Some cruise traces — Viking, for example — have fleets the place lots of the ships have the identical primary design. Norwegian Cruise Line will not be certainly one of them.
When you’re considering of reserving a Norwegian cruise, an necessary factor to know is that there’s a extensive variation within the measurement and elegance of the vessels within the line’s fleet.
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4 of Norwegian’s 19 ships — Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Pleasure and Norwegian Encore — are among the many 30 largest ships on the planet. As such, they’re loaded with enormous numbers of cabins, eating places, bars, showrooms and deck-top amusements.
They’re, in a nutshell, floating megaresorts.
The road additionally operates smaller vessels that hardly crack the highest 100 listing of largest cruise ships. These ships typically have fewer venues and sights than the larger ships. Nevertheless, they nonetheless supply so much for cruisers. Norwegian is a line identified for packing oodles of eating places, bars and leisure on its vessels — even its smaller ones.
The excellent news for these of you attempting to get a deal with on all of the choices throughout the Norwegian fleet is that the road’s 19 ships could be bunched into simply eight teams of vessels with comparable facilities. If you understand one member of the group, you understand all of them.
Every of those teams — generally known as “courses” in cruise business lingo — is made up of ships that had been constructed across the identical time in the identical primary design.
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An introduction to Norwegian Cruise Line ships
Certainly, Norwegian is basically two cruise traces in a single. The road’s 9 latest ships are massive, bustling floating megaresorts that may carry upward of three,000 to 4,000 passengers at double occupancy (much more with each berth stuffed). At round 144,000 to just about 170,000 tons, all 9 presently rank among the many 50 largest cruise ships on the planet (though their rankings will shift downward as extra massive ships debut).
Norwegian’s 10 older ships, against this, are rather more modest in measurement, measuring round 75,000 to 94,000 tons and carrying nearer to 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.
Norwegian thus appeals each to cruisers who like a large resort vibe and those that choose a resort expertise that’s extra modest. The important thing, relying in your tastes, is getting on the best ship within the fleet for you.
On the big-ship finish of the spectrum, Norwegian’s 4 new Breakaway Plus vessels — Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Pleasure and Norwegian Escape — are the road’s premier choices.
One step down in measurement from the Breakaway Plus ships are the still-quite-large Breakaway-class ships — Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway — and the one-of-a-kind Norwegian Epic.
The smallest of the road’s massive ships are the just lately unveiled Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima. They’re the primary two of a brand new sequence of six vessels that can rework the model. Measuring about 143,500 tons a chunk, these two new ships are about 17% smaller than Norwegian’s largest vessels.
Norwegian’s 10 smaller vessels break down into 5 courses, although many are roughly the identical measurement and supply comparable facilities.
Prima class
Ships in school: Norwegian Prima (2022), Norwegian Viva (2023).
Dimension: 143,535 tons.
The Prima class of ships is the newest and best at Norwegian Cruise Line — the vessels that each NCL fan desires to guide.
Solely two ships within the sequence (Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima) are presently in operation. 4 extra sister vessels are on order for supply by 2027.
Beneath growth since 2017, these ships mark Norwegian’s first new class of vessel in additional than a decade. At 143,535 tons, they’re notably smaller than the ships the road has been including lately — an element that can give them entry to smaller ports around the globe.
That mentioned, Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Prima and their coming sisters nonetheless are comparatively massive ships that pack numerous over-the-top facilities. Each Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima have ridiculously massive go-kart tracks unfold over three decks (a cruise business first). The ships additionally boast The Drop, a 10-story dry slide that the road says supplies extra G-force than an accelerating System One race automobile.
Moreover, the vessels every are dwelling to a three-deck theater that converts right into a Las Vegas-style nightclub, together with a listing of interactive, real-life recreation exhibits, together with at-sea variations of “The Value Is Proper,” “Grocery store Sweep,” “Press Your Luck” and “Beat the Clock.”
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Nonetheless, the brand new Prima class is about greater than flashy leisure and actions. It marks a extra upscale flip for the road. Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima supply the most important number of suite classes (13) for a big ocean ship, the most important three-bedroom suites of any new cruise vessel and the model’s largest-ever inside, ocean-view and balcony cabins.
The whole again of every of the ships is devoted to an upscale, “ship-within-a-ship” non-public suite space known as The Haven that rises eight decks excessive and consists of 107 suites, a sprawling non-public indoor lounge space, non-public outside lounge and pool areas, and a personal restaurant. Different vessels function The Haven areas, however none as massive as this one.
As well as, the general public areas of Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima really feel extra spacious than lots of the different 17 ships within the Norwegian fleet. And, certainly, they’re. The Prima-class ships are being constructed with a better ratio of area to passengers, which itself is an upscale contact.
Norwegian Cruise Line additionally says the Prima-class vessels supply essentially the most outside deck area of any new cruise ship — together with extra complete pool deck area than some other ships within the model’s fleet.
Notice that the final 4 ships within the Prima-class sequence, as a result of debut between 2025 and 2027, are being redesigned to be greater than the primary two ships within the sequence.
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Breakaway Plus class
Ships in school: Norwegian Encore (2019), Norwegian Bliss (2018), Norwegian Pleasure (2017), Norwegian Escape (2015).
Dimension: 164,600 to 169,145 tons.
These are the Norwegian ships you go on in case you’re a fan of megaresorts.
Whereas not fairly as massive as Royal Caribbean’s big Oasis-class ships, Norwegian’s Breakaway Plus-class vessels are firmly within the pantheon of the world’s cruising giants. They’re the Norwegian ships most full of eating places, bars, leisure and over-the-top sights. There are such a lot of of these items that you just will not have the ability to do all of it in a single, weeklong cruise.
The Breakaway Plus ships are so massive, actually, that they’ve room for large go-kart tracks and laser tag areas on their prime decks (on the entire vessels within the sequence besides Norwegian Escape). There’s additionally loads of room to spare for a number of swimming pools, waterslides and a kiddie splash zone.
Every of the vessels additionally presents actual Broadway exhibits in massive, state-of-the-art theaters, sprawling spas, casinos that fill half a deck, devoted kids’s play zones, and greater than 2,000 rooms.
As well as, the 2 latest ships on this sequence, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Pleasure, have giant gaming and digital actuality zones known as the Galaxy Pavilion.
For meals, you will discover no less than 20 venues on every of those ships, together with a number of principal eating rooms and a buffet that include no additional cost and such extra-charge eateries as a teppanyaki restaurant, a steakhouse, a high-end French restaurant and a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Sea.
With a number of family-friendly sights such because the go-kart tracks and laser tag programs, these ships enchantment closely to households with kids, notably teenagers, however they draw numerous {couples}, too. They’re additionally common with solo vacationers, because of their unusually giant complexes of cabins for one (one thing you will discover on the Breakaway and Epic courses of ships, too).
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All 4 of the Breakaway Plus ships have giant, non-public, two-deck-high suite enclaves known as The Haven that include their very own pool areas, eating places and lounges. They’re a few of the most spectacular suite complexes anyplace at sea.
The largest of those ships, Norwegian Encore, measures 169,116 tons, making it the 18th-biggest cruise ship on the planet as of this story’s publishing (it’ll drop within the rankings over the approaching years as further megaships debut). That is greater than all however one Carnival ship and each Princess Cruises ship. Solely Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have a major variety of greater vessels.
Norwegian Encore can maintain greater than 5,000 passengers with all berths stuffed.
Breakaway class
Ships in school: Norwegian Getaway (2014), Norwegian Breakaway (2013).
Dimension: 145,655 tons.
These vessels are just like the Breakaway Plus-class ships however barely smaller. Or, put one other method, the Breakaway Plus-class ships are a stretched model of the Breakaway-class ships.
You will discover lots of the identical eateries, bars, lounges and leisure venues on the Breakaway-class ships that you will discover on the Breakaway Plus-class vessels. The marginally smaller measurement of those vessels means there’s only a tad much less “stuff” on board.
The highest decks of the Breakaway-class ships have two pool areas and water parks with waterslides, for example — identical to the Breakaway Plus-class ships. Nevertheless, they do not have go-kart tracks or laser tag programs. As an alternative of the latter sights, you will discover an adults-only pool space known as Spice H2O in the back of the vessels. At evening, it transforms right into a dance membership.
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The Breakaway-class ships additionally boast full-size ropes programs on their prime decks. Certainly, they had been the primary cruise ships ever to have such a function. Different deck-top options embrace miniature golf programs on each vessels and basketball courts that double as volleyball courts.
On the leisure entrance, each ships supply Broadway exhibits of their principal theaters and have a circuslike present in a secondary theater known as “Cirque Desires.” The latter is a dinner present that comes with an additional cost. They’re additionally dwelling to “Howl on the Moon” dueling piano exhibits and a model of the Latin-themed dance present “Burn the Ground.”
Just like the Breakaway Plus vessels, the Breakaway ships have giant complexes for solo vacationers, in addition to giant, non-public The Haven suite complexes.
Typically, as with the Breakaway Plus ships, these vessels are finest for vacationers who like a megaresort-type expertise, and so they enchantment closely to households with kids who love all their deck-top sights. Every of the 2 ships on this sequence — Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway — holds about 4,000 passengers at double occupancy.
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Epic class
Ships in school: Norwegian Epic (2010).
Dimension: 155,873 tons.
Norwegian Epic is an outlier within the Norwegian fleet. Unveiled in 2010, it was initially speculated to be the primary of a sequence of as much as three comparable vessels. Nevertheless, after disagreements with the shipyard that constructed it, Norwegian finally canceled an order for a second ship within the sequence and an possibility for a 3rd ship within the sequence, leaving Norwegian Epic in a category of 1.
Whereas roughly comparable in measurement to the Breakaway Plus- and Breakaway-class ships (it’s kind of smaller than the previous vessels and a bit greater than the latter vessels), Norwegian Epic has a notably totally different design that features some distinctive options.
Maybe most notably, balcony cabins on the ship have an uncommon design that features curved partitions, rounded mattress corners, and a sink and vainness space that’s in the principle dwelling area (for all to see), separate from a closed-off rest room space. The bathroom space is behind a translucent door that some cruisers discover much less non-public than they’d hoped.
Norwegian Epic can also be dwelling to the one tube-and-bowl waterslide at sea and has such rare-for-cruise-ships sights as a rappelling wall and a three-lane bowling alley. It additionally options an ice bar the place clients put on parkas whereas sipping drinks.
Nonetheless, Norwegian Epic additionally presents so much that will likely be acquainted to Norwegian followers, together with lots of the line’s signature eating places, bars and leisure.
Standout options on Norwegian Epic embrace a water park with a few of the most over-the-top waterslides at sea (together with the aforementioned tube-and-bowl slide). It additionally presents a model of the Burn the Ground dance present that performed on Broadway and on the West Finish in London, in addition to a Howl on the Moon piano bar and a recreation of the Cavern Membership nightspot in Liverpool, England, the place The Beatles received their begin (full with a The Beatles cowl band).
As well as, Norwegian Epic has the road’s largest solo cabin advanced (with 128 rooms for one) and a large The Haven non-public suite advanced.
At 155,873 tons, Norwegian Epic presently ranks because the thirty fourth largest cruise vessel on the planet. Notably, it was the world’s third-largest ship when it debuted in 2010. That tells you simply how a lot the cruise business has grown lately.
Norwegian Epic carries 4,100 passengers at double occupancy.
Jewel class
Ships in school: Norwegian Gem (2007), Norwegian Jade (2006), Norwegian Pearl (2006), Norwegian Jewel (2005).
Dimension: About 93,500 tons.
Are you not sure if you wish to sail on a megaship with 4,000 or extra folks however nonetheless desire a vessel with a superb quantity of options and actions? The Jewel-class ships often is the good answer.
At 93,500 tons, the 4 vessels within the sequence are almost 50% smaller than the road’s Breakaway Plus-class ships however nonetheless sufficiently big that they’ve so much to supply.
Every of the vessels has greater than a dozen meals venues, together with three principal eating places, an off-the-cuff buffet, a steakhouse, a French restaurant and a teppanyaki eatery.
You will additionally discover a number of swimming pools on every of the ships, together with whirlpools, basketball courts and golf driving nets. Every of the ships additionally has a theater, spa, on line casino, and a number of bars and lounges.
What you will not discover on the ships, due to their smaller measurement, are all of the gee-whiz sights reminiscent of go-kart tracks, laser tag programs and enormous water-park areas that Norwegian has placed on its greater vessels. If you cannot stay with out these types of options on a cruise ship, then the Jewel class most likely is not for you.
Notice that Norwegian Gem does have a climbing wall and a single waterslide. Norwegian Pearl has a climbing wall however no waterslide. Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Jade have neither of the sights.
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Every of the Jewel-class ships holds round 2,400 passengers at double occupancy (plus a number of hundred extra with each berth stuffed). That is about 40% fewer passengers than you will discover on the largest Norwegian ships.
That makes them good for cruisers who wish to get away from the kind of crowds which are on the largest megaships with out giving up lots of the facilities that massive ships have to supply.
Satisfaction of America class
Ships in school: Satisfaction of America (2005).
Dimension: 80,439 tons.
Like Norwegian Epic, Satisfaction of America is an outlier within the Norwegian fleet. In actual fact, it is maybe a fair greater outlier than the previous vessel.
Sporting a patriotic U.S. theme (you will discover venues named after Thomas Jefferson and John Adams) and a definite array of lounges and leisure, it is a ship particularly designed to sail year-round in Hawaii — the one certainly one of its type at any line.
Satisfaction of America notably flies a U.S. flag and operates with a largely U.S. crew, in line with laws governing cruise itineraries that solely embrace U.S. ports. That is a giant distinction from some other massive cruise vessel on the planet.
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It is also the one Norwegian vessel and not using a on line casino, in line with native Hawaii laws.
When you sail on Satisfaction of America, you will discover such one-of-a-kind eateries because the traditional American car-themed Cadillac Diner. You will additionally discover a few of Norwegian’s signature choices, together with a Cagney’s steak home and Italian eatery La Cucina. The ship’s different onboard sights embrace a showroom, lounges, bars and a prime deck with in depth open-air pool and solar lounging areas.
Because of its possession of Satisfaction of America, Norwegian is the undisputed chief in Hawaii cruises. Most cruise traces that provide sailings to Hawaii solely supply a restricted variety of such journeys throughout a number of months every year. Norwegian, against this, presents sailings across the Hawaiian Islands each week of the yr — the one cruise line on the planet to take action.
An iconic presence in Hawaii, Satisfaction of America has been completely devoted to the archipelago since its debut in 2005. It presents a repeating seven-night itinerary that begins every Saturday in Honolulu and brings the possibility to go to 4 totally different Hawaiian islands on a single, seven-night journey.
Starting and ending on the island of Oahu, the itinerary consists of two days every on Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. The 2-day go to to Maui entails an in a single day keep on the port of Kahului. The 2-day go to to Kauai entails an in a single day keep on the port of Nawiliwili. The 2-day go to to Hawaii is break up between a name at Hilo and a name at Kona.
Daybreak class
Ships in school: Norwegian Daybreak (2002), Norwegian Star (2001).
Dimension: 92,250 and 91,740 tons.
The Daybreak-class ships are just like the Jewel-class ships in measurement and facilities, with a number of variations.
Like the previous vessels, the Daybreak-class ships have round a dozen food-serving venues, together with three principal eating places, an off-the-cuff buffet, a Brazilian churrascaria (barbecue) restaurant, a French restaurant and a teppanyaki eatery.
You will additionally discover a number of swimming pools on every of the ships, whirlpools, basketball courts and golf driving nets. Every of the ships additionally has a theater, spa, on line casino, and a number of bars and lounges.
Just like the Jewel-class ships, the Daybreak-class vessels lack the kind of massive sights reminiscent of go-kart tracks and enormous water parks discovered on greater Norwegian vessels. As well as, there are not any Broadway musicals on Daybreak-class ships, and so they haven’t got a personal The Haven suite space (although they do have a number of big suites known as Backyard Villas that measure greater than 6,000 sq. ft).
If you cannot stay with out these types of options on a cruise ship, then the Daybreak class most likely is not for you.
Solar class
Ships in school: Norwegian Solar (2001), Norwegian Sky (1999).
Dimension: 78,309 and 77,104 tons.
Courting to 2001 and 1999, respectively, Norwegian Solar and Norwegian Sky are among the many smallest ships at Norwegian. They provide fewer onboard sights and facilities than is typical for the road’s vessels.
Typically, they enchantment to cruisers on the lookout for a extra intimate expertise on a cruise ship than what you will discover on the massive Norwegian ships. In addition they draw cruisers who care extra concerning the locations that they go to on a cruise than onboard sights.
On every of the vessels, you will discover greater than half a dozen eateries, together with a number of principal eating rooms, an off-the-cuff buffet, a diner-style pub, a steakhouse, an Italian trattoria and a French bistro.
On their prime decks, the ships have swimming pools (one on Solar, two on Sky), whirlpools, a basketball courtroom that doubles as a volleyball courtroom, golf driving nets and a jogging observe. The ships even have casinos and theaters with nightly exhibits.
Not like most greater Norwegian ships, neither of the vessels has a personal The Haven suite advanced or solo cabins.
Leo class
Ships in school: Norwegian Spirit (1998).
Dimension: 75,904 tons.
Courting to 1998, Norwegian Spirit is Norwegian’s smallest and oldest ship, and — like the road’s Solar-class ships — it typically appeals to cruisers on the lookout for a extra intimate expertise than you will discover on the massive Norwegian ships.
At 75,904 tons, Norwegian Spirit is lower than half the scale of Norwegian’s largest ships, and it carries simply 1,966 passengers — greater than 2,000 fewer than the Norwegian biggies.
It additionally presents fewer (however nonetheless fairly a number of) venues and sights. In all, you will discover 13 meals retailers on board, together with two principal eating places, an off-the-cuff buffet eatery, and variations of the road’s signature Cagney’s steakhouse and French eatery Le Bistro. There are greater than half a dozen bars and cafes.
Deck-top sights embrace a number of swimming pools, whirlpools, waterslides, a basketball courtroom and a jogging observe. The ship additionally has a on line casino, spa, nightclub and theater.
Of observe, Norwegian Spirit initially was constructed for Asia-based Star Cruises (the place it was known as SuperStar Leo).
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