- Headquarters
- Miami, Florida
- Founded
- 1966
- Fleet
- 20 ships (2026)
- Loyalty
- Latitudes Rewards
Norwegian Cruise Line is the flexible one. Freestyle Cruising removed fixed dining seatings and formal nights in 2000 and the rest of the mainstream market has been catching up ever since. Twenty ships, an enormous speciality dining estate, and in The Haven the most established ship-within-a-ship product in the business.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian began in 1966 as Norwegian Caribbean Line, running the first purpose-built Caribbean cruise ship out of Miami. It is now the flagship brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, sitting below Oceania and Regent Seven Seas in the group's ladder.
The onboard model is built around choice rather than schedule. Ships carry between 15 and 29 dining venues, most bookable at will; entertainment runs to Broadway productions on the larger hulls; and there is no formal night anywhere in the fleet. The trade-off is that a Norwegian ship feels busier and more commercial than a Princess or Holland America one.
The Prima class marked a deliberate move upmarket — lower guest density, more outdoor deck space, a three-deck Ocean Boulevard promenade wrapping the hull, and a substantially better Haven complex. It is the clearest signal of where the brand is heading.
Fleet
10 published ship profiles — more coverage rolling out.
Launched 2022
Norwegian Prima
The lead Prima-class ship — Ocean Boulevard's sea-level promenade, the three-level Speedway go-kart track and a standalone Haven.
Launched 2023
Norwegian Viva
The second Prima-class ship — the same Ocean Boulevard architecture with a reworked pool deck and a Mediterranean summer season.
Launched 2025
Norwegian Aqua
The first stretched Prima Plus ship — ten per cent larger, with the Aqua Slidecoaster and an expanded Ocean Boulevard.
Launched 2026
Norwegian Luna
The newest ship in the Norwegian fleet — sister to Aqua, on year-round Caribbean deployment from Miami with the fleet's best Haven.
Launched 2019
Norwegian Encore
The last Breakaway Plus ship — the longest go-kart track at sea, a laser tag arena and the strongest Broadway programme in the fleet.
Launched 2018
Norwegian Bliss
Purpose-built for Alaska — an enclosed observation lounge across the bow, a go-kart track and a two-storey Aqua Park.
Launched 2017
Norwegian Joy
Built for China and rebuilt for the Americas — a go-kart track, the Concierge cabin tier and a strong West Coast deployment.
Launched 2015
Norwegian Escape
The first Breakaway Plus ship — the Waterfront promenade, a five-slide Aqua Park and the largest dining estate in the fleet.
Launched 2014
Norwegian Getaway
A Breakaway-class workhorse — the Waterfront boardwalk, the Illusionarium dinner theatre and year-round Gulf and European seasons.
Launched 2013
Norwegian Breakaway
The class lead ship and a New York institution — year-round Manhattan sailings, the Waterfront and a five-slide Aqua Park.
Ship Classes
Compare the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet at a glance — classes, ship highlights, and who each is best suited to.
Showing 3 of 3 classes
| Class | Introduced | Tonnage | Capacity | Ships | Highlight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prima Class | 2022 | 142,500 – 156,300 GT | 3,100 – 3,570 (double) | Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Aqua, Norwegian Luna | Norwegian's move upmarket — lower guest density, the wrap-around Ocean Boulevard promenade, and by far the best version of The Haven. | — |
| Breakaway Plus Class | 2015 | 164,600 – 169,100 GT | 3,900 – 4,000 (double) | Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Escape | Norwegian's largest and most feature-dense ships — go-kart tracks, laser tag, Broadway productions and up to 29 dining venues on a single hull. | — |
| Breakaway Class | 2013 | 144,000 – 146,600 GT | 3,960 – 4,000 (double) | Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway | The pair that introduced the outdoor Waterfront boardwalk to Norwegian — well-placed New York and Florida workhorses on year-round deployment. | — |
Ship class · 2022
Prima Class
Norwegian's move upmarket — lower guest density, the wrap-around Ocean Boulevard promenade, and by far the best version of The Haven.
View classShip class · 2015
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian's largest and most feature-dense ships — go-kart tracks, laser tag, Broadway productions and up to 29 dining venues on a single hull.
View classShip class · 2013
Breakaway Class
The pair that introduced the outdoor Waterfront boardwalk to Norwegian — well-placed New York and Florida workhorses on year-round deployment.
View classOnboard Experiences
Suite enclaves, fare tiers, and signature onboard products.
Loyalty Programme — Latitudes Rewards
Latitudes Rewards runs on points earned per night, with extra points for suites and Haven stays. Tiers run Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum Plus, Sapphire, Diamond and Ambassador.
The meaningful benefits start at Platinum: two speciality dinners for two, a laundry bag, priority tender and embarkation, and internet minutes. Sapphire and above add a Haven-adjacent set of privileges and complimentary shore excursion credits.
Destinations
Caribbean and Bahamas sailings from Miami, Port Canaveral, New York and New Orleans dominate the deployment, with Great Stirrup Cay — Norwegian's private Bahamian island — on most itineraries.
Alaska from Seattle and Vancouver, Mediterranean and Northern Europe in summer, Hawaii year-round aboard the US-flagged Pride of America, plus Asia, Australia and an expanding South America programme complete the book.
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