Image Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line Withdraws First Ship From its Fleet in 15 Years
March 30, 2025
Norwegian Cruise Line is removing a ship from its fleet, something it hasn’t done in 15 years.
Cruise Industry News reported that the Seven Seas Navigator will make its final trip in late 2026, after which it will be retired from the fleet. This departure marks the first ship retirement since the Tahiti-based Paul Gauguin was withdrawn from the lineup in 2010.
Before retiring the Gaugin, Norwegian Cruise Line retired the Norwegian Majesty, turning the ship over to Louis Cruises in 2009.
The Seven Seas Navigator is scheduled to depart Regent’s fleet in October 2026 to join Crescent Seas, a startup that plans to construct a premium residential cruise project.
The 490-guest ship, one of the oldest in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, was first put into operation in 1999. It was constructed using the hull of a Russian research vessel.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ President and CEO Harry Sommer confirmed that the company only plans to keep its ships on the seas for about 35 years after their debut, so they can stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technological offerings.
“I would like to point out that the oldest ships in our fleet are from ’98 and ’99, so none of them have reached yet 30 years; and we believe our ships can get to 35 years or beyond,” he said on the 2024 year-end earnings call. “So, there is a little bit of room there to go before we have to be aggressively considering ship retirements.”
Norwegian Cruise Line Is Getting Mixed Reviews on Its New Entertainment
Meanwhile, although Norwegian Cruise Line has added new entertainment options to nine ships, not everyone enjoys them.
“Passengers don’t want to spend two hours in a theater watching an elaborate, straight-from-Broadway show,” Sommer said, per TheStreet.
Passengers favor Norwegian’s shorter, distinctive performances, at least based on the cruise line’s guest satisfaction ratings. As it creates new entertainment programs for its fleet, the cruise line is taking this into account.
The cruise line plans to introduce four brand-new, unique NCL entertainment shows on nine ships through September 2025. Dance performances, immersive musical experiences, and nostalgic tribute events are some of the new entertainment options targeted at a global and multigenerational audience.
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