The big story of the day came at us from several different sources at once including Cruise Community, the Ft Lauderdale Sun Sentinal and NCL themselves….

NCL has purchased two new 150,000gt ships .from Aker Yards, the order is valued at around $1.8 BILLION.  NCL has the option for a third ship, which would bring the total order to $2.8 billion.

Each ship would accomodate up to 4,200 passengers in 2,100 staterooms, of which more than 1,470 balcony staterooms and suites.  If all three ships are built it would add 12,600 new berths by 2011.  Ship number 1 would be delivered in 2009, ship 2 in 2010, and if should NCL elect to purchase ship 3 it would be delivered in 2011.

The purchase is part of NCL’s continuing efforts to revitalize it’s fleet which has included not only an ambitious new build program but also the transfer of several older ships.  2007 will see the transfer of Norwegian Crown to Fred Olsen, and  Norwegian Wind to Star Cruises.  While not yet scheduled, it is also expected that Norwegian Majesty, Norwegian Dream, and Marco Polo will soon be transferred out of NCL’s fleet as well.

By 2011, the average age of NCL’s fleet would be just under 6 and a half years with the oldest ship being Norwegian Spirit built in 1998.