MIAMI -- Norwegian Cruise Line said it will keep the SuperStar Leo
in its fleet permanently, rename the vessel the Norwegian Spirit
and operate it in the Alaska and Caribbean markets.
Sister line Star Cruises will take NCL's 15-year-old Norwegian
Sea as part of the deal.
And, in other developments, NCL CEO Colin Veitch said at the
Seatrade Cruise Shipping Conference here that the Norway will not
return to the NCL fleet.
The ocean liner, which was severely damaged in a boiler
explosion in May and has been berthed at the Lloyd Werft yard in
Germany, could go Asia or be sold for use as a floating hotel.
The Superstar-Norwegian swap is part of Star's previously
announced plan to add new tonnage to NCL and send NCL's mid-size,
middle-age ships to the Star fleet in Asia, Veitch said.
"We're accelerating [the plan] slightly," he said.
With the introduction of the Leo, the exodus of the Sea and the
upcoming entry of the Pride of America and two new ships from the
Meyer Werft yard in Germany, NCL will have seven new ships.
NCL's goal is to divest itself by 2010 of all the tonnage --
with the exception of the Norwegian Sky, which will sail as the
Pride of Aloha in Hawaii -- it owned prior to the Star
takeover.
Regarding deployment, Veitch said the Pride of Aloha won't
switch back to its original schedule of three- and four-day Hawaii
cruises when the Pride of America makes its delayed debut in 2005.
Both vessels will offer seven-day Hawaii sailings.
To contact reporter Rebecca Tobin, send e-mail to [email protected].