Norwegian Cruise Line is without doubt one of the mainstream family-friendly cruise traces providing quite a lot of holidays to locations throughout the globe. NCL’s fleet at the moment consists of 19 ships which fluctuate when it comes to age, measurement, and facilities.
In case you are contemplating a cruise with the model, we’ve put collectively this complete information to Norwegian Cruise Line ships by age that will help you determine which ship is the precise match on your subsequent household trip.
Information to Norwegian Cruise Line Ships by Age (2024)
Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator of the freestyle strategy to cruising. This implies you could be at liberty do no matter you need, everytime you need. Cruisers can select from quite a lot of complimentary and specialty eating places that provide various menus.
They’ll additionally take pleasure in signature leisure, a number of bars and lounges, and among the latest onboard facilities. After all, there are additionally different normal cruise facilities like a pool deck, fitness center, spa, onboard buying, and a on line casino.
Norwegian Cruise Line additionally affords a normal degree of service and predictable stateroom classes throughout all cruise ship courses. The model additionally options its unique “ship within a ship” idea, The Haven, and the Studio for solo cruisers.
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For these in search of the final word flexibility, look no additional than Norwegian Cruise Line.
Which is the latest Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
The latest ship within the NCL fleet on the time of publication is Norwegian Viva, which is the second ship within the Prima class. Viva debuted in August 2023. The primary ship within the Prima class, Norwegian Prima, entered service in August 2022.
A 3rd ship within the class, Norwegian Aqua, is scheduled to debut in 2025.
What’s the oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
Once we’re taking a look at Norwegian Cruise Line ships by age, Norwegian Spirit is the oldest ship at the moment crusing within the NCL fleet. It first debuted in 1998 as SuperStar Leo for Star Cruises, and was transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line in 2004. The vessel is just below 76,000 gross tons and might maintain simply over 2,000 friends.
Norwegian Sky follows carefully behind in age, having debuted in 1999.
What’s the common age of a Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships vary in age from underneath a 12 months previous to 25 years previous. The common age of an NCL ship is at the moment 14.4 years previous. 5 ships are over 20 years previous, and eight are 10-19 years previous. Six members of the fleet debuted prior to now decade.
Regardless of many ships being a decade previous or extra, they do get refurbishments. For instance, Norwegian Spirit underwent a significant renovation in 2020 and Norwegian Sky received updates in 2019. Even one of many line’s newer ships, Norwegian Pleasure (2017), simply underwent a big renovation earlier this 12 months.
What number of NCL ships are there?
There are at the moment 19 cruise ships within the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. There are additionally various upcoming ships at the moment on order, together with the third Prima class vessel, Norwegian Aqua, which is slated for a 2025 debut.
Norwegian Cruise Line Ships By Age (Latest to Oldest)
- Norwegian Aqua — 2025 (156,300 gross tons, 3,571 friends)
- Norwegian Viva — 2023 (142,500 gross tons, 3,195 friends)
- Norwegian Prima — 2022 (143,535 gross tons, 3,099 friends)
- Norwegian Encore — 2019 (169,116 gross tons, 3,998 friends)
- Norwegian Bliss — 2018 (168,028 gross tons, 4,004 friends)
- Norwegian Pleasure — 2017 (167,725 gross tons, 3,804 friends)
- Norwegian Escape — 2015 (164,998 gross tons, 4,266 friends)
- Norwegian Getaway — 2014 (145,655 gross tons, 3,963 friends)
- Norwegian Breakaway — 2013 (145,655 gross tons, 3,963 friends)
- Norwegian Epic — 2010 (155,873 gross tons, 4,100 friends)
- Norwegian Gem — 2007 (93,530 gross tons, 2,394 friends)
- Norwegian Pearl — 2006 (93,530 gross tons, 2,394 friends)
- Norwegian Jade — 2006 (93,558 gross tons, 2,402 friends)
- Norwegian Jewel — 2005 (93,502 gross tons, 2,376 friends)
- Delight of America — 2005 (80,439 gross tons, 2,186 friends)
- Norwegian Daybreak — 2002 (92,250 gross tons, 2,340 friends)
- Norwegian Star — 2001 (91,740 gross tons, 2,348 friends)
- Norwegian Solar — 2001 (78,309 gross tons, 1,936 friends)
- Norwegian Sky — 1999 (77,104 gross tons, 2,004 friends)
- Norwegian Spirit — 1998 (75,904 gross tons, 2,032 friends)
Understanding Cruise Ship Lessons
Cruise traces are massive firms that handle a fleet of ships. A number of the world’s largest cruise traces have dozens of ships. Every cruise line has its personal “style”. Nonetheless, even inside a model, there are totally different eating choices, leisure choices, and onboard facilities between ships.
It will take you hours to analysis every ship individually. To not point out, Norwegian Cruise Line is only one of many cruise traces.
Therefore, it’s vital to notice that every cruise line affords totally different teams of ships. These “classes” of cruise ships are of comparable measurement and design. Additional, they typically characteristic related facilities and venues.
Whereas there is perhaps slight variations between ships inside a category, these sister ships are largely equivalent.
What number of ship courses does Norwegian Cruise Line have?
Norwegian Cruise Line’s 19 ships are divided right into a whopping 9 courses. They’re the Prima class, Breakaway class, Breakaway Plus class, Epic class, Jewel class, Daybreak class, Solar class, Leo class, and the Delight of America class.
Prima Class
The Prima class is at the moment in progress, with a number of ships nonetheless on order and two which have already debuted — Norwegian Prima (2022) and Norwegian Viva (2023). A 3rd vessel within the class, Norwegian Aqua, is ready to start crusing in 2025.
When Norwegian Cruise Line first introduced the Prima class, many have been shocked that — in contrast to most new mainstream cruise ships debuting — they’d truly be smaller than the earlier class of ships. Certainly, the 2 present Prima class ships are round 143,000 gross tons every, which is over 20,000 gross tons smaller than the 2 ships earlier than them, Norwegian Encore and Bliss. Norwegian Aqua will likely be a bit bigger than her sisters although, coming in at 156,300 gross tons.
The Prima class represents many new ideas for Norwegian Cruise Line. Some of the apparent earlier than you even step onboard are the dry slides, that are affixed to the aspect of the ship. The Drop is a 10-story dry slide — the primary dry drop slide on this planet. The Rush is a set of dueling slides. Each provide a corkscrew-style slide expertise that’s enjoyable for all ages.
The Norwegian Speedway is sustained on the Prima class following success on the Breakaway Plus ships. On the Prima ships, it’s the longest go-kart monitor on board up to now and spans three decks. The Prima-class ships additionally embrace the Galaxy Pavilion, an area full of contemporary arcade-type video games and digital actuality experiences. New to Prima class is a darts lounge and an interactive mini golf course.
The Prima class ships additionally characteristic a new eating venue known as Indulge Meals Corridor. There, friends order from tablets at their desk and might select from quite a lot of cuisines that every have their very own little station inside the area. The ships additionally embrace a basic cruise ship buffet and fundamental eating room, in addition to specialty eating places reminiscent of Cagney’s Steakhouse, Hasuki teppanyaki, Los Lobos, and the all-new Mediterranean restaurant Palomar.
There’s additionally the cruise business’s first sustainable cocktail bar, Metropolitan Bar. There, bartenders create distinctive cocktails with elements comprised of meals scraps that may in any other case be discarded, reminiscent of day-old croissants, banana peels, and pineapple peels.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s basic Commentary Lounge with floor-to-ceiling home windows may also be discovered on the Prima ships, as is the adults-only Vibe Seashore Membership and The Haven, a ship-within-a-ship advanced which permits Haven friends to take pleasure in their very own restaurant, sundeck, and lounge.
The Mandara Spa features a revamped thermal suite space, that includes a brand-new two-story waterfall wall alongside the vitality pool with jets and the thalassotherapy saltwater pool.
Breakaway Plus Class
The second-newest of the Norwegian Cruise Line ship courses is the Breakaway Plus Class. This sub-class of the earlier Breakaway Class affords lots of the identical options of its predecessors. It additionally has some new additions all of her personal.
The Breakaway Plus Class debuted with Norwegian Escape in 2015. Further ships on this class embrace Norwegian Pleasure (2017), Norwegian Bliss (2018), and Norwegian Encore (2019).
The Breakaway Plus is the biggest class of ships for Norwegian Cruise Line weighing in at 165,000 to 169,000 gross tons and carrying between 3,800 and 4,200 passengers.
Norwegian Escape bears many similarities to the Breakaway Class, whereas the remaining three ships are all very related. Of observe, Norwegian Pleasure was initially designed for the Chinese language market however refurbished and transferred to the American market in 2019. The ship was renovated once more in early 2024.
One in all our favourite options of this class of ship is The Waterfront. This mid-level promenade deck options quite a lot of eating places, bars and lounges, and different buying and leisure venues.
A few of our favourite bars embrace the District Brewhouse and the Sugarcane Mojito Bar. Newer specialty restaurant choices on these ships embrace Q Texas Smokehouse, Meals Republic, and the Italian Onda by Scarpetta on Norwegian Encore.
The Breakaway-Plus class of ships additionally has among the most thrilling sights at sea. Amongst them are go-kart programs, a state-of-the-art laser tag area (on Bliss and Encore), and among the quickest waterslides at sea.
Norwegian Encore options the Galaxy Pavilion too. This digitally enhanced space is dwelling to interactive sights, experience simulators, and video games that everybody within the household will take pleasure in.
A few of these ships additionally characteristic Spice H2O, an adults-only space with water options, a bar, and personal area for these which can be 18+. Equally, some ships characteristic the stress-free Commentary Lounge. This ahead dealing with venue affords beautiful views with wall to wall glass, making it the right place to observe the ship sail into port.
There’s additionally the Cavern Membership with a resident Beatles tribute band.
Breakaway Class
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Class ushered in a brand new period of cruising when its first ship, Norwegian Breakaway, debuted in 2013. The Breakaway Class consists of solely two ships, Norwegian Breakaway (2013) and Norwegian Getaway (2014).
Although, as talked about beforehand, Norwegian Escape carefully resembles these sister ships. These ships are 145,655 gross tons and carry round 4,000 passengers.
Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway attraction to households as they really have extra out of doors actions which can be included within the cruise fare. These complimentary facilities embrace a waterpark that includes drop slides and an aqua park for the little ones. Each ships even have a full-fledged ropes course full with zip traces and a plank that extends off the aspect of the ship, in addition to mini-golf programs.
Along with a fundamental theater, this class has some distinctive leisure venues of its personal as nicely such because the full of life dueling pianos bar Howl on the Moon. Visitors may also take part in recreation reveals Deal or No Deal and Wheel of Fortune.
Cruisers will discover the Waterfront and lots of the identical eating places and bars because the Breakaway Plus Class; nonetheless, there are some variations. The Breakaway Class is dwelling to Shanghai’s Noodle Bar, Moderno Churrascaria specialty restaurant, an Ice Bar, and Syd Norman’s Pour Home.
Norwegian Epic
In a Norwegian Cruise Line ship class of her personal, Norwegian Epic debuted in 2010. Norwegian Epic is undoubtedly one in all a form. With a singular design that blends parts of a few of NCL’s smaller ships in addition to forward-looking options that may change into a part of the newer Breakaway Class, NCL Epic was an experimental ship.
With so many new eating and leisure choices, the ship really ushered within the model’s Freestyle strategy. Whereas some ideas have been hits, others have been misses. Thus, there have been no additional ships on this class ever constructed. As an alternative, Norwegian Cruise Line advanced its subsequent technology ships into the Breakaway Class.
Norwegian Epic is a 155,873 gross ton ship in a position to carry 4,100 passengers, weighing in at bigger than the Breakaway Class.
Norwegian Epic consists of the road’s first Spice H2O sundeck, the Haven, and a number of other signature leisure choices together with Howl on the Moon, Headliners Comedy Membership, and an unique Beatles cowl band.
The ship additionally options the Burn the Flooring present in addition to Deal or No Deal and Wheel of Fortune. To not point out, there may be bowling, an Ice Bar, and the primary bowl slide at sea.
From the complimentary O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill and Shanghai Chinese language Restaurant to the plethora of specialty eating, you’ll be able to pattern delicacies from world wide on Norwegian Epic.
Among the many specialty eating choices are the road’s signature steakhouse Cagney’s, the Italian restaurant La Cucina, the Brazilian Churrascaria Moderno, the French impressed Le Bistro, the hibachi expertise at Teppanyaki, and the Wasabi sushi bar.
One of many largest design parts that was unpopular amongst cruisers on Norwegian Epic is the stateroom design. Thus, no subsequent ships characteristic this distinctive structure.
Jewel Class
NCL’s Jewel Class debuted in 2006. At simply over 93,000 gross tons, these ships carry round 2,400 passengers. Ships on this Norwegian Cruise Line ship class embrace Norwegian Jewel (2005), Norwegian Jade (2006), Norwegian Pearl (2006), and Norwegian Gem (2007).
The Jewel Class is kind of just like the earlier Daybreak Class, simply bigger in measurement.
When it comes to leisure, you’ll nonetheless discover nightly leisure in the principle theater. But, cruisers shouldn’t anticipate the Broadway hits discovered on newer mega-ships within the fleet. Nonetheless, there may be loads of enjoyable available on the big pool deck and sports activities court docket by day, in addition to the bars, lounges, and dance events at evening.
You’ll nonetheless discover loads of Norwegian Cruise Line’s staple specialty eating venues too, like Cagney’s Steakhouse, the French Le Bistro, the Italian La Cucina, and the hibachi model Teppanyaki.
After all, there may be additionally the complimentary fundamental eating rooms, the favored O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill, and the Backyard Cafe buffet. The Jewel Class additionally affords a complimentary Asian restaurant.
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For those who don’t want all of the bells and whistles of the bigger mega-ships, the Jewel Class is perhaps excellent for you. These ships nonetheless provide a basic NCL expertise however with much less crowds and fewer up-charges. In addition they go to numerous elements of the world and extra distinctive ports of name.
Daybreak Class
The Daybreak class comprises a pair of ships: Norwegian Star (2001) and Norwegian Daybreak (2002).
As talked about above, the Daybreak Class is comparable in measurement and design to the Jewel Class. These ships carry round 2,300 passengers and weigh in at round 92,000 gross tons. Norwegian Daybreak and Star have been each final refurbished in 2021.
Given their smaller measurement, these ships can go to much less frequented ports of name, all whereas providing typical cruise facilities and NCL signature options. They even provide the Backyard Villa, a set class that has three bedrooms and might maintain as much as seven friends.
These ships have loads of typical choices together with a on line casino, a fundamental theater with nightly leisure, and the Bliss Extremely Lounge. Moreover, there’s a good-sized pool deck with whirlpools, a golf driving vary, a sports activities court docket, and even Splash Academy for the little ones. Norwegian Star even has the Spice H2O adults-only space.
For eating, the Daybreak Class has the standard fundamental eating rooms, in addition to NCL signature specialty eating places Le Bistro, La Cucina, Teppanyaki, and Cagney’s Steakhouse. The ships additionally provide a complimentary Asian restaurant, O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill, and a standard cruise buffet. Norwegian Daybreak options The Cellars Wine Bar and Los Lobos Cantina sprucing up the already satisfying restaurant and bar line-up.
Solar Class
Among the many smallest of the Norwegian Cruise Line ship courses is the Solar Class. At 77,000 to 78,000 gross tons, Norwegian Sky (1999) and Norwegian Solar (2001) carry 1,900 to 2,000 passengers every. Each ships have been refurbished only a few years in the past.
The ships’ renovations included updates to the staterooms, eating venues, and bars and lounges. Among the many new additions to Norwegian Sky have been the Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar, the Bliss Extremely Lounge, the Native Bar and Grill, and a Starbucks. Norwegian Solar acquired the Bliss Extremely Lounge, Los Lobos Cantina, and extra.
The specialty restaurant choices do differ barely by ship. Norwegian Sky is dwelling to Le Bistro, La Cucina, and Cagney’s Steakhouse. Whereas Norwegian Solar has Teppanyaki, Moderno, and Los Lobos Cantina as well as.
Each ships provide loads of typical cruise ship facilities together with swimming pools, sizzling tubs, a fitness center, a spa, a sports activities court docket, and golf driving nets. In addition they characteristic your typical fundamental theater for nightly leisure and the Spinnaker Lounge.
Norwegian Spirit (Leo Class)
Norwegian Spirit launched in 1998 however not too long ago underwent an in depth refurbishment in early 2020. This 75,904 gross ton ship acquired a $100 million revitalization as a part of the Norwegian Edge program. It was essentially the most intensive bow to stern makeover within the firm’s historical past.
Norwegian Spirit emerged from the 43-day dry dock with renovations to all eating venues, staterooms, and public areas, in addition to new hull artwork.
A few of Norwegian Spirit’s enhancements embrace a bigger Mandara Spa, full with a brand new thermal suite and rest space. The ship additionally options the second Onda by Scarpetta restaurant. This restaurant which debuted on Norwegian Encore will get two thumbs up from us!
New complimentary eating venues on Norwegian Spirit embrace an additional fundamental eating room and the 24-hour The Native Bar & Grill. As well as, the ship affords the buffet-style Backyard Café, the Nice Open air Bar, and Waves Pool Bar.
Making their debut on Norwegian Spirit are additionally the favored Bliss Extremely Lounge and the adults-only retreat Spice H2O.
Norwegian Spirit will proceed to supply NCL’s signature Freestyle strategy to eating; it’s going to additionally provide acquainted favorites with regards to specialty eating, like Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bistro. Moreover, friends can take pleasure in nightly leisure within the Stardust Theater or drinks in one of many many bars and lounges after an extended day ashore exploring the ports of name.
Delight of America
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Delight of America is the one U.S. flagged cruise ship on this planet. In-built 2005, Delight of America completely sails year-round in Hawaii. This 80,439 gross ton ship carries roughly 2,200 passengers.
Delight of America final underwent main renovations in 2015, and was most not too long ago refurbished in 2022.
This Americana-themed ship sails a 7-night round-trip itinerary from Honolulu providing a complete Polynesian expertise. The ship visits 4 Hawaiian Islands and 5 ports of name in seven days.
That includes some acquainted favorites like Cagney’s Steakhouse, La Cucina, and Teppanyaki, along with some distinctive Hawaiian themed venues, Delight of America serves as an excellent backdrop to lengthy island days ashore.
Delight of America does provide different cruise facilities like a fundamental theater spotlighting Polynesian tradition, a pool deck, a spa, a health middle, and Splash Academy for the youngsters. There’s additionally a cabaret lounge and nightclub and loads of American-themed bars; nonetheless, you’ll not discover a on line casino on this ship because it by no means leaves U.S. waters.
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