Norwegian Cruise Line: Shaping the Cruise Industry

The third largest cruise operator in the world has a history of being first, and roots from one of the biggest shipping companies in Scandinavia.

In the future, NCL is committed to continue to raise the bar for the cruise industry in terms of innovation.

Copenhagen (June 10, 2020) – For more than 50 years, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has been known for its innovative approach to cruising. Back in 1966, the cruise line was founded as Norwegian Caribbean Lines AS by Ted Arison and Norwegian Knut Kloster with the ferry M/S Sunward, which operated for one short season between Southampton in UK and Gibraltar. Soon after, Arison left the company while Kloster expanded the business with additional ships, growing the company into what would be known as the world’s third largest cruise line company.

Shaping the cruise vacation as we know it today with Norwegian innovation
The Norwegian shipping magnate came from a family of Norway’s oldest and most respected shipping companies, and thus his innovative approach came from several years of living and breathing cruise and shipping traditions. Kloster repositioned M/S Sunward to the then obscure Port of Miami offering weekly voyages to the Caribbean. In December 1966, the cruise industry was changed forever with the maiden voyage that introduced a new way for Americans and later the world would view holidays at sea. M/S Sunward carried 550 passengers in a new type of vacation experience. No longer simply a means of transportation, the ship became a destination, offering guests an exciting, affordable alternative to land-based resorts.

Echoing Norwegian Cruise Line’s innovative DNA
In May 2000 Norwegian Cruise Line became the first major cruise line company to introduce a then never seen before flexible way of cruising for the passengers. A cruising concept soon to be adapted by other cruise companies around the world. Celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year, when NCL launched Freestyle Cruising, a revolutionary product offering saw the light of day. Providing guests freedom and flexibility in a cruise vacation for a more relaxed, resort-style vacation experience versus traditional cruising. Since then travelers are free to choose when, where, and with whom to dine. In short: no timetable or agenda to follow but your own.

At sea first movers
However, the Freestyle cruising concept is far from the only initiative, NCL have been first to accommodate. In terms of destinations and deployment, NCL were the first with ships to Seattle, Washington as part of Alaskan cruising (2001). In 2003 they became the first modern-day cruise line to offer year-round cruising from New York, and to this day NCL is the first and only cruise line to operate a US-flagged oceangoing cruise ship for inter-island sailings in Hawaii. Latest, in 2018 Norwegian Bliss was the largest cruise ship to cross the Panama Canal.

The best is yet to come
Ever since the success of the invention of freestyle cruising, all new ships introduced to the NCL fleet have been designed and build to fit the new more individual and flexible way of cruising. Most recently, the latest ship added to the fleet was Norwegian Encore in fall of 2019, and soon a brand new class of ship will see the light of day, when Norwegian Cruise Line launches the Leonardo Class with two new ships scheduled for 2026 and 2027. Until then, have a look here to see some of the recently announced NCL 2021-2023 itineraries including new port of destinations such as South Africa, Greenland and Antarctica.