MIAMI -- The Norway, Norwegian Cruise Line's damaged ocean liner,
will not sail again until spring 2004 -- at the earliest.
The ship, which suffered a boiler explosion in May, had been
slated to return Oct. 5, but that timetable was too ambitious for
any boiler manufacturer to meet, NCL said in a statement.
All passengers booked and deposited on the Norway will receive a
full refund and a $50 onboard credit per person to switch to other
NCL ships if they rebook by Sept. 30.
Passengers eager to sail on the Norway should hold off, at least
for now: NCL will take the ship off sale, saying "it would not be
fair or appropriate to announce a further launch date."
The ship will lay up at the Lloyd Werft repair yard in
Bremerhaven, Germany, until a final decision has been made on which
yard will win the repair contract.