Norwegian Cruise Lines said that its parent
company, Star Cruises, is selling the Norwegian Crown to Fred.
Olsen Cruise Lines in August. The ship will become Olsens fifth
vessel in November 2007, after completing its current NCL schedule.
The 34,000-ton,
1,000-passenger Norwegian Crown is owned by Star Cruises and
operated by NCL. Once sold, it will be chartered back to Star so
that NCL can continue its current deployment. The ship will sail
seven-day Bermuda itineraries this summer and next and 14-day South
American cruises this winter.
Although a
beautiful and well-maintained vessel, Norwegian Crowns smaller size
is less suitable for Star Cruises ambitions in Asia, said Colin
Veitch, president and CEO of NCL Corp. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
specializes in operating smaller and mid-sized upscale vessels and
this ship should fit perfectly in their fleet.
NCL also said that
the Norwegian Wind will be transferred to Star Cruises, becoming
SuperStar Aquarius, based in Hong Kong, in April 2007. The ship
will be replaced by the larger Norwegian Sun on its Hawaii route.
The departure of the two ships coincides with the scheduled
deliveries of two new NCL ships, the Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian
Gem.
To contact the
reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Johanna Jainchill
at [email protected].