Norwegian Cruise Line

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Norwegian Cruise Line
Type	Private
Founded	1966
Headquarters	Miami, Florida, USA
Industry	Transportation
Products	Cruises
Website	http://www.ncl.com

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in Miami, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising -concept, which means that there are no set times or seating arrangements for meals, nor is formal attire required. Norwegian Cruise Line has a daughter company, NCL America. NCL itself is jointly owned by Star Cruises (who in turn are owned by the Genting Group based in Malaysia) and Apollo Management, with both companies owning 50% of NCL.^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Fleet 2.1 NCL 2.1.1 Future ships 2.2 NCL America 2.3 Stored ships 3 Past ships 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

The company was founded as Norwegian Caribbean Line 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 when she was towed to Port Klang Malaysia under false pretexts (to circumvent EEC laws on breaking toxic ships), and later beached illegally at Alang, Gujurat, India in August 2006 without having been cleaned of toxic materials. On September 11, 2007, the India Supreme Court issued an order permitting her to be broken-up at Alang, despite the presence of large amounts of hazardous asbestos remaining on board.

NCL has expanded to other parts of the world, including Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, and Hawaii, (NCL America, Inc.). Between 1997 and 2001 the company also operated cruises out of Australia under the name Norwegian Capricorn Line.

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. In 2007 Star Cruises sold the Marco Polo to Transocean Tours, to be delivered in early 2008. Orient Lines will cease trading when the ship is delivered to its new owners.

In 2002 NCL purchased the half-complete hull of the first Project America ship, at the time under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, which was towed to Germany to be completed at the Lloyd Werft shipyard. Subsequently NCL acquired the rights to move two ships built entirely outside the United States under the US flag, making it possible to start a US-flagged operation under the brand name NCL America.^[2][3] In 2003 the company announced the purchase of the famed American flagged liners SS United States and SS Independence for use on the NCL America -brand. Although it has promised to restore the United States back to service, the future of the great ship remains uncertain to this day. In their July 2007 fiscal report, NCL noted the sale of the Independence, renamed SS Oceanic some time before.

In August 2007 Star Cruises took the market by surprise when it sold 50% of NCL for $1 billion to US-based Apollo Management (owners of Oceania Cruises) in order to strengthen NCL's financial position.^[1] The loss-making NCL America brand stays solely under Star Cruises ownership for the next 16 months, after which a decision will be made either to liquidate the brand or to continue operations if the brand can be made profitable.^[4] Subsequently NCL reported in February 2008 that the Pride of Aloha, one of the two remaining NCL America ships, would be withdrawn from service in May of the same year. Initial reports suggested she would be transferred to the fleet of Star Cruises,^[5] but it was later announced that she would return to the NCL international fleet as the Norwegian Sky,^[6] while the Norwegian Majesty and Norwegian Dream would be sold to Louis Cruise Lines.^[7]

[edit] Fleet

[edit] NCL

Ship	Built	Entered service for NCL	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes
Norwegian Dream	1992	1992	50,764 GT	Bahamas	Originally named Dreamward (39,217 GT), lengthened and renamed 1998. Sold to Louis Cruise Lines April 2008, chartered back to NCL until November 2008[8]
Norwegian Majesty	1992	1997	40,876 GT	Bahamas	Originally 32,396 GT, lengthened 1999. Sold to Louis Cruise Lines April 2008, chartered back to NCL until December 2009[8]
Norwegian Sky	1999	1999/2008	77,000 GT	Bahamas	Returned to NCL Fleet from NCL America
Norwegian Sun	2001	2001	78,309 GT	Bahamas
Norwegian Star	2001	2001	91,740 GT	Bahamas	Ordered as SuperStar Libra for Star Cruises
Norwegian Dawn	2002	2002	92,250 GT	Bahamas	Ordered as SuperStar Scorpio for Star Cruises
Norwegian Spirit	1998	2004	76,583 GT	Panama	ex-SuperStar Leo transferred from Star Cruises (1998-2004)
Norwegian Jewel	2005	2005	93,000 GT	Bahamas
Norwegian Pearl	2006	2006	93,500 GT	Bahamas
Norwegian Gem	2007	2007	93,500 GT	Bahamas
Norwegian Jade	2006	2008	93,500 GT	Bahamas	Originally Pride of Hawaii (2006-2008)

[edit] Future ships

• F3 Hull C33 and D33 (Project name for two 150,000 GT ships to be constructed at Aker Yards' Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, France. The ships are due for delivery between 2009 and 2010.)

[edit] NCL America

Ship	Built	Entered service for NCL America	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes
Pride of America	2005	2005	81,000 GT	United States	First large, newly built US-flagged cruise ship in nearly 50 years.

[edit] Stored ships

• SS United States (Currently laid up at Pier 82 in Philadelphia)

[edit] Past ships

• Sunward 1966-1976 (scrapped April 2004 at Chittagong)
• Starward 1968-1995 (now Orient Queen for Louis Cruise Lines, Cyprus) - sistership to Skyward
• Skyward 1969-1991 (now Leisure World for New Century Cruises, Singapore) - sistership to Starward
• Southward 1971-1994 (now Perla for Louis Cruise Lines, Cyprus)
• Sunward II 1977-1991 (now Coral for Louis Cruise Lines, Cyprus)
• Norway 1979-2003 (renamed Blue Lady beached August 15, 2006 at Alang, India to be broken up.
• Seaward 1988-1997 / Norwegian Sea 1997-2005 (now SuperStar Libra for Star Cruises)
• Westward 1990-1993 (now Black Watch for Fred. Olsen Cruises)
• Sunward (2) 1991-1993 (now Boudicca for Fred. Olsen Cruises)
• Windward 1993-1996 / Norwegian Wind 1996-2007 (now SuperStar Aquarius for Star Cruises)
• Leeward 1995-1999 (now Cristal for Louis Cruise Lines)
• Norwegian Crown 1996-2000, 2003-2007 (Being rebuilt for service with Fred. Olsen Cruises as Balmoral)
• Norwegian Star 1996-2004 (now Albatros for Phoenix Reisen)
• Norwegian Dynasty 1997-1999 (now Braemar for Fred. Olsen Cruises)
• Independence 2003-2006, laid up, never entered service for NCL. She is currently beached in Alang, India.^[9]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Norwegian Cruise Line homepage

v • d • e Cruise lines owned by Star Cruises Fully owned subsidiaries Star Cruises · NCL America · Cruise Ferries 50% share Norwegian Cruise Line

v • d • e Cruise Lines of Apollo Management Fully owned subsidiaries Oceania Cruises · Regent Seven Seas Cruises 50% share Norwegian Cruise Line (excluding NCL America)

v • d • e Former subsidiaries of Norwegian Cruise Line Royal Viking Line · Royal Cruise Line · Norwegian Capricorn Line · Orient Lines

v • d • e Norwegian Cruise Line fleet Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Dawn  • Norwegian Dream  • Norwegian Gem  • Norwegian Jade  • Norwegian Jewel  • Norwegian Majesty  • Norwegian Pearl  • Norwegian Sky  • Norwegian Spirit  • Norwegian Star  • Norwegian Sun NCL America Pride of America Future ships F3 (two ships, to be delivered in 2010 and 2011) Laid up United States