Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American
cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in
Bermuda
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, song = "Hail to Bermuda"
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and headquartered in Miami. It is the
fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6% of the total worldwide share of the cruise market by passengers .
It is wholly owned by parent company
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
History
The cruise line was founded in 1966 by Norwegian
Knut Kloster and Israeli
Ted Arison, with the 8,666-ton, 140-m long
cruise ship/car ferry, , which in 1966 operated as a car ferry between
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
UK and
Gibraltar
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, for that one short season only. The ''Sunward'' was first managed under the Arison Shipping Company, and marketed as Ensign Cruises.
Arison soon left to form
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise line with headquarters in Doral, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Its logo is a funnel shaped like a whale's tail, with a red, white, and blue color scheme. Thi ...
, while Kloster acquired additional ships for Caribbean service, with the line renamed and marketed as Norwegian Caribbean Line.
Norwegian Caribbean Line
Norwegian pioneered many firsts in the cruise industry, such as the first out island,
Great Stirrup Cay in the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...
, the first combined air-sea program (marketed as "Cloud 9 Cruises"), which combined low-cost air fares with the cruise, and first shipline to develop new ports in the Caribbean, such as
Ocho Rios in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
.
First Newbuilds
Norwegians's second and third ship, the and ''
Skyward
Skyward is a software company specializing in K–12 school management and municipality management technologies, including student management, human resources, and financial management. Skyward is partnered with more than 1,900 school district ...
'', were the first newly built ships designed for the cruise line.
Like the original ''Sunward'' of 1966, they 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, later to be used as a casino. Norwegian was responsible for many of the cruise innovations that have now become standard throughout the industry.
Norwegian would order two additional ships, that would be their first true cruise ships without any car carrying capacity. This would be the ''Southward'' in 1971, and an intended identical sister the ''Seaward,'' that would never be delivered to the line, and would be completed for
P&O Cruises instead.
The line would sell its original ship the Sunward in 1973, being too small in inadequate for the modern cruise market. They would purchase the former Cunard Adventurer in 1977, refitting her with the trademark NCL funnels, and renamed ''
Sunward II''.
The SS Norway
Norwegian made headlines with the acquisition of the liner in 1979, rebuilding the liner as a cruise ship and renaming her
''''Norway''
'' The conversion cost more than US$100million. At long and displacing 52,000 tons, 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.
Fleet New-builds & Acquisitions
With an aging, small ship fleet by the late 1980s compared to the larger modern ships being built for competitors
Carnival and
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian attempted to catch up with an order of a new ship in 1987, the new ''
Seaward,'' the lines first new build since 1971''.'' Norwegian parent company Kloster would transfer two of the recently acquired
Royal Viking Line
The Royal Viking Line was an upmarket cruise line that operated from 1972 until 1998. The company was the brain child of Warren Titus and had its headquarters at One Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.
History The First Ships
Each of the li ...
ships to Norwegian, that would be come the ' and (III).
Kloster would acquire
Royal Cruise Line
Royal Cruise Line was a Greek cruise line that operated from 1974 to 1996 and founded by Pericles Panagopulos. The line catered mainly to American passengers looking for an upscale cruise experience and sailed mainly worldwide routes.
History
...
in 1989–90,
and would eventually transfer the ''Westward'' to their fleet. Norwegian would also continue with further orders of new ships in the early 1990s, not trying to compete with the large size cruise ship building trend of competitors, but with the smaller with the ''
Dreamward'' and ''
Windward'' to offer better flexibility with itineraries.
The line would continue to acquire second hand ships in the mid-1990s, with the addition of the ''
Leeward'' in 1995. In 1996 the ''
Crown Odyssey'' which was part of NCL's subsidy line Royal Cruise Line, was transferred and became the ''
Norwegian Crown.''
In 1997 Norwegian acquired
Majesty Cruise Line Majesty Cruise Line was a Norwegian cruise line that was founded in 1992 and merged into Norwegian Cruise Line in 1997. Majesty was created by Dolphin Cruise Line as a more upmarket brand.
Majesty's first ship, the ''Royal Majesty'', was orig ...
, and would add their two ships, which became the ''
Norwegian Majesty'' and ''
Norwegian Dynasty''.
During this time Norwegian would rename all its ships with the "Norwegian" prefix (excluding the SS Norway), and change its livery for the second time to a dark blue funnel with gold NCL logo.
Norwegian has expanded to other parts of the world, including
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
, Europe, Bermuda, and Hawaii. Between 1997 and 2001, the company also operated cruises out of Australia under the name
Norwegian Capricorn Line
The Norwegian Capricorn Line was a cruise line and was founded by some of Australia's foremost cruise professionals, (including Sarina Bratton who went on to found the expedition style cruise line Orion Expedition Cruises in 2004) in partnership ...
and acquired
Orient Lines
Orient Lines was a cruise line specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993–2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, and was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998. It ceased operations in March 2008 and was sold t ...
in 1998.
Acquisition by Star Cruises & Freestyle Cruising
Norwegian was sold by Kloster to
Star Cruises in 2000, a subsidiary of
Genting Hong Kong, part of the Malaysia-based
Genting Group
The Genting Group is a company headquartered in the Wisma Genting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It comprises the holding company Genting Berhad (), its listed subsidiaries Genting Malaysia Berhad (), Genting Plantations Berhad (), Genting Singapore ...
. Under the new ownership a new concept was introduced with the newly completed ship, ''
Norwegian Sky'', freestyle cruising. This concept freed passengers from fixed formal dining times, instead there was relaxed attire, several distinct dining options, relaxed disembarkation and more lounges, bars, theatres and other entertainment and activity options, a change that would have a ripple effect across the cruise industry.
Fleet Modernization
With the financial backing of Star Cruises, the struggling Norwegian Cruise Line was able to begin to replace much of its older and second hand fleet with new ships.
In addition to the ''
Norwegian Sun
''Norwegian Sun'' is a ''Sun'' class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She entered service in 2001 in a dual christening ceremony at the Port of Miami with '' Norwegian Star''. She was constructed at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Brem ...
'', Star Cruises had ships already on order for their own fleet at
Meyer Werft, which would be transferred to Norwegian during construction, with the first two debuting as the ''
Norwegian Star
''Norwegian Star'' is a ''Dawn''-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). Ordered by and intended for Star Cruises, it was originally named ''SuperStar Libra'' before being transferred to NCL. ''Norwegian Star'' is a Panamax c ...
'' in 2001 and ''
Norwegian Dawn
''Norwegian Dawn'' is a cruise ship that entered service in 2002 and is in operation with Norwegian Cruise Line.
History
The ship was completed on 4 December 2002 at the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and sailed her maiden voyage ...
'' in 2002''.''
These would be followed by an accelerated new build program, adding four more new ships over a five-year period.
NCL America
In 2002, Norwegian purchased the half-complete hull of the first
Project America ship, at the time under construction at
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States, originally established in 1938, and now part of HII. It is a leading producer of ships for the United States Navy, and at 12,500 employees, the second largest ...
in
Pascagoula, Mississippi, US, which was towed to Germany to be completed at the
Lloyd Werft
Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven. It was founded in 1863 by the shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd, first mainly used as a repair workshop for the company’s own merchant fleet. This new yard was established ...
shipyard.
Subsequently, Norwegian 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. In 2003, the company announced the purchase of the American-flagged liners and . In their July 2007 fiscal report, Norwegian noted the sale of the ''Independence'', renamed SS ''Oceanic'' some time before. On July 1, 2010, the SS United States Conservancy struck a deal to buy the SS ''United States'' for $3 million. On February 1, 2011, the ownership was officially transferred to the SS United States Conservancy.
Departure of the SS Norway
A boiler explosion in May 2003 forced Norwegian to withdraw the ''Norway'' from service, later being laid up in
Bremerhaven, Germany, until 2005, when she was towed to
Port Klang
Port Klang ( ms, Pelabuhan Klang) is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham ( ms, Pelabuhan Swettenham) but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is l ...
Malaysia with the claimed intent to use her as an anchored casino or slow overnight casino cruises on her remaining boilers. Instead, she was sold for scrap and renamed the and later beached at
Alang
Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard.
Demographics
As of the 2001 Indian census, ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, India, in August 2006 with claims that she had not 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.
[Maritime Matters: France, Norway](_blank)
Apollo Management and reorganisation
In August 2007, Star Cruises sold 50% of Norwegian for $1 billion to US-based
Apollo Management
Apollo Global Management, Inc. is an American global private-equity firm. It provides investment management and invests in credit, private equity, and real assets. As of March 31, 2022, the company had $512 billion of assets under management, ...
to strengthen Norwegian's financial position.
In 2007, Star Cruises sold Orient Line's ''Marco Polo'' to
Transocean Tours, and Orient Lines ceased operations in early 2008.
Following an
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investme ...
and corporate reorganisation in 2013, Norwegian was made a wholly owned subsidiary of
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), while Norwegian's previous owners
Genting Hong Kong,
Apollo Management
Apollo Global Management, Inc. is an American global private-equity firm. It provides investment management and invests in credit, private equity, and real assets. As of March 31, 2022, the company had $512 billion of assets under management, ...
and
TPG Capital exchanged their stakes in Norwegian for shares in the newly listed NCLH.
Further New Builds and fleet Changes
Norwegian 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, but it was later announced that she would return to the Norwegian international fleet as the ''Norwegian Sky'', while the ''
Norwegian Majesty'' and ''
Norwegian Dream'' would be sold to
Louis Cruise Lines
Celestyal Cruises (formed in 2014) is a succession to Louis Cruises and Louis Cruise Lines. The Cruise line was a subsidiary of Louis plc (Founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus) until November 2021 when Searchlight Capital Partners ...
.
Norwegian Epic
Two ships in this Epic class were ordered by NCL in November 2006, with an option for a third vessel that was not exercised. A dispute between NCL and STX initially resulted in the construction of both ships being placed on hold until a new agreement was reached.
The agreement called for completion of the first ship; the second ship was cancelled in 2008. The sole remaining ship, ''
Norwegian Epic
''Norwegian Epic'' is a cruise ship of the Norwegian Cruise Line built under that line's F3 Project by STX Europe Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. When built she was the third largest cruise ship in the world.
Two ...
'', was delivered to NCL on 17 June 2010.
Breakaway Class
On October 17, 2012,
Meyer Werft and Norwegian reached a second agreement for the construction of two new vessels, slated for delivery in October 2015 and 2017, respectively. The project was under the code name "''Breakaway'' Plus Class", with the vessels expected to be 163,000
gross tons and hold 4,200 passengers. The ''
Norwegian Escape'' entered service in November 2015 and weighs 164,600 tons.
Two more vessels were ordered on July 14, 2014, and they will enter service in 2018 and 2019 and will be slightly bigger at 164,000 GT.
The sale of the ''Norwegian Dream'' was subsequently cancelled. The ''Norwegian Dream'' became the ''Superstar Gemini'' for Star Cruises, from January 2013.
On June 1, 2012, Norwegian announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement to exercise its option to purchase ''Norwegian Sky''. The purchase price was roughly $260 million, financing being provided by the seller.
In December 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line announced it had reached an agreement with the Cuban government. In May 2017, the ''Norwegian Sky'' was the first Norwegian Cruise Line vessel to ever visit
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
. The ''Norwegian Sky'' makes weekly trips from Miami to
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. , making Norwegian the only line sailing that route weekly.
On May 2, 2017, Norwegian Cruise Line announced a new PortMiami Terminal. The construction began on May 1, 2018, and is scheduled for completion by fall 2019. Between 2022 and 2025,
Fincantieri intends to deliver four ships and in July 2018, the company announced an order for two more
Project Leonardo ships. They are expected to enter service in 2026 and 2027. In December 2018, Norwegian revealed plans to build a new pier in Alaska's
Icy Strait Point
Icy Strait Point is a privately owned tourist destination just outside the small village of Hoonah, Alaska. It is located on Chichagof Island and is named after the nearby Icy Strait. Owned by Huna Totem Corporation, it is the only privately own ...
.
COVID-19 pandemic
In March 2020, the ''
Miami New Times
The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami-Dade County, Miami area and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District.
Overview
It was acquir ...
'' reported that managers at Norwegian had prepared a set of responses intended to convince customers wary of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
to book cruises, including "blatantly false" claims that the coronavirus "can only survive in cold temperatures, so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise", that "
ientists and medical professionals have confirmed that the warm weather of the spring will be the end of the
ronavirus", and that the virus "cannot live in the amazingly warm and tropical temperatures that your cruise will be sailing to."
On March 14, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a No Sail Order for cruise ships. Concurrently
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings implemented a suspension of all cruise voyages across its three brands (Norwegian Cruise Line,
Oceania Cruises, and
Regent Seven Seas Cruises), with all 28 ships in port or at anchor and all passengers disembarked by March 28, 2020. This suspension has subsequently been extended through June 30, 2020.
On May 5, 2020, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) said there is “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue as a “going concern” as it faces a liquidity crisis over the next twelve months.
By the next day, NCLH was able to secure over $2.2 billion of additional liquidity in oversubscribed capital markets transactions, but at a price: (1) $400 million in common stock at $11 per share; (2) $675 million in senior secured notes due 2024 at a 12.25% interest rate; (3) $750 million in exchangeable notes due 2024 at 6% interest rate, and exchangeable at any time into common shares at $13.75; and (4) $400 million private investment from a global private equity firm.
On May 7, 2020, NCLH CEO declared that the company has secured enough liquidity to get through potentially 18 months of zero revenues and may resume cruising later in 2020.
In anticipation of sailing again, Norwegian is implementing new health and safety measures, including installing H13 HEPA air filters. The company is also working with the CDC and the new color-coding system to indicate each ship's COVID-19 status, and to repatriate Norwegian crews still stuck aboard their vessel.
Even though the company lost $4 billion and furloughed 20 percent of its staff, it doubled the salary of its chief executive, Frank Del Rio, to $36.4 million.
Fleet
, Norwegian Cruise Line operates 18 cruise ships, with five on order. It has also previously owned or operated 19 other ships. All its ships are flagged to
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...
, except for the ''
Pride of America
MS ''Pride of America'' is a cruise ship operated by NCL America, a division of Norwegian Cruise Lines, to sail itineraries in the Hawaiian Islands. Construction of the ship began in 2000 in the United States as part of a plan for a US-built a ...
'', which operates cruises within the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and is flagged and registered in the US, as well as being owned by a US-registered subsidiary, NCL America.
Current ships
Future ships
Previous Ships
Ships which never entered service for NCL
Ships which NCL had options on using but never took up for various reasons.
Private islands
Norwegian owns two
private islands in the Caribbean:
Harvest Caye
Harvest Caye is a private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line, located in southern Belize. The caye features wildlife exhibitions including a blue morpho butterfly house.
On May 23, 2017, personnel from Harvest Caye, accompanied by Edgar Correa ...
in
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
and
Great Stirrup Cay in
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...
.
Subsidiary Cruise Lines
Norwegian Cruise Line subsidiary lines over the years:
*
Royal Viking Line
The Royal Viking Line was an upmarket cruise line that operated from 1972 until 1998. The company was the brain child of Warren Titus and had its headquarters at One Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.
History The First Ships
Each of the li ...
(1984-1994)
*
Royal Cruise Line
Royal Cruise Line was a Greek cruise line that operated from 1974 to 1996 and founded by Pericles Panagopulos. The line catered mainly to American passengers looking for an upscale cruise experience and sailed mainly worldwide routes.
History
...
(1989-1996)
*
Norwegian Capricorn Line
The Norwegian Capricorn Line was a cruise line and was founded by some of Australia's foremost cruise professionals, (including Sarina Bratton who went on to found the expedition style cruise line Orion Expedition Cruises in 2004) in partnership ...
(1997-2001)
*
Orient Lines
Orient Lines was a cruise line specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993–2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, and was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998. It ceased operations in March 2008 and was sold t ...
(1998-2008)
*
Oceania Cruises (2014–present)
*
Regent Seven Seas Cruises (2014–present)
References
External links
Official websiteCruise Critic NCL reviewWebsite for NCLH investor information
{{Authority control
1966 establishments in Norway
Companies based in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Cruise lines
Private equity portfolio companies
Shipping companies of Norway
Shipping companies of the United States