Norwegian Cruise Line News

The uniquely painted Norwegian Aqua was launched at the Fincantieri  Marghera (Venice) shipyard, the first vessel in the Prima Plus class for Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL).With external work now complete, the yard and its partners will forcus on completing the ship for its scheduled April 2025 delivery.“We are thrilled to celebrate another milestone together with our partners at Fincantieri, who are an integral part of the Prima class ships' journey and support us in evolving the extraordinary experience we design and deliver to our guests…

Fincantieri has received a highly significant order from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for the construction of four new next-generation cruise ships.The order entails the construction of two cruise ships for the Regent Seven Seas Cruises and two for the Oceania Cruises brands respectively.The ships designated for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2029, will boast a gross tonnage of 77,000 tons and accommodate approximately 850 passengers.Meanwhile…

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has ordered eight new ships, the most comprehensive newbuild order in its history.The order represents nearly 25,000 additional berths, with new classes of ships for each of its three brands and the construction of a multi-ship pier at Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island destination in the Bahamas.The new ships are scheduled for delivery over a 10-year period, between 2026 and 2036. Following the delivery of four Prima-Plus class ships from 2025 through 2028…

Mauritius will allow a ship belonging to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to dock after no trace of cholera was found in samples taken from passengers on board, a senior health official said on Monday.Authorities on the island nation off the coast of east Africa prevented the Norwegian Dawn from docking over the weekend over what they said were "health risks," without elaborating.Samples were taken from around 15 passengers who were experiencing a mild stomach illness.Bhooshun Ori…

Mauritius stopped a ship belonging to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings from docking at its ports due to what it said was a health risk and took samples from about 15 passengers who were in isolation on board, its port authority said on Sunday.The Norwegian Dawn had been scheduled to dock in Port Louis on Sunday, but since it had not gone to Reunion Island, it arrived in Port Louis a day earlier, the Mauritius Ports Authority said in a statement."The decision not to allow the cruise ship access to the quay was taken in order to avoid any health risks…

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) reports its cruise passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels. The port said Monday that it finished calendar year 2023 with nearly 1.2 million cruise passenger movements and renewed commitments to the New Orleans cruise market from both oceangoing and river cruise lines.“The cruise business has rebounded in New Orleans and cruise line partners are confident in our Port NOLA cruise market,” said Port NOLA president and CEO Brandy D. Christian.

Royal Caribbean Group projected 2024 profit above Wall Street expectations after robust demand for cruise vacations and steeper ticket prices helped it beat fourth-quarter earnings estimates on Thursday.With travelers opting for cruises instead of more expensive land-based vacation options, operators are experiencing record levels of bookings compared to pre-pandemic levels, giving them enough room to mark up ticket prices."2023 was an exceptional year, propelled by unmatched demand for our brands from new and loyal guests…

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has signed a partnership agreement with ABB to accelerate the decarbonization and digitalization of the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.Targeting increased safety and efficiency, the agreement covers 14 existing ships and a further four vessels due for delivery from 2025 to 2028.The first phase of the partnership includes a 10-year Azipod propulsion service agreement for the fleet, providing efficient preventive maintenance to support safety and maximize vessel availability as well as fast turnaround for planned Azipod propulsion maintenance.In addition…

Royal Caribbean Group is removing Israel from its 2024 itineraries due to the Israel-Hamas war, according to an email sent to travel agents on Thursday seen by Reuters, making it the second major U.S. cruise operator to alter its plans over the conflict.The Miami, Florida-based cruise operator is modifying itineraries as late as October 2024 for its Royal Caribbean International unit that stops in Israel, the email said.Travel has declined sharply across Israel and the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank.

Royal Caribbean Group on Thursday lifted its full-year profit forecast for a third time and said bookings for the next year were "significantly outpacing" pre-pandemic levels by a wide margin, sending its shares up about 3%.Cruise operators are reaping the rewards as travelers gravitate to cruise vacations that are cheaper compared to taking a land-based holiday.This has given the companies the ability to hike itinerary prices, especially in North America and Europe, as occupancy…

Norwegian Viva, the second of six new generation cruise ships of the new Prima class for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), was delivered at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard.At 143,500 gross tons, almost 300 meters in length and with a capacity to accommodate around 3,100 passengers, Norwegian Prima and her sister ships will form the backbone of NCL's future fleet. Deliveries are expected until 2028.The Prima class is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri which enhances the consolidated characteristics of NCL's freedom and flexibility with an innovative product configuration…

The world's top passenger port is installing a network shore power systems for cruise ships that, once completed, will be the largest of its kind globally.PowerCon said it has been tapped as a subcontractor to deliver five systems that will supply shore power for cruise ships at PortMiami's V (Virgin), F (Carnival), A (Royal Caribbean), B (Norwegian Cruise Line) and MSC Cruise Line terminals.The Denmark-based engineering and manufacturing company said it has established a local subsidiary…

Norwegian Cruise Line must pay $110 million in damages for use of a port that Cuba's government confiscated in 1960, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday, a milestone for Cuban-Americans seeking compensation for Cold-War era asset seizures.The decision by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami follows her March ruling that the use of the Havana Cruise Port Terminal constituted trafficking in confiscated property owned by the plaintiff, Delaware-registered Havana Docks Corp."Judgment is entered in favor of Plaintiff Havana Docks Corporation and against Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings…

Several cruise lines have announced canceled sailings as hurricane Ian barreled over Florida as a category four storm.Carnival Cruise Line on Tuesday canceled two Thursday sailings from Florida due to port closures while also calling off several stops on certain ships already out at sea.Disney Cruise Line on Tuesday canceled its Disney Wish voyage that was to scheduled to sail from Florida on Friday.Norwegian Cruise Line changed the itinerary of its Norwegian Sky's eight-day Western Caribbean voyage, which departed from Miami on Sunday.

Norwegian Prima, the lead vessel of Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) new Prima Class cruise ship series, has been christened in Reykjavík, Iceland.Built by Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, the newbuild is 965 feet (294 meters) long and more than 143,535 tons with capacity for 3,100 guests at double occupancy.The ship features a three-level go-kart racetrack, waterslides, expansive pool decks and infinity style pools, and a multimillion dollar outdoor sculpture gardenThe first of six in NCL's Prima Class…

Naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy Foreship said it has appointed Brendan Harris as Director, Project Management Services, Foreship LLC, as the firm aims to grow its US-based business activities.Harris will be based at Foreship’s Seattle offices and take responsibility for driving regional growth in the group’s project management of ship refurbishment, focusing on returning demand in the cruise sector and opportunities in the ferry market.Harris joins Foreship from BC Ferry Services…

KVH Industries, Inc., announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Brent C. Bruun as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board. The Board also appointed two seasoned industry executives, David Kagan and David Tolley, as directors of KVH.Bruun first joined KVH in 2008 and has served as KVH’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since March 2022. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of KVH beginning in 2016, as well as Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri said it has secured a contract to build up to three "ultra-luxury" cruise ships for an unnamed international buyer.The €1.2 billion deal is for one vessel to be delivered by the end of 2025, with options for two additional vessels, Fincantieri said.Fincantieri did not share any specifics about the cruise ships' size and technical details.The cruise ship order is one of only a handful placed since the cruise industry was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic…

Norwegian Prima, the first of six vessels from Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new Prima Class of ships was delivered at Fincantieri's shipyard in Marghera on Friday.Along with her sister-ships, Norwegian Prima will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, at more than 142,500-tons, almost 300 meters long, and accommodating 3,215 guests. Deliveries are scheduled through 2027.Starting in the summer of 2022, Norwegian Prima will offer itineraries in Northern Europe with voyages from Amsterdam…

Andrea Mather's plans for a long-awaited summer cruise around the Hawaiian islands with her financial analyst husband unraveled after her booking with Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America was canceled due to a staffing shortage.It was the second time this year that the 55-year-old homemaker's plan to go on a cruise was scuppered.The cruise industry is sailing in choppy waters yet again as it has to deal with a storm of labor problems, red-hot inflation and recessionary threat…

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship has canceled the remainder of its voyage and will return to Seattle after striking an iceberg off the coast of Alaska on Saturday.The Norwegian Sun was transitioning to Hubbard Glacier in Alaska when the ship made contact with a small iceberg. No injuries were reported. The 78,309 GT ship was "engulfed by dense fog, limiting visibility and resulting in the ship making contact with a growler", a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told Cruise Hive.A growler is an iceberg less than 6.6 feet across that floats with less than 3.3 feet showing above water, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.Following the incident, the 848-foot ship diverted to Juneau, Alaska, for further assessment.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd forecast a loss for the current quarter and revenue below estimates as occupancy rates remained stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels, sending its shares down 12% on Tuesday.Its second-quarter occupancy of 65% compared with more than 107% in 2019, a level the company does not expect to reach till the second quarter next year.In contrast, rival Royal Caribbean Group forecast triple-digit occupancy by the end of this year and Carnival Cruise Line…

As the cruise industry rebounds from its COVID hiatus, more than 25 cruise lines, designers, outfitters and sustainable accreditation experts are scheduled to be sharing their expertise at this year’s Cruise Conversations Live, taking place at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America June 7–8, 2022. Cruise Conversations Live’s official Conference Partner is Passenger Ship Interior & Refurbishment Review and the official sponsor is NEWH. The conference will give life to the conversations everyone is talking about in the cruise interiors industry…