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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 1 History 2 Fleet 2.1 NCL 2.2 NCL America 2.3 Orient Lines 2.4 Stored ships 3 Past ships 4 References 5 External links

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. 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.

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 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.

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 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 continue operations if the brand can be made profitable.^[2]

• Norwegian Dawn
• Norwegian Dream (previously Dreamward)
• Norwegian Jewel
• Norwegian Majesty
• Norwegian Sun
• Norwegian Spirit
• Norwegian Star
• Norwegian Pearl
• Norwegian Gem
• F3 Hull C33 and D33(Project name for 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 2010.)

• 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])

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

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

• 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 (1) 1996-2004 (now Albatross for Phoenix Reisen)
• Norwegian Dynasty 1997-1999 (now Braemar for Fred. Olsen Cruises)
• Independence 2003-2006, laid up, never entered service for NCL (now owned by California Manufacturing Corp, currently laid up at Pier 70 in San Francisco)

1. ^ ^{a b} Cruise Business Review 17. 8. 2007: Apollo invests $1billion in NCL Corp to take 50% stake, retrieved 17. 8. 2007
2. ^ Cruise Business Review 20. 8. 2007: NCL America's future 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

• Norwegian Cruise Line homepage

v • d • e Members of Star Cruises
Star Cruises · Norwegian Cruise Line · NCL America · Orient Lines · Cruise Ferries

v • d • e Cruise Lines of Apollo Management
Oceania Cruises · Regent Seven Seas Cruises · Norwegian Cruise Line

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