Norwegian Pearl
Encyclopedia
Norwegian Pearl is a Jewel class
cruise ship
of Norwegian Cruise Line
, launched in 2006, sailing itineraries primarily around Alaska
and the Caribbean
.
Shipyard covered building dock on October 15, 2006. She then spent a couple of days in Holland where workers and their families could spend some time on board.
On November 30, the ship stopped in Southampton, England, to celebrate her entry into service. She made her first voyage with paying passengers on December 2, from Southampton to Miami, Florida
, where the ship was based for her first season. Rosie O'Donnell
is Norwegian Pearl godmother. The christening ceremony took place in Miami's Port of Miami
on December 16, 2006.
The first attempt of the ship's passage under a power line on the Ems River in Germany is claimed to have been the source for the massive power outage that affected first Germany and then all of Europe on late November 4, 2006.
As with the rest of NCL's fleet, Norwegian Pearl utilizes the "Freestyle" cruising concept, which allows guest to dine in any number of restaurants, in casual attire, at times of their own choosing.
The Pearl was featured on the 2009 CNBC
documentary Cruise Inc.: Big Money on the High Seas.
in 2005, and Pride of Hawaii
(now Norwegian Jade) in 2006. She was followed by Norwegian Gem
in 2007. Each ship has unique amenities, but has a similar exterior and interior design.
Norwegian Pearl has a similar exterior appearance to NCL's Libra-class ships; Norwegian Star
, which entered service in 2001, and Norwegian Dawn
, which entered service in 2002. The interior design and amenities, however, are significantly different and merit Norwegian Pearl a Jewel-class designation.
dimensions, which make it possible for her to transit the Panama Canal
while repositioning between the two ports.
Beginning in 2012 the Norwegian Pearl will be based out of New York. With cruises to Florida & the Bahamas, & new 12 Day Southern Caribbean cruises as well as three Two-Day Cruises.
Jewel class cruise ship
The Jewel class is a class of cruise ships operated by the Norwegian Cruise Line and was built by Meyer Werft of Germany. The Jewel class became NCL's largest ships, until the construction of Norwegian Epic, at 153,000-GT, in 2009 at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, which is also owned by NCL...
cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
of Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
, launched in 2006, sailing itineraries primarily around Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
History
Construction began October 3, 2005, and Norwegian Pearl was floated out of the Meyer WerftMeyer Werft
The Meyer Werft is one of the remaining large German shipyards, headquartered in Papenburg. Since 1997, it has been part of the Meyer Neptun Group together with Neptun Werft in Rostock.-History:...
Shipyard covered building dock on October 15, 2006. She then spent a couple of days in Holland where workers and their families could spend some time on board.
On November 30, the ship stopped in Southampton, England, to celebrate her entry into service. She made her first voyage with paying passengers on December 2, from Southampton to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, where the ship was based for her first season. Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
is Norwegian Pearl godmother. The christening ceremony took place in Miami's Port of Miami
Port of Miami
The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
on December 16, 2006.
The first attempt of the ship's passage under a power line on the Ems River in Germany is claimed to have been the source for the massive power outage that affected first Germany and then all of Europe on late November 4, 2006.
As with the rest of NCL's fleet, Norwegian Pearl utilizes the "Freestyle" cruising concept, which allows guest to dine in any number of restaurants, in casual attire, at times of their own choosing.
The Pearl was featured on the 2009 CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
documentary Cruise Inc.: Big Money on the High Seas.
Vessel class
Norwegian Pearl is the third of NCL's four Jewel-class ships. She was preceded by Norwegian JewelNorwegian Jewel
Norwegian Jewel is a cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She is the lead vessel of NCL's Jewel class cruise ships and entered service in 2005.-History:...
in 2005, and Pride of Hawaii
Pride of Hawaii
Norwegian Jade is a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, originally built as the Pride of Hawaii for their NCL America division. She was christened in a ceremony at the San Pedro Pier in Los Angeles, California on May 22, 2006...
(now Norwegian Jade) in 2006. She was followed by Norwegian Gem
Norwegian Gem
Norwegian Gem is a Jewel class cruise ship of Norwegian Cruise Line. She is the last vessel of the Jewel class and was built by the German shipyard, Meyer Werft.-History:...
in 2007. Each ship has unique amenities, but has a similar exterior and interior design.
Norwegian Pearl has a similar exterior appearance to NCL's Libra-class ships; Norwegian Star
Norwegian Star
Norwegian Star is a Libra-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She was built in 2001 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany.-History:The Norwegian Star entered service at the end of 2001...
, which entered service in 2001, and Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Dawn is a cruise ship that entered service in 2002 and is in operation with Norwegian Cruise Line.-History:The ship entered service at the end of 2002. She was intended to operate with Star Cruises under the name SuperStar Scorpio, but it was decided that she would be delivered to Star's...
, which entered service in 2002. The interior design and amenities, however, are significantly different and merit Norwegian Pearl a Jewel-class designation.
Current cruises
Norwegian Pearl sails Caribbean cruises out of Miami, and Alaska cruises out of Seattle depending on the time of year. The ship has PanamaxPanamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
dimensions, which make it possible for her to transit the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
while repositioning between the two ports.
Beginning in 2012 the Norwegian Pearl will be based out of New York. With cruises to Florida & the Bahamas, & new 12 Day Southern Caribbean cruises as well as three Two-Day Cruises.