2016 marks fifty years since the Sunward (above) made her first voyage from Miami to the Caribbean on 19th December 1966, signifying the birth of Norwegian Caribbean Lines. Today, the company now known as Norwegian Cruise Line is a leading global cruise brand with 14 purpose-built ships sailing to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

NCL’s 93,502gt/2005 built Norwegian Jewel (above) completed the retrofitting of a new exhaust scrubber system in September. The new lightweight in-line scrubbers are a hybrid technology developed by Yara Marine Technologies that are able to operate in Dry mode, Open loop and Closed loop. Five scrubbers were installed, one per engine, covering the whole propulsion system. NCL is the first cruise line to install scrubbers with a state-of-the-art water membrane filtration unit. This sophisticated water cleaning system uses Ultrafiltration technology to clean the recirculated water during the closed loop operation down to clear water. The by-product is collected and removed in drums.

The 93,558gt/2006 built Norwegian Jade (above) makes her Southampton debut in spring 2017 fresh from a £30 million refit to replace the vibrant floral, Hawaiian-themed interiors from when the ship operated as the Pride of Hawaii 2006-2008. Internal public spaces will be stripped back and remodelled, essentially creating a brand new ship for UK/European guests to enjoy. The new features include a recreation of Liverpool’s iconic The Cavern Club, which can also be found aboard Norwegian Epic. Contemporary colours, such as golds, browns, purples and reds, will feature on furniture and carpets throughout the ship. The Jewel Class ship will also receive scrubbers like her sistership. This refurbishment, along with that of the Norwegian Jewel, is part of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Edge programme, which will see around £307 million spent refurbishing older ships in the fleet to the standards of its Breakaway-class vessels. The Norwegian Jade arrives back in the UK on 13th May 2017 for summer itineraries predominantly to Norway/Iceland and operating out of both Southampton and Hamburg. NCL has also been named “North America’s Leading Cruise Line” for the first time, along with being honoured as the “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” for the fourth consecutive year at the 2016 World Travel Awards. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will embark upon a landmark year in 2017 for the group in China. The 168,800gt and 3,850 passenger capacity Norwegian Joy will enter service in the Chinese market in summer 2017 plus Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will also call at ports in China over the next 12 months. Four of the Group’s ships will bring nearly 7,000 international tourists to port cities in China in late 2016/early 2017 including Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai, Dalian and Tianjin, with even more calls to China’s ports scheduled for 2018.

NCL will deploy the newly refurbished Norwegian Star (above) to sail Asia-based itineraries in December 2016, bringing more than 2,300 international tourists to Hong Kong and Sanya during each of her 11 and 14 day cruises.

Oceania Cruises will seasonally deploy the 30,277gt/2000 built Nautica (above) in Asia, along with 30,277gt/1998 built sister ship Insignia in March 2017. Luxury brand Regent Seven Seas Cruises will complete the company’s deployment in March 2017 with the 42,363gt/2003 built Seven Seas Voyager spending the spring season in Asia.

The Norwegian Joy (above) will start sailing from her Shanghai homeport on 23rd June 2017 and will embark on three, four, five and sixnight cruises to destinations in Japan and Korea. While Shanghai will be the ship’s primary homeport in China, the company will also offer a series of cruises from the port in Tianjin in 2017. Designed to provide First Class at Sea experiences with onboard amenities that cater to the unique holiday desires of Chinese guests, the Norwegian Joy will provide a multitude of VIP accommodations including The Haven by Norwegian®, the line’s exclusive, ship-within-a-ship suite luxury complex, which will also include an all-new Observation Deck that features 180 degree views, and a Concierge level, an all-new accommodations category which will provide a VIP experience and feature larger balcony staterooms. The ship will also offer a two-level competitive racetrack, the first ever at sea. The ship’s open-air laser tag course is also a new innovation. The Galaxy Pavilion will house an array of immersive entertainment experiences, including virtual reality, thrilling simulator rides and interactive video walls. Guests can go for a spin on hovercraft bumper cars or participate in a professional single-seat racing car. Other activities include two multi-storey waterslides whilst guests will also be offered 28 different food and beverage outlets on board. On 28th September came the news that the Breakaway Class Norwegian Joy had caught fire at the Meyer Werft Yard in Papenburg. The ship was under the final stage of construction in Building Hall II but a manifold ignited and created dense smoke. The local fire brigade quickly extinguished the flames. All workers were evacuated outside, as the smoke engulfed the whole building. Damage was estimated at around €50,000.