NCL to Take Europe by Storm in 2012/2013

Norwegian Cruise Line is bringing “homeland cruising” to a homeport near you, provided you live in Europe. The line has announced its largest European deployment ever for the 2012/2013 season with four Freestyle Cruising ships, including two that will remain positioned in Europe year-round. Norwegian Spirit will join Norwegian Jade sailing year-round in Europe beginning in April 2012. This is also the first time Norwegian Spirit will sail in Europe offering 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyages in the summer and fall, along with 9-day Canary Islands in the winter and spring. NCL’s largest and most innovative ship, Norwegian Epic, and Norwegian Sun will continue cruising seasonally from Barcelona and Copenhagen respectively.

“Europe is one of the world’s fastest growing cruise markets and one where Freestyle Cruising is very well received. Given this, we felt it was the right time to deploy four ships, including two year-round, in Europe, marking our largest European deployment in the company’s history,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer. “Guests now have the flexibility of embarking from four homeports in Europe sailing to some of the most exciting destinations in the world.”

The 2,018-passenger Norwegian Spirit will make her European debut with two memorable itineraries including a 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruise from Venice, Italy and Barcelona, Spain during the summer, and a 9-day Canary Islands cruise from Barcelona through the fall and winter. The 12-day Grand Mediterranean sailings run from April 28, 2012 to Oct 25, 2012 and begin in either Barcelona or Venice. The 9-day Canary Islands cruises from Barcelona will sail from Nov 6, 2012 to April 8, 2013. Norwegian Spirit will also sail an 11-day Grand Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Venice on July 9, 2012 and a 13-day Grand Mediterranean from Venice to Barcelona on July 20, 2012.

Continuing her year-round sailings in Europe, the 2,402-passenger Norwegian Jade will sail seven unique itineraries with ports of call in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Israel, and Egypt from her homeports of Rome (Civitavecchia) and Venice, Italy. Norwegian Jade will continue her popular alternating 7-day Greek Isles and Greece and Turkey cruises departing on Saturdays from Venice from April 28, 2012 to Oct 6, 2012. Since there is no port repetition between those two itineraries, they can be easily combined on most sailings to create a port-rich 14-day European tour. Also from Venice, Norwegian Jade will sail a 6-day Croatia and Greece cruise on July 14, 2012; and an 8-day Greek Isles and Turkey cruise on July 20, 2012, as well as a 7-day Adriatic and Italy cruise on Oct 13, 2012 with disembarkation in Rome (Civitavecchia).

From Rome, Norwegian Jade will sail alternating 11-day Mediterranean & the Holy Land cruises departing on Saturdays and 10-day Eastern Mediterranean cruises departing on Wednesdays from Oct 20, 2012 to April 17, 2013.

Norwegian’s newest and most innovative ship, Norwegian Epic, will return to Barcelona sailing a series of 25 seven-day Western Mediterranean cruises from April 29 to Oct 14, 2012. In addition, Norwegian Epic will sail one 4-day Western Mediterranean cruise on April 25, 2012.

Norwegian Sun will continue sailing her 9-day Baltic Capital cruises from Copenhagen, Denmark from May 4 to Sept 7, 2012and will also sail one 14-day Norway, Iceland & Faroe Islands cruise on Sept 16, 2012.

In addition, there are five opportunities for guests to have an experience of a lifetime crossing the Atlantic with Norwegian’s Transatlantic cruises. Norwegian Epic offers two options: an 11-day Transatlantic from Miami to Barcelona on April 14, 2012 and a 13-day Transatlantic from Barcelona to Miami on Oct 21, 2012. Norwegian Spirit offers a 13-day Transatlantic from New Orleans to Barcelona on April 15, 2012. Norwegian Sun crosses the Atlantic on April 21, 2012 from Orlando (Port Canaveral) to Copenhagen and back to Miami from Copenhagen on Sept 30, 2012.

For additional information and to book these new sailings, visit NCL.com.