NCL Launches U.S. Flag Brand And A Four-Ship Hawaii Deployment For 2004

Project America I "Pride of America" - Itineraries
Project America II "Pride of Aloha" - Itineraries

Miami, May 6, 2003 - Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced its new US Flag brand - NCL America sm- under which all of its US flagged, US crewed ships will operate. In addition, the company has developed its largest Hawaii deployment ever, with two NCL America ships sailing inter-island cruises and two NCL ships sailing Hawaii/Fanning Island itineraries.

Though the itineraries and the crews will be very different, the common theme across all four ships is NCL's trademark Freestyle Cruising, still the only completely flexible resort-style cruise experience among the major lines. The new deployment will take NCL's projected passenger carry in Hawaii to almost 200,000 in 2004, a 40 percent increase over 2003.

NCL's first Project America ship, yet to be named and known internally as PA1, will be the first new ocean-going passenger ship in nearly 50 years to sail under the American flag. She will begin service in Hawaii in July 2004, offering seven-night inter-island cruises round trip from Honolulu. The second Project America ship, known internally as PA2, will be a reflagged existing NCL ship. The ship is currently Norwegian Sky, a modern 2,000-passenger ship that was the first NCL ship to offer Freestyle Cruising when it was introduced in 2000. Re-flagged into the US register, she will be 100 percent US crewed and will begin her Hawaii service in October 2004, offering three- and four-night inter-island cruises round trip from Honolulu.

Starting prices on the NCL America ships will be at the same level as the attractive pricing used in successfully launching Norwegian Star in Hawaii in 2001. Seven night cruises begin at $899 per person; three-night cruises begin at $499 per person. PA1, Norwegian Wind and Norwegian Star are on sale now for 2004 and spring 2005 bookings and group space. PA2 will go on sale on Friday, May 9th.

"Our ships will offer a unique Hawaii experience with the great majority of the crew hailing from the islands. The Hawaii people are known for their gracious hospitality and service and for their sunny outlook on life. This is known locally as the Aloha Spirit and we hope to capture it on our ships," said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL. "In addition, in the next few months, we will announce partnerships with key Hawaii organizations who will partner with us on board and add to an authentic experience of Hawaii that will only be available on NCL and NCL America ships."

The combined NCL and NCL America 2004 Hawaii deployment offers a wide range of cruises encompassing three-, four-, seven-, 10-, and 11-day cruises that feature something for everyone.

"Guests on our seven day inter-island cruise will spend over 90 hours in port including overnight stays in Maui and Kauai," Veitch said. "And we will launch the only three- and four-day cruise program in Hawaii, offering both cruise-only and a variety of cruise-and-stay hotel packages.

"Both ships will be targeted at the general cruise population in North America but we also expect to attract conference and incentive business with the top quality facilities that have been designed into the ships," he added.

According to Veitch, NCL will also continue its popular calls at Fanning Island, Kiribati on longer Hawaii cruises.

"Norwegian Wind will return to Hawaii in May of 2004 and resume its successful 10- and 11-day itineraries," Veitch said. "From then on, the deployment will be year-round rather than seasonal as in the past."

The 10- and 11-day cruises are designed to offer a relaxed, longer cruising experience with lots of port time in the Hawaii Islands plus sea days and a trip to Fanning Island, NCL's Pacific Island hideaway just north of the Equator.

Norwegian Star will continue offering its seven-day Fanning Island cruises through April 2004 when it will then make way for the new seven-day inter-island cruises offered by PA1. As announced last week, Norwegian Star will move to NCL's mainland based Homeland Cruising fleet offering Alaska cruises in the summer of 2004.

The combined NCL and NCL America Hawaii deployment schedule is as follows:

PA1 will sail seven-day cruises calling on Hawaii's four main islands and a day of scenic cruising beginning July 4th, 2004 after an extended series of inaugural events in the U.K. and the US Her itinerary departs from Honolulu with ports of call at Nawiliwili, Kauai (overnight); Hilo, Hawaii; Kona, Hawaii and Kahului, Maui (overnight). The ship is in port every day and offers scenic cruising on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
PA2 will offer an alternating schedule of three- and four-day itineraries beginning October 1, 2004. Three-day sailings will leave from Honolulu every Friday and call at Nawiliwili, Kauai and Kahului, Maui, spending full days in each port before returning to Honolulu. Four-day sailings depart from Honolulu every Monday and visit Hilo, Hawaii; Kahului, Maui, and Nawiliwili, Kauai, also offering full days in each port.
Norwegian Wind goes year round with 10- and 11-day cruises featuring Fanning Island beginning May 19, 2004 from Honolulu. The 10-day sailings from Honolulu, Oahu will call on Hilo, Hawaii; Nawiliwili, Kauai; Lahaina, Maui and Kona, Hawaii as well as
Fanning Island in the Republic of Kiribati. The 11-day cruises will have the same schedule with the additional attraction of an extra day in Maui.
Norwegian Star will continue her very popular seven-day cruises visiting Hawaii's four main islands and Fanning Island, a Micronesian hideaway, through April 2004. The ship will be redeployed to the West Coast for Homeland Cruises out of Seattle for the summer Alaska season.
All four ships will offer Freestyle Cruising, with no fixed dinner seatings, multiple specialty and ethnic restaurants, resort casual dress code throughout the cruise, no cash tipping, a broad range of lifestyle programs, and relaxed final morning disembarkation.

NCL America Offers Tremendous Opportunities for the Corporate/Meeting Market
NCL America's two US flagged Hawaii ships will provide the best meetings and conference facilities at sea. Additionally, the deployment in Hawaii is a unique opportunity for meeting planners with three, four and seven day cruises available every week of the year. Planners can book a full week's cruise or alternatively book a three or four day cruise with the option to combine the cruise with a hotel stay to accommodate a variety of meeting lengths.

And as the only US flagged ships sailing the Hawaii islands and visiting only US ports, conferences and meetings on board NCL America ships qualify for both corporate and individual tax deductibility for meetings expenses.

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is an international cruise company and industry innovator. NCL is the leader in roundtrip seven-day cruising from US and Canadian ports, offering its popular Homeland Cruising program departing seasonally from Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Orlando (Port Canaveral), San Juan, Seattle and Vancouver, and year round from New York, Miami, Houston and Honolulu.

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is an international cruise company and industry innovator. NCL is the leader in round-trip seven-day cruising from US and Canadian ports, offering its popular Homeland Cruising program seasonally from Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Orlando (Port Canaveral), San Juan, Seattle and Vancouver, and year round from New York, Miami, Houston and Honolulu. For further information on NCL, agents in the US and Canada may contact NCL at (800) 327-7030; visit NCL's website at www.ncl.com or on AOL at keyword: NCL; or to download high-resolution photography visit www.ncl.com/hires.

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