NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

'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 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

History

Fleet

NCL

NCL America

Orient Lines

Stored ships

Past ships

References

External links

History

The company 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 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 from toxic materials. Currently she is still 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.
In 2003, NCL announced the purchase of the famed American flagged liners SS ''United States'' and SS ''Independence''. Although it has promised to restore the SS 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 SS ''Independence'', renamed SS ''Oceanic'' some time before.
NCL has since 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 August 2007 Star Cruises took the market by surprise when it sold 50% of NCL for $1 billion to the United States -based Apollo Management (owners of Oceania Cruises) in order to strenghten NCL's financial position.¹ However, 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 continue operations if the brand can be made profitable.^[2]. According to the SS Maritime.com website, much of NCL's financial problems are due to the bad publicity received after the SS Norway fiasco. It also appears that the SS Independence has now been sold to "Indian investors" which probably means the ship will soon be broken up in India.

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' Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, 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.^[3] Vessel will be given a new name, ''Norwegian Jade'', as well a new hull art. ^[4])

Orient Lines

★ ''Marco Polo'' (Sold to Transocean Tours, will be delivered March 23 2008)

Stored ships

★ SS ''United States'' (currently berthed at Pier 82 in Philadelphia)

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 ''Cristal'' for Louis Cruise Lines)

★ 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

1. Cruise Business Review 17. 8. 2007: Apollo invests billion in NCL Corp to take 50% stake, retrieved 17. 8. 2007
2. Cruise Business Review 20. 8. 2007: NCL America's future to to be decided within 16 months, retrieved 20. 8. 2007
3. NCL Announces Temporary Withdrawal of Pride of Hawai`i, retrieved 12. April 2007
4. NCL Announces Jade, Jewel And Gem For Largest Ever European Deployment, retrieved 16. April 2007

External links

★ SSmaritime.com

★ Norwegian Cruise Line homepageNew Site Launched 10/02/2006

★ Orient Lines homepage

★ Star Cruises homepage

★ Genting Group homepage