Norwegian Cruise Line Expands Homeland Cruising to Los Angeles With 8-Day Mexican Riviera Cruises

Norwegian Star to Offer Four Exotic Ports Including Acapulco Exclusive

Miami, June 16, 2003 -Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) heads to California next year when it brings Freestyle Cruising to Los Angeles. The industry innovator announced today that following its first season in Alaska, 2,240-passenger Norwegian Star, purpose built for Freestyle Cruising, will reposition to Los Angeles next fall to offer NCL's first regularly scheduled weekly Mexican Riviera cruises beginning September 26, 2004.

The exotic itinerary features the industry's only weekly cruise to include the Mexican Rivera's most famous playground, Acapulco, with a full day and overnight stay. The cruise also includes a call into Zihuatanejo, the traditional favorites of Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas and three days at sea all aboard one of NCL's most popular ships.

"With Norwegian Star's speed, we can offer a truly unique 8-day itinerary on one of our most modern and innovative ships," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "Vacationers aboard Norwegian Star will enjoy the flexibility and freedom of choice that characterizes the West Coast spirit combined with an itinerary offering a real choice for repeat Mexican Riviera cruisers and the most exciting itinerary available for first timers."

Norwegian Star's roundtrip departures from Los Angeles continue through April 30, 2005. Cruises go on sale Wednesday, June 18, with prices starting from $649.

The itinerary follows:

A Star Like No Other
Norwegian Star offers a wide variety of onboard options. With an incredible choice of 10 different world-cuisine restaurants (not including bars and cafés) and 11 menus, Norwegian Star gives guests the opportunity to dine in a different restaurant every night of the week without ever visiting the main dining room. A broad range of gourmet and ethnic restaurant choices include: Spanish Tapas, Pacific Rim Fusion, French classic, Teppanyaki, Hawaiian, Japanese (including sushi and tempura bars), authentic Italian and traditional American and Continental cuisine.

Norwegian Star boasts over 500 staterooms and suites with private balconies. Most notably, the top of Norwegian Star is home to two, 5,350 square-foot, multi-room Garden Villas each featuring a large living room, dining room, three separate ensuite bedrooms with entertainment center and luxury bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower. Each villa opens up to a private themed garden complex with hot tub, lounge and dining area and a huge private rooftop terrace. Butler service and concierge service is always available.

Seventy percent of cabins are outside staterooms and over 70 percent of these have balconies. Thirty-six suites, 372 standard staterooms with balconies, and an entire deck of 107 mini-suites with balconies are among the spacious and well-appointed accommodations located on the 15-deck ship.

The ship also features a two-deck fitness and spa center; a huge children's facility with separate teen areas; an Internet Café and wireless remote Internet access (WiFi) in public areas around the ship.

A state-of-the-art casino will be added in Dazzles nightclub, according to the ship's original design, after the ship leaves Hawaii in April 2004.

Freestyle Cruising allows for freedom of choice with a completely flexible dining schedule and open seating at any of the numerous restaurants onboard. The attire is resort casual with optional formal nights, gratuities are automatically included on the bill, and final disembarkation is more relaxed and hassle-free. NCL has increased the number of crew aboard each ship to offer the highest crew-to-passenger ratio. On Norwegian Star, a ratio of roughly one crewmember per cabin is the highest in the Mexican Rivera.

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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