PRIDE OF AMERICA TO BE DELIVERED
IN JUNE 2005
HONOLULU -- NCL America announced today that
it had concluded negotiations with Lloyd Werft in Germany,
its insurers and banks, and agreed a new delivery date for
the Pride of America on June 6, 2005.
“We are pleased and relieved that this
long period of uncertainty has now ended and we can plan with
confidence for the introduction of our second U.S. flagged
vessel in Hawai`i,” said Colin Veitch, president and
CEO of NCL America. “Pride of America will be the first
new-built U.S. flagged cruise ship in 50 years and is going
to be a fantastic addition to our fleet.
“We are particularly pleased that we
are able to announce this good news for NCL’s Hawai`i
operations on the eve of the christening of Pride of Aloha,
our first US flagged vessel that will commence inter-island
Hawai`i cruising this Sunday, July 4th,” Veitch continued.
Pride of America was originally scheduled for
delivery at the end of April 2004 but work was halted after
an accident in the yard in January during which the ship took
on water in a storm and sank up to deck three. The yard subsequently
filed for receivership as a result of the accident and has
been operating under the protection of a receiver since then.
Since January, the ship has been raised and
salvage work on the damaged areas has been completed. Extensive
discussions among NCL, Lloyd Werft, the underwriting syndicate
that insured the casualty, NCL’s banks and Lloyd Werft’s
banks have resulted in a detailed repair specification and
a new work plan for completion of the vessel.
The repairs will be extensive and will be fully
covered by the settlement reached with the insurers. The completion
works represent a continuation of the contractual arrangements
already in place between NCL and Lloyd Werft. NCL will fund
the completion works as they are carried out and the total
cost of the ship to NCL once delivered will not be materially
different than if the January incident had not occurred.
Pride of America’s inaugural deployment
and regular seven-day inter-island Hawai`i schedule will be
announced next week and go on sale shortly thereafter.
On July 4th, NCL America will christen Pride
of Aloha, the first modern U.S.-flag cruise ship in almost
50 years. That day, the ship will begin sailing seven-day,
round-trip Hawai’i itineraries, visiting all four main
islands and giving passengers up to 96 hours in port. Ports
of call include: Honolulu, O`ahu; an overnight in Nawiliwili,
Kaua`i; Hilo, Hawai`i; Kona, Hawai`i; and an overnight in
Kahului, Maui.
For further information on NCL or NCL America, contact a
travel agent or NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 327-7030;
visit NCL’s web site at www.ncl.com;
or on AOL at keyword: NCL; or to download high resolution
photography visit www.ncl.com/hires.
# # #
Return
to News Index |
