Holiday News

F3 under way as keel is laid
April 28, 2008 - The keel has now been laid for the first of NCL's F3 ships, marking the third generation and the next evolution of the company's innovative Freestyle Cruising ships.
During a ceremony at Aker Yards in St Nazaire, France, the first block of the keel, number 5006, a double bottom block weighing 322 tons, was put into place marking the start of the overall construction of the ship.
The ceremony was attended by executives from NCL, Star Cruises, Apollo Management, and Aker Yards. Upholding maritime tradition, each attendee was invited to put a specially designed coin into a tube which was then welded shut and placed in the keel for good luck.
More about the new F3 ships

Star finalises $1bn NCL deal with Apollo
January 11, 2008 - Star Cruises has formally completed the $1 billion investment deal with Apollo Management in Norwegian Cruise Line and NCL America. The deal gives Apollo a 50 per cent stake in NCL, with Star Cruises retaining its 50 per cent interest
Star Cruises chairman Tan Sri K T Lim said: "We are extremely proud of what we have achieved to date with NCL, but we are even more optimistic about what the future holds for the company now that Apollo has joined us."
NCL president Colin Veitch added: "NCL is now in the strongest financial condition we have ever enjoyed in our 41-year history. With both Star Cruises and Apollo as dedicated and supportive shareholders, and with a fleet that has just become the youngest in the industry, we will take our vision of innovation to new and exciting levels."

Gem sparkles and then sets sail
October 6, 2007 - Norwegian Gem is up and running on her first cruise after inaugural celebrations in Dover in which she well and truly sparkled. 
The fourth and final ship in NCL's Jewel-class series had berthed at 3 o'clock Friday morning after a short hop from Rotterdam ahead of her opening two-day taster to Amsterdam.
After a series of seven day Western Mediterranean itineraries, the ship will make her US debut in Boston on December 12 followed by a christening ceremony in New York City on December 18.   
Norwegian Gem will spend spring 2008 on seven day Bahamas and Florida itineraries and on 10 and 11-day Exotic Southern Caribbean itineraries out of New York. She'll then summer in Europe on seven-day Western Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona.
The ship will also offer a 15-day transatlantic sailing in April 2008 and a 13-day transatlantic sailing in November 2008.

38 new ports worldwide in 2008-09
August 21, 2007 - Norwegian Cruise Line will have its largest ever deployment of ships in Europe in 2008.
It will have three ships in the region in 2008, including Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Jewel sailing from Southampton and Dover.
Two-night mini-cruises from Southampton to Le Harve and Zeebrugge for Bruges and Dover to Amsterdam lead-in at £199 per person.
More about NCL in 2008 and 2009

... and next NCL ship is under way
October 5, 2007 - The steel cutting for the first of NCL's third generation of new Freestyle Cruising ships, project name "F3", took place this week at Aker Yards in Saint Nazaire, France. NCL executive vice president Andy Stuart was on hand to push the button that began the historic steel cutting.
Said Stephen Park, general manager NCL UK: "Our new generation of ships will further signify NCL's progressive dismantling of the structure, regimentation and constraints of the traditional cruise experience."
The F3 ships are the next phase in NCL's unique Freestyle Cruising, which offers holidaymakers a less structured, more relaxed, more resort-style experience than traditional cruising and is characterised by no fixed dining times, no formal dress codes and up to 12 different restaurants and dining rooms.
The 150,000-ton ships will each total 4,200 passenger berths, representing the largest ships in NCL's fleet. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in January 2010.

NCL drops third F3 option
September 12, 2007 - Aker Shipyards today disclosed that it would not be building a third F3 ship for Norwegian Cruise Line. The option was part of a firm order in September last year for two 150,000-ton giants, each with 4,200 lower berths.
The two firm vessels are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2009 and the second quarter of 2010. The contract price for each of the first two ships is about £500 million, and the option had been priced at about £480 million.
The F3 series represents a next-generation design for the owner with a cabin mix described as the richest of any NCL ship to date, with all outside staterooms sporting balconies.