Norwegian Cruise Line has named its 150,000-ton, 4,200-passenger F3 ship Norwegian Epic. It will enter service in summer 2010, following a series of inaugural events in Europe and the U.S., and will operate alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami year-round. Andy Stuart, executive vice president of global sales and passenger services, announced the name and itineraries during an NCL webinar with some 2,000 travel agents. Norwegian Epic’s cruises are scheduled to go on sale to the public later this spring. The Epic’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary will visit St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Nassau. The Western Caribbean itinerary stops in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán Island, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Norwegian Epic will feature new features and amenities, including “New Wave” staterooms with curved walls. All outside accommodations will have balconies. The ship will have five nightlife venues designed to feel more like nightclubs in Las Vegas, Ibiza, and South Beach. The five venues include an ice bar; POSH Beach Club, which will have an adults-only setting at the top of the ship; Halo, the Über Bar, a private bar and lounge in the villa complex; Bliss Ultra Lounge, an all-day entertainment and nightclub complex with four-lane bowling alley; and Spice H20, an adults-only aft pool deck experience. For more information on Norwegian Epic, visit www.epic.ncl.com

Hurry, this Freestyle Resolution Sales Event ends February 1^st.

Today we just annouced our 2^nd Wave of Savings with a Limited Time-Reduced Deposit offer.

You can enjoy 50% off standard deposit for 1 Week only from JAN 10-17,2009

• Cruise deposits for 6-9 days are $125 per person 
• 10 days or more are $200 per person

In addition, you will enjoy the onboard credits NCL is providing based on cabin category booked.

These values will not last long and the best thing is to pick up the phone and book the getaway now!

“With berthing space becoming increasingly scarce and our recent extension of Norwegian Sky’s deployment in Miami year-round, we are pleased to have reached this agreement with the Port of Miami to guarantee NCL access to some of the last remaining large ship berths,” said Kevin Sheehan, NCL’s president and CEO. “The Port of Miami has been a long-term partner of ours and we see the Port as a vital part of our future.”
“The Port of Miami and NCL have had a long business relationship,” said Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson. “NCL began operations from the Port of Miami 42 years ago when the Sunward became the industry’s first ship to offer weekly passenger departures from Miami to the Caribbean. We are very pleased with the new berthing agreement with NCL, as this agreement provides a total minimum guaranteed revenue stream of more than $98 million throughout the 10- year initial term. We are extremely proud of this accomplishment and look forward to a continued partnership with NCL.”
The agreement takes effect immediately and renovations to Terminals B and C are expected to continue throughout the next 12-18 months.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) said it has reached an agreement with STX France Cruise SA, STX Europe’s French shipyard, to move forward with the construction of the F3 cruise ship project. NCL and STX Europe have agreed to revise the original F3 order and build only one F3 ship instead of two. STX France Cruise is currently building one F3 at 150,000 gross registered tons with a total of 4,200 passenger berths, representing the largest ship in NCL’s fleet. NCL said this will mean a continuation of the original hull, which is currently in the early phases of construction, with delivery set for late May 2010, as originally scheduled. The planned second vessel, currently only in the preparatory stages, will not be built. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“With this agreement, we can all focus on completing the new vessel successfully,” said Kevin Sheehan, NCL’s president and CEO. “We are looking forward to the arrival of our much-anticipated F3 ship as it represents a major step forward for NCL in terms of ship size, design and innovation.” Added Jacques Hardelay, president of STX France Cruise SA: We are pleased that the ongoing construction of the ship for NCL will continue. We, along with our subcontractors, will now make the necessary adjustments to our plans for this project.”

Press reports earlier this year had sugggested NCL was having difficulties financing the F3 project and that the shipyard had been trying to find other buyers for the existing F3 hull. NCL has never commented publicly on financing issues or the status of the F3 project until today. To date, information has only been revealed regarding F3’s staterooms and nightlife. NCL plans to unveil the full F3 plan in the near future.

“The ‘Welcome On Board Booklet’ is a pre-cruise kit that passengers will receive with a detailed list of what options and amenities to expect while on board the ship,” Stuart said.

The booklet, which is under development, will be mailed as a hard copy to either the travel partner or to the guest – with the travel partner’s permission – 60 to 14 days prior to a sailing. The packet will include such details as a list of available shore excursions appropriate to the itinerary, dining options, onboard programs and a lots of information about the ship.

NCL introduced an enhanced its online guest registration system. “It’s quite exciting with a number of new options for a seamless process to check in.”

In response to the current continued decline of fuel prices, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) announced today that it is suspending the company’s fuel supplement effective immediately for all voyages departing in 2009.Yesterday, Carnival Corp. & plc announced that it will suspend fuel supplements for its six North American brands effective for all voyages departing on or after Dec. 17.

NCL will refund the fuel supplement in the form of an on-board credit for all 2009 bookings within the final payment period. All existing 2009 bookings outside of the final payment period will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and NCL will revise the final payment amount.

NCL said that it will continue to closely monitor global fuel prices to assess whether a reinstatement of the fuel supplement will be necessary in the future. The company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $65 per barrel.

FST: ST36334 · CST: 2034468-40 · NST: 2003-0221 · IC FST: ST36826