The ship will welcome her first guests in late April 2016.

"The acquisition of Sirena provides measured capacity growth based on the proven platform of Oceania Cruises' highly regarded mid-size ships," said Kevin Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., parent company of Oceania Cruises. "Our belief in the Oceania Cruises brand and our commitment to its growing base of loyal guests were the rationale behind our decision to bring Sirena into the fleet."