Norwegian Sun to be second Norwegian ship to offer all-inclusive cruises to both Cuba and the Bahamas from Port Canaveral and guest favorite Norwegian Jewel will cruise Alaska in the summer 2018 season
MIAMI – July 10, 2017– Norwegian Cruise Line today announced updates to the their summer 2018 deployment, featuring exciting new opportunities for guests to set sail to their dream destinations, while unpacking just once and enjoying the most free and flexible cruising experience at sea. New for 2018, Norwegian Sun will reposition to Port Canaveral and offer all-inclusive four day cruises to Havana, Cuba and Key West, and three-day cruises to the Bahamas. Norwegian Jewel will rejoin the youngest fleet sailing to Alaska in summer 2018, with a multitude of exciting itineraries including seven- and nine-day sailings from Seattle, Seward and Vancouver.
“Alaska continues to be one of the most popular destinations we sail to around the world. We are thrilled to be significantly increasing capacity in the region in summer 2018 with the redeployment of Norwegian Jewel and the inaugural season for Norwegian Bliss, providing more opportunities for our guests to experience a vacation of a lifetime in this incredible pristine destination,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer for Norwegian Cruise Line. “Our all-inclusive model aboard Norwegian Sky has been very well-received and as we evaluated the opportunity to expand upon that concept, we felt that Port Canaveral was the ideal location to offer our guests a value-rich on board experience and exciting action-packed ports-of-call, including an overnight call in Havana, Cuba.”
Following her fall/winter season in South America and a dry dock enhancement, Norwegian Sun will spend her summer 2018 season sailing all-inclusive cruises from Port Canaveral, offering four-day itineraries that call on Key West and Havana, Cuba, along with three-day cruises to the Bahamas. Norwegian Sun accommodates 1,936 guests, providing freedom, flexibility and superior guest service with 16 dining options, 12 bars and lounges, entertainment options for all ages and more. All guests sailing aboard one of Norwegian Sun’s Cuba or Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral will also enjoy unlimited complimentary beverages included in their cruise fare as a part of the ship’s all-inclusive program. Norwegian Sun’s new itineraries include the following:
· Norwegian Sun will undergo a two-and-a-half week dry dock in Victoria, British Columbia as a part of the Norwegian Edge™, the brand’s revitalization program encompassing the entire guest experience, and re-enter service on April 19, 2018 where she will begin her journey to the east coast with a 17-day Panama Canal cruise departing from Seattle.
· Norwegian Sun’s four-day cruises to Cuba will depart Port Canaveral each Monday, beginning May 7, 2018, and feature a call on Key West, Florida and an overnight stay in Havana, returning to Port Canaveral each Friday. Norwegian Sun will transport guests to the heart of the action in both Key West and Havana, calling in Key West’s Old Town district and Havana Harbor, located in the heart of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Norwegian Sun will offer guests the opportunity to experience the wonderful culture and incredible history of Cuba, along with the warmth and friendliness of the Cuban people during OFAC-compliant* shore excursions.
· Norwegian Sun’s three-day cruises to the Bahamas will feature calls in Nassau** and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s popular private island beach paradise that was recently enhanced with new food and beverage outlets, expanded Cabanas for daily rental and a new underwater snorkeling garden.
Following her winter 2017/2018 season sailing in Australia and Asia, Norwegian Jewel will journey from Tokyo (Yokohama) to Seattle and will replace Norwegian Sun as Norwegian’s third ship sailing in Alaska in summer 2018. As the namesake of Norwegian’s “Jewel Class” ships, the 2376-passenger Norwegian Jewel is a guest favorite and thrills with a myriad of dining and entertainment offerings. Featuring 16 dining options including Norwegian’s signature specialty restaurants Cagney’s, La Cucina and Le Bistro; along with 15 bars and nightclubs, Norwegian Jewel is a perfect ship to explore the stunning beauty of Alaska. Her wide variety of accommodations includes some of the largest suites at sea in The Haven® by Norwegian, the ship’s exclusive suite complex. The famous three-bedroom Garden Villa boasts nearly 5000 square feet of luxury and is located at the top of the ship, with an expansive 2314 square foot balcony that comes complete with a hot tub and private sundeck. The ship’s onboard activities and entertainment include shows Le Cirque Bijou and Band on the Run, a sports deck for basketball, volleyball, tennis and much more. Norwegian Jewel’s new summer 2018 itineraries include the following itineraries:
· Beginning May 26, 2018, Norwegian Jewel will reposition from Seattle to Vancouver with a nine-day Alaska cruise. This scenic itinerary will visit the region’s best destinations, with calls in Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Ketchikan.
· Norwegian Jewel will sail a seven-day roundtrip cruise from Vancouver to Alaska departing on June 4, 2018 with calls on Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
· Beginning June 11, 2018 from Vancouver, Norwegian will offer guests the freedom and flexibility to enjoy alternating embarkation ports in Vancouver and Seward. From Vancouver, Norwegian Jewel will sail seven-day Glacier Bay cruises calling on Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and disembarking in Seward. From Seward, Norwegian Jewel will feature seven-day Inside Passage Alaska cruises calling on Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and disembarking in Vancouver. Both itineraries will include a sail past the breathtaking Hubbard Glacier.
To book a cruise aboard one of these exciting new itineraries on Norwegian Jewel or the all-inclusive Norwegian Sun, contact a travel professional, call Norwegian at 866-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784), or visit www.ncl.com.
*Norwegian Cruise Line is currently authorized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer carrier services to authorized travelers between the United States and Cuba under the travel guidelines for US citizen travel to Cuba. Norwegian Cruise Line will continue to work with the administrations in both Cuba and the US to comply with any policy changes and regulations so that the brand may provide guests with educational and culturally rich experiences in Cuba, with all sailings subject to potential changes due to governmental relations.
** Selected dates to include calls on Freeport and Great Stirrup Cay.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a 50-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising. Most notably, Norwegian revolutionized the cruise industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal cruise vacation on their schedule. Today, Norwegian invites guests to enjoy a relaxed, resort style cruise vacation on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea with a wide variety of accommodation options, including The Haven by Norwegian®, a luxury enclave with suites, private pools and dining, concierge service and personal butlers.
Recently, the line was named “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the ninth consecutive year, as well as “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” for the fourth time and “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” for the fifth straight year by the World Travel Awards. Norwegian will introduce two new “Breakaway Plus” Class cruise ships through 2019 and has four additional ships on order for delivery beginning in 2022, with an option to introduce two more ships in 2026 and 2027.
For further information on Norwegian Cruise Line visit www.ncl.com; contact us in the U.S. and Canada at 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784); or follow us on the following social channels for the latest company news & exclusive content: Facebook, Instagram and Youtube: @NorwegianCruiseLine; Twitter, Periscope and Snapchat: @CruiseNorwegian; and WeChat: @gonclcn. High resolution, downloadable images are available at www.ncl.com/media-center.