In 1966 the venture that would become Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) was founded by two cruise legends – Knut Kloster and Ted Arison. Trading as Norwegian Caribbean Line, their first ship was the Sunward, a 8,666-ton car ferry. In 1966 this operated as a car-ferry between Southampton and Gibraltar. Although Ted Arison left in 1972 to form Carnival Cruise Lines, the company thrived under Kloster, the son of a Norwegian shipping magnate.
Sunward
Utter Bliss!
In 2018 we saw just how far NCL has come since those early days. PackThePJs attended the inaugural cruise of Norwegian Bliss, which is the pinnacle of NCL’s achievement (to date). We’ve written SO MUCH about Bliss on this page – everything from the ship’s many highlights, accommodation options, kids clubs (Guppies, Splash Academy, Entourage), the famous karting track, food/restaurants, cafes, and the spa. The ship was so photogenic we took over 700 photos!
Norwegian Bliss
An Exciting Announcement
PackThePJs are official ‘social media ambassadors’ for NCL’s next amazing ship, Norwegian Encore. As one of just three ambassadors chosen, we will witness all the key stages in the build of this fourth ship in the Breakaway Plus class, all the way up to her joining the NCL fleet in the Autumn of 2019. We are incredibly excited with this amazing opportunity, which kicks off with the Keel Laying Ceremony, at the shipyard in Germany, next month. Watch this space for our posts 🙂
“Where our fellow family blogger friends cover pregnancy from conception all the way to birth and beyond – we’re about to do the same, but the baby is a huge cruise ship. How cool is that!
Cheers!
Pioneers
In 1979 NCL acquired the ocean liner SS France and undertook an extensive rebuild – converting her from a liner into the world’s first dedicated cruise ship at sea. Renaming her SSÂ Norway, the conversion cost more than $100 million. The redesign allocated huge spaces for a new variety of onboard entertainment. The move towards luxury and passenger entertainment saw the introduction of new luxury staterooms, two-deck movie theatres and casinos.
SS Norway
This was a watershed, not just for NCL but the whole cruise industry, paving the way for a new era of giant cruise ships. NCL recently discovered an old advert, which still applies today 🙂
Lots of ‘Firsts’
NCL reached an agreement with the Cuban government for port access in December 2016. The following May, Norwegian Sky became the first NCL vessel to ever visit Cuba. Norwegian Sky makes weekly trips from Miami to Havana, Cuba. This is the only ship sailing the route on a weekly basis.
More NCL ‘Industry Firsts’ of Note …
NCL was the cruise line to offer ‘fly cruises’ combining low cost air fares with cruising. They were the first to develop new ports in the Caribbean, such as Ocho Rios in Jamaica. In a salute to the past, a more recent accomplishment for NCL is the premium all-inclusive program. This provides tips, drinks and other services in the price of the cruise. Norwegian has been very influential over the years. Indeed they are responsible for many of the cruise innovations that have now become standard throughout the industry. On Norwegian Bliss we were particularly impressed by the fantastic single-traveller cabins and lounge … and of course the first ever two-deck go-kart track at sea!
The Sunny State of NCL’s Future
NCL has always been a go-getting and innovative company. This is shown by their expansion into every viable cruise market across the globe. They are developers, nurturers and initiators. In May 2017, NCL announced the construction of a new Port Miami Terminal in the Sunshine State of Florida.
This is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019, with a proposed opening day coinciding with the arrival of Norwegian Encore! How amazing will that double-celebration be! Encore will be the first ship to use the new terminal – the synchronisation of these two big construction projects is therefore crucial. From the end of 2019 Norwegian Encore will sail the Caribbean from her homeport in Miami.
Norwegian Encore
Between 2022 and 2027 Fincantieri will deliver six new Leonardo class ships. This will provide Norwegian Cruise Line with an agile, luxurious and technologically advanced fleet to face the future cruise market.
How amazing! And it sounds very exciting, I look forward to your posts.
Thank you x I’m looking forward to writing them 🙂
I must admit I’m not a big fan of cruises, but this looks amazing. Maybe I should change my mind about them especially since they look so much fun 🙂
I understand – I really do … but I’ve converted so many ‘non-cruise fans’ recently, it really is a holiday option for everyone.
What an amazing opportunity for you and your family. I will certainly look forward to reading your posts and watching your new baby grow.
Thank you. Of course, it’s all a little premature – until the keel laying in November the baby won’t have been conceived .. so it’s all speculative!
Congratulations on being chosen as an ambassador and can not wait to read all about this beautiful baby (lol), definitely an opportunity of a life time.
I couldn’t stop myself from doing the ‘birthing’ comparison!
Wow how amazing, congratulations on getting chosen as ambassadors ! How exciting is it that they’ve been allowed to cruise to Cuba , definitely ahead of their competitors there. Love the whales on the front of the ship, you’re right – it is awfully photogenic!
Thank you x Cuba is a country I’ve always wanted to go to – it’s brilliant that you can finally take a cruise ship there.
How exciting you have been chosen as an ambassador – sounds like there have been lots of exciting developments with lots more to come!
It is really exciting (we’ve been writing about family cruises for over 10 years, so it’s nice to be rewarded like this!) It’s going to be a fun year, that’s for sure.
What a brilliant opportunity for you. We have never been on a cruise before, my partner really wants to go on a one though and has been trying to get me to go on one for our family honeymoon next year. I will have to keep an eye out for the ambassador posts to see what it is like x
Thank you! We’re really looking forward to it all. If you are considering a cruise – don’t leave it too late to look and book – I know people who have booked cruises for 2021 already!
My friend sailed with NCL in the summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of them. We hope to book a Norway / Iceland cruise in the next 12 months
They are a fabulous cruise line. We’re hoping to get away too during one of the school holidays – NCL are all over the world, so it’s difficult to choose!
What a colorful and lovely design on the new cruise. I’m sure the 700 photos you took did not disappoint. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
It is definitely bright! When I first saw it I thought of Barcelona (I believe this is what you are meant to think!) Thank you x
WOW what a beautiful ship and amazing opportunity to become ambassadors! I have never been on a cruise but would love to one day and this one sounds perfect for the whole family!
NCL are a very family-focused cruise company – in fact they cater to everyone. We’re really excited to be social media ambassadors!