MIAMI, Fla., April 5, 2001 - Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that the 1,748-passenger M/S Norwegian Wind was recently converted to offer Freestyle Cruising, making it the fourth ship in the fleet to adopt the cruise concept. The innovative vacation program was introduced in May 2000 aboard Norwegian Sky and extended to Norwegian Majesty in August 2000 and Norwegian Sea in December 2000. The entire NCL fleet, excluding Norway, will offer Freestyle Cruising when Norwegian Dream becomes the final ship to adopt the cruise concept on April 30, 2001. All future builds will be purpose-built maximizing the choice and flexibility offered by Freestyle Cruising.

"Our passengers are enthusiastic about the new Freestyle Cruising concept and acknowledge that it will keep them coming back to what they consider the best way to cruise," said Andy Stuart, NCL's senior vice president marketing and sales. "In addition, the travel agent community has embraced this new product as long overdue, and from our research, are finding it extremely useful in selling NCL to both existing cruisers and first-timers."

Built in 1993 and "stretched" in 1998, Norwegian Wind recently completed a multi-million dollar drydock, including interior refurbishments and routine maintenance. Enhancements range from a completely remodeled Monte Carlo Casino to an enlarged Sports Bar and Grill to installation of new carpet in all corridors and new soft goods throughout the ship.

"We constantly are looking at ways we can improve our ships and our product," said Stuart. "With the addition of seating at the Sports Bar and Grill and numerous enhancements to other restaurants and areas throughout the ship, Norwegian Wind now is better suited to offer the full Freestyle Cruising experience for our guests."

Among the many improvements aboard the ship, high rollers will be happy to note that the Monte Carlo Casino has an all-new bright and vibrant look featuring a new color scheme, wall covers, lighting, and carpet. The Sun Terraces dining room was converted to an Italian Trattoria serving traditional Italian fare. The enlarged Sports Bar and Grill features new buffet tables, a new bar, new carpet, tile, chairs and tables. Previously accommodating 95, the Sports Bar now seats 203 guests and serves buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks throughout the day.

Enhancements to the Sports Deck include refurbishment of the Jacuzzis with new teak molding and new Action/Astro Turf for the outer decks of both the Sky and Sports Decks. Additionally, most guest staterooms on decks 4 - 8 received new carpeting and upholstery. For those bookworms, a new expanded library was installed with a selection of over 500 new books.

Due in large part to the many refurbishments, the ship now is ready to offer NCL's innovative cruise concept. Freestyle Cruising is designed to meet the changing needs of today's cruise passengers by offering guests a more relaxed, resort-style cruise with complete flexibility and non-intrusive service of the highest standard.

Aboard Norwegian Wind, Freestyle Cruising consists of:

Dining -- Open, restaurant-style seating and extended hours offered in Norwegian Wind's main dining rooms and alternative restaurants. Norwegian Wind has five dining venues each night including: two main dining rooms; the Sun Terraces, open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., was converted to an Italian Trattoria offering traditional Italian fare; Le Bistro, open from 5:30 p.m. to closing; and the Sports Bar and Grill, open from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. serving buffet style breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the day. In addition to the five permanent full- service restaurants Norwegian Wind also features an on-deck Caribbean Night barbecue with Jerk-chicken, pork, ribs, and fish. Freshly baked pizza is always available at the Café and Pizzeria and the 24-hour room service features an extensive menu with a section just for kids. In addition to the many venue choices, passengers have the option to choose their dinner companions each evening and request tables of any size, seating from two to ten people.

Attire -- The dress code is 'resort casual' eliminating the ship-wide "formal nights." Norwegian Wind offers one optional formal night in some of the dining outlets when passengers are welcome to dress in formal attire.

Staffing -- NCL increased the number of crewmembers by 75 aboard Norwegian Wind to offer passengers a higher crew-to-guest ratio. This increase will raise the level of service to approximately one crewmember per cabin, which is as high as most top shoreside resorts.

Tipping -- The recommended gratuities are automatically added to each guest's onboard account. Guests have the option of leaving an additional gratuity for exceptional service, or they can choose to reduce or deduct the gratuity from their bill entirely.

Disembarkation -- NCL's new guest-friendly disembarkation system allows passengers to enjoy the final morning of the cruise and depart the ship at their leisure. Guests may stay in their cabins and enjoy continental breakfast, eat breakfast in one of the main dining rooms or eat a complete, hot breakfast buffet until their colored luggage tag is called or until the last and final call, which is normally around 10:00 a.m.

Among Norwegian Wind's many features are the Stardust Lounge, where guests can enjoy a performance of the Broadway hit "Smokey Joe's Cafe ," the Observatory Lounge; Dazzles Disco; and the newly refurbished Monte Carlo Casino. A choice of five restaurants is available to whet practically any appetite. Junior cruisers have their own playroom, "Kids Korner," for NCL's "Kids Crew" activities and all guests can enjoy Norwegian Wind's swimming pool, splash pool, "wet bar," two hot tubs and fitness center and spa, operated by Mandara Spa, the leading operator of resort spas in the world.

Norwegian Wind will continue to sail its western Caribbean itinerary through April sailing to George Town, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico. Beginning April 30, Norwegian Wind will return to Vancouver for its ninth season of Alaska sailings. The itinerary will include stops in Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan. The ship will sail from Vancouver in late September and reposition to Asia where she will embark on an exciting new series of first-ever cruises to Southeast Asia between October and December 2001. The Asia sailings will be a welcome addition for even the most seasoned traveler by balancing the in-depth cultural experience of a long tour (Asia Cruisetours) with the leisure and relaxation of a cruise.

Sailing into 2002, Norwegian Wind will offer a 19-day Holiday cruise from Singapore to Sydney, followed by cruises to Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and Hawaii.

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is an international cruise company and industry innovator that currently operates a fleet of eight ships sailing to more than 200 ports around the world. NCL is currently building three new ships: Norwegian Sun, a 1,960-passenger sister ship to Norwegian Sky (for delivery September 2001); Norwegian Star, a 2,200-passenger ship that will be NCL's largest (for delivery in December 2001); and Norwegian Dawn, a 2,200-passenger sister ship to Norwegian Star (for delivery in December 2002).

For further information, contact a travel agent or NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 327-7030; in Miami-Dade County, Florida, (305) 436-0866; on AOL at keyword: NCL.

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