Norwegian Cruise Line Returns to Australian Waters After Three years
By Cruising With Honey - 12:09
Norwegian Cruise Line Marks Return to Australian Waters After Three years
She's Here! The beautiful Norwegian Spirit - the ship that I only just disembarked from a few days ago is here in Sydney!
And tonight, I will be back on board for a special event to welcome her to our shores. Make sure you keep an eye out for my livestream on my Facebook page and watch the historic moment the Spirit sails underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Read more below
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 56-year history of breaking boundaries, has made its long-awaited return to Australian waters after three years.
Norwegian Spirit sailed into spectacular Sydney Harbour today for the very first time with guests from over 20 nationalities on board while showcasing her magnificent USD$100 million bow-to-stern revitalisation – the most expensive and extensive ever undertaken by NCL.
Norwegian Spirit’s maiden arrival marks a significant milestone for the Australian cruise industry’s comeback, as well as the chance for Australian cruisers to experience NCL’s unique Freestyle Cruising concept from their doorstep, with a choice of eight open-jaw sailings between December 2022 and March 2023 from Sydney and Auckland exploring destinations like Napier, Tauranga and Fiordland in New Zealand together with Melbourne, Burnie and Eden in Australia. Norwegian Spirit will then return for a second homeporting season from Sydney and Auckland beginning December 2023.
“We’re thrilled to finally welcome Norwegian Spirit to Australia - she is well and truly worth the wait,” Vice President and Managing Director NCL, APAC Ben Angell said.
Norwegian Spirit’s maiden arrival marks a significant milestone for the Australian cruise industry’s comeback, as well as the chance for Australian cruisers to experience NCL’s unique Freestyle Cruising concept from their doorstep, with a choice of eight open-jaw sailings between December 2022 and March 2023 from Sydney and Auckland exploring destinations like Napier, Tauranga and Fiordland in New Zealand together with Melbourne, Burnie and Eden in Australia. Norwegian Spirit will then return for a second homeporting season from Sydney and Auckland beginning December 2023.
“We’re thrilled to finally welcome Norwegian Spirit to Australia - she is well and truly worth the wait,” Vice President and Managing Director NCL, APAC Ben Angell said.
“We know Australians love our contemporary, laidback style of cruising, as well as the outstanding value only an NCL cruise can offer. Importantly, we’re delighted to be part of an industry that contributes $5 billion to the Australian economy each year.”
In Sydney to welcome Norwegian Spirit, NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer said, “Australia and New Zealand are incredibly important markets for us, both as a source market and a destination, and we are committed to this region for the long term. I’m thrilled to be here in person to celebrate our return to Australia after a three-year hiatus, and to join the festivities as Norwegian Spirit spends an extended overnight visit in Sydney before she sets sail on her Christmas cruise tomorrow!”
Guests on board Norwegian Spirit’s maiden voyage from Sydney to Auckland, departing 22 December, have the opportunity to join a brand-first experience to ‘give back’ in the coastal community of Eden on NSW’s Sapphire Coast, where NCL’s new partner organisation, Take 3 for the Sea, will host a special complimentary beach clean-up shore excursion. Guests keen to get into the giving spirit will head onshore on 23 December with an expert Take 3 for the Sea guide, removing rubbish from a picturesque beach in support of the organisation’s ambitious goal to remove 50 million pieces of plastic from the world’s oceans by 2025. The new shore excursion initiative reflects NCL and Take 3 for the Sea’s shared commitment to reducing single-use plastics, with guests encouraged to ‘take 3’ whenever they go ashore in Australia and New Zealand during Norwegian Spirit’s maiden local cruise season.
Facts and Figures
A smaller ship at 2,032 guest capacity (double occupancy), Norwegian Spirit is packed full of features and quite unlike any other ship sailing in the region. Completely redesigned in 2020 from bow-to-stern with the adult cruiser in mind, the ship boasts brand-new features like the Thermal Suite in the sought-after Mandara Spa, including a spa, sauna, shower experience and heated-tile loungers gazing over ocean views; the opulent adults-only Spice H20 pool retreat, and the finest contemporary Italian fare at the striking Onda by Scarpetta.
No one does entertainment like NCL and Norwegian Spirit is no exception, from Broadway-style pop-country spectacular, Blazing Boots to the magic, acrobatics and dance of Elements.
With half the ship’s 912 crew members dedicated to delivering exceptional quality food and beverage, guests will enjoy a complete destination immersion experience with dishes tailored to the destinations visited, such as roasted rack of lamb and grilled barramundi. Supporting local growers and suppliers, guests can also expect to enjoy a vast variety of quality, locally sourced produce, including all barramundi, lamb, eggs, milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit and vegetables, such as berries, pineapples, bananas, lettuce and capsicum. The well-stocked local wine selection includes Australian and New Zealand favourites like Wynn’s Coonawarra and Wolf Blass from the Barossa Valley, 19 Crimes from South Eastern Australia, Matua Marlborough from New Zealand and Georg Jensen Hallmark Cuvee from Tasmania. Meanwhile local favourites such as Vegemite, Weet Bix, Milo, Four’n Twenty sausage rolls and Fountain mint sauce will ensure Australian and New Zealand cruisers feel at home while sailing on Norwegian Spirit.
With half the ship’s 912 crew members dedicated to delivering exceptional quality food and beverage, guests will enjoy a complete destination immersion experience with dishes tailored to the destinations visited, such as roasted rack of lamb and grilled barramundi. Supporting local growers and suppliers, guests can also expect to enjoy a vast variety of quality, locally sourced produce, including all barramundi, lamb, eggs, milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit and vegetables, such as berries, pineapples, bananas, lettuce and capsicum. The well-stocked local wine selection includes Australian and New Zealand favourites like Wynn’s Coonawarra and Wolf Blass from the Barossa Valley, 19 Crimes from South Eastern Australia, Matua Marlborough from New Zealand and Georg Jensen Hallmark Cuvee from Tasmania. Meanwhile local favourites such as Vegemite, Weet Bix, Milo, Four’n Twenty sausage rolls and Fountain mint sauce will ensure Australian and New Zealand cruisers feel at home while sailing on Norwegian Spirit.
