Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships.
It was founded as Norwegian Caribbean Lines in 1966 by Knut Kloster and Ted Arison, with just one 830-ton steamer offering low-cost Caribbean cruises. Arison soon left to form Carnival Cruise Lines, while Kloster acquired additional ships for Caribbean service.
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 then 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.
NCL has since expanded to other areas of the Western hemisphere, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Bermuda.
Its subsidiary Orient Lines, founded in 1991 to run the Marco Polo was acquired in 1998. NCL itself was acquired by Hong Kong-based Star Cruises in 2000.
Fleet
- Norwegian Crown
- Norwegian Dawn
- Norwegian Dream
- Norwegian Majesty
- Norwegian Sea
- Norwegian Sun
- Norwegian Spirit
- Norwegian Star
- Norwegian Wind
- Pride of Aloha
- Pride of America - 72,000 tons, under construction as of 2004