NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE INTRODUCES HOMELAND CRUISING PROGRAM FOR 2002

NCL Offers Regularly-Scheduled, Seven-Day, Round-Trip Voyages from More US and Canadian Ports Than Any Other Cruise Line

MIAMI, Dec. 11, 2001 - Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce a new Homeland Cruising program beginning January 2002, which offers passengers regularly-scheduled, seven-day, round-trip cruises from more ports in the United States and Canada than any other cruise line.

With the addition of the new Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Star, the coming of Norwegian Dawn, and the re-joining of the legendary S/S Norway, NCL's ships sail roundtrip from eight homeland ports including: Miami, Fla.; Seattle, Wash.; Vancouver, B.C., Canada; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y; and Honolulu, Oahu and Lahaina, Maui, HI.

Additionally, NCL will offer select one way cruises from Miami, Los Angeles and Montreal, bringing the total number of Homeland Ports to 10.

"Current travel trends indicate consumers are willing to travel but many want to remain closer to home," said Colin Veitch, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. "So we have deployed all but one of our ships out of US and Canadian ports throughout 2002. We want to provide as wide a range of choice as we can. And in these times when everyone is feeling the need to reinforce the bonds of family, we are pleased to have so many NCL ships close-to-home making it much easier for family groups to get together in an economical way."

Homeland Cruising options include:
Miami
Recently introduced in September 2001, NCL's new Norwegian Sun offers seven-day Exotic Western Caribbean cruises from Miami every Saturday through April 5, 2003, visiting George Town, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Bay Islands; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Through Jan. 26, 2002, Norwegian Sky will cruise to the Eastern Caribbean round-trip from Miami, followed by a rotation of alternating, seven-day Eastern/Western Caribbean cruises through April 6, 2002. Eastern Caribbean itineraries include visits to Nassau, Bahamas; St. Thomas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and NCL's private Bahamian island, Great Stirrup Cay. The Western Caribbean cruises stop in Cozumel; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Jamaica; and Great Stirrup Cay.

Norwegian Dawn, currently being built, will be launched in December 2002. Norwegian Dawn will begin her tenure with NCL on Dec. 14, 2002, on alternating round-trip, seven-day, Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami though April 26, 2003.

Norwegian Sea offers alternating 3-day cruises that visit Nassau, Bahamas and Great Stirrup Cay and 4-day cruises that call at Key West and Cozumel through April 15, 2002. From November 16, 2002 through April 14, 2003, the Sea is scheduled to operate a series of 4/5/5 Western Caribbean with Belize/Western Caribbean with Grand Cayman, and Bahamas cruises.

The Norwegian Majesty will begin alternating 3-day and 4-day Bahamas and Mexico cruises from November 11, 2002 through April 21, 2003.

The much-loved S/S Norway has returned to service through April 2003 and is deployed in the Caribbean offering her traditional seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary from Miami. Ports of call include St. Thomas, St. John's, St. Maarten and Great Stirrup Cay.

Norwegian Sky will offer a 5-night repositioning cruise from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Oct. 29, 2002. Ports of call include St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

San Juan
Through April 7, 2002, Norwegian Majesty offers alternating, seven-day Deep/Exotic Southern Caribbean sailings round-trip from San Juan. The Exotic Southern itinerary includes stops in Martinique, Antigua, St. Maarten, British Virgin Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands. Alternatively, the Deep Southern cruise calls on St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica and St. Kitts, in addition to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Norwegian Sky will operate Deep/Exotic Southern Caribbean itineraries throughout the winter from San Juan beginning Nov. 3, 2002 through April 20, 2003. Deep Southern Caribbean ports of call include St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Thomas. Exotic Southern Caribbean ports of call include Martinique, Antigua, St. Maarten, Tortola (BVI) and St. Thomas. Seattle

Norwegian Sky will resume its Alaska service from April 28 through Sept. 29, 2002, offering alternating seven-day Glacier Bay/Sawyer Glacier cruises. Either itinerary calls on Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Ketchikan, Alaska, and Victoria, B.C., Canada.

Honolulu and Lahaina
NCL's newest member of the fleet, Norwegian Star is offering weekly seven-day, year-round itineraries round-trip from Honolulu, Oahu and Lahaina, Maui. Norwegian Star's itineraries include visits to the four main Hawaiian Islands: Oahu (Honolulu), The Big Island of Hawaii (Kona and/or Hilo), Maui (Lahaina), and Kauai (Nawiliwili) including a stop at Fanning Island, NCL's Pacific hideaway -- a remote island in the Republic of Kiribati. Norwegian Star has the distinction of being the only ship offering year-round weekly cruises in the Hawaii market.

Norwegian Wind will begin its extended season of 10- and 11-night round-trip cruises from Honolulu on Sept. 27, 2002 through April 21, 2003.

Seattle
Norwegian Sky will resume its Alaska service from April 28 through Sept. 29, 2002, offering alternating seven-day Glacier Bay/Sawyer Glacier cruises. Both itineraries call on Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Ketchikan, Alaska, and Victoria, B.C., Canada.

Vancouver
Norwegian Wind resumes her popular seven-day Alaska cruises from Vancouver for the summer season from April 29 through Sept. 16, 2002, offering alternating, seven-day Glacier Bay or Sawyer Glacier cruises. Both itineraries call on Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Ketchikan, Alaska. Additionally, Norwegian Wind will offer a Repositioning Cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii on Sept. 16, 2002. Ports of call include Hilo, Lahaina (Maui), Kona, Nawiliwili (Kauai) and Honolulu.

Norwegian Sky will offer a three-day Pacific Coastal cruise on Sept. 29, 2002 from Vancouver to Los Angeles.

Boston
Beginning April 28, 2002, Norwegian Majesty will resume its series of round-trip seven-day cruises from Boston to St. George's, Bermuda, through October 27, 2002.

Los Angeles
Norwegian Sky will offer a repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal from Los Angeles to Miami on Oct. 2, 2002. Ports of call include Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica and Cartagena Colombia.

New York
Every Sunday, beginning April 28, 2002, Norwegian Sea will offer five, seven-day, round-trip cruises to the Bahamas calling on Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. Beginning June 2 through Sept. 1, 2002, the ship will venture every Sunday round-trip from New York on seven, seven-day itineraries to New England, visiting Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston, Martha's Vineyard and Newport, R.I. Every other Sunday, Norwegian Sea will offer six additional seven-day, round-trip cruises to the Bahamas.

As of Sept. 1, 2002, Norwegian Sea cruises seven alternating itineraries from New York to Montreal visiting ports in New England and Canada, including Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax, and Quebec City.

NCL's comprehensive new Homeland Cruising brochure, available in January, will offer travel agents and cruisers one-stop shopping and information about NCL's close to home itineraries. For a copy of the brochure or more information on Homeland Cruising, please contact NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 327-7030.

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is an international cruise company and industry innovator that currently operates a fleet of eight ships sailing to 140 ports around the world. For more information 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.

###

Return to News Index