NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE MOVES NORWEGIAN WIND TO WEEKEND ROTATION
AND ADDS WRANGELL AS A PORT OF CALL FOR 2003 ALASKA SEASON
NCL now the leading Inside Passage cruise
line
MIAMI, July 26, 2002 - Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today
announced it has moved Norwegian Wind to a seven-day rotation
on Sundays for the 2003 Alaska season instead of Mondays as
previously scheduled. NCL also picks up Wrangell, Alaska as
an exclusive port of call.
With three ships sailing round-trip from both Seattle and
Vancouver, NCL will carry more Inside Passage cruisers than
any other cruise line. In addition, NCL will be the only line
exclusively using purpose-built cruise terminals in the heart
of both Seattle and Vancouver. Bell Street Pier, Seattle and
Canada Place, Vancouver are both built specifically for cruise
passengers and will offer NCL's guests the best boarding and
disembarkation facilities available for Alaska cruising.
Encompassing 11 acres of waterfront plazas and restaurants,
the Bell Street Pier is within walking distance of the Seattle
Art Museum, the Seattle Aquarium, the Bell Harbor Piazza,
a pleasure craft marina, an interactive maritime discovery
center, the Pike Place Market, several major hotels and the
city's waterfront trolley. Canada Place is the Port of Vancouver's
premier cruise facility located in the city center, near excellent
hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment. Canada Place features
a distinctive white sail design, five-star hotel and the Vancouver
convention and Exhibition Centre.
"We are focusing the growing NCL fleet on our popular
Homeland Cruising program," said Colin Veitch, president
and CEO of NCL. "We opened up Seattle as a cruise port
in 2000 and now we will have a second ship there. We are also
very pleased, after many years of trying to secure a slot,
to be able to offer a weekend ship from Vancouver too. Passengers
prefer weekend departures and it is a big plus to be able
to offer them three ships to choose from to sail the beautiful
waters of the Inside Passage."
Norwegian Sky and the brand new Norwegian Sun will depart
from Seattle on Saturdays and Sundays respectively and Norwegian
Wind will now depart from Vancouver every Sunday.
"NCL has long been an industry leader in itinerary development
too," Veitch said, "and that tradition continues
now with the addition of Wrangell, Alaska, to Norwegian Wind's
itinerary. This will be the only Inside Passage cruise itinerary
featuring four Alaskan port calls rather than the traditional
three."
The stop at Wrangell will include several tours and excursions
to offer passengers the best opportunity to experience this
new destination, including a trek to Petroglyph Beach, featuring
the largest concentration of rock art in Southeast Alaska
thought to be more than 8,000 years old; Rainbow Falls, a
100 foot waterfall surrounded by a lush rainforest; a flight
to Shakes Glacier and Shakes Lake, with more than 50 waterfalls
and 3,000 foot cliffs; the only USGA rated golf course in
Southeast Alaska; and a ride through the 160-mile Stikine
River inside a heated, enclosed jet boat.
Beginning May 18, 2003, Norwegian Wind will offer seven-day
sailings departing roundtrip from Vancouver on Sundays calling
at Ketchikan, Juneau, Sawyer Glacier, Skagway and Wrangell.
| Day |
Port |
Arrive |
Depart |
| Sun. |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
- - |
5:30pm |
| Mon. |
Cruise Inside Passage |
- - |
- - |
| Tue. |
Ketchikan, Alaska |
6:00am |
1:00pm |
| Wed. |
Juneau, Alaska |
7:00am |
1:30pm |
| |
Cruise Sawyer Glacier |
- - |
- - |
| Thu. |
Skagway, Alaska |
7:00am |
5:00pm |
| Fri. |
Wrangell, Alaska |
10:00am |
3:30pm |
| Sat. |
Cruise Inside Passage |
- - |
- - |
| Sun. |
Vancouver, BC |
7:00am* |
- - |
|
*
Disembarkation usually begins two hours after docking. |
Beginning May 11, 2003, Norwegian Sun will offer seven-day
sailings departing roundtrip from Seattle on Sundays and calling
at Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay (or Sawyer Glacier), Ketchikan
and Victoria, British Columbia.
Norwegian Sky joins Norwegian Sun on May 17, 2003, with seven-day
Alaska itineraries from Seattle on Saturdays including calls
at Juneau, Skagway, Sawyer Glacier, Ketchikan and Victoria,
British Columbia.
Miami based Norwegian Cruise Line is an international cruise
company and industry innovator that operates a fleet of nine
ships sailing to more than 140 ports around the world. NCL
is currently building Norwegian Dawn (for delivery December
2002), a 2,240-passenger sister ship to Norwegian Star.
For further information on NCL, contact a travel agent or
NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 327-7030; in Miami-Dade
County, Fla., (305) 436-0866; 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.
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