Norwegian Cruise Line ships by size

Ever wondered what the biggest or smallest cruise ship is in Norwegian Cruise Line's fleet?

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) currently has 17 vessels in its fleet. NCL is one of the largest cruise lines in the industry, and has immediate plans to expand.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Prima, made its long awaited debut on August 27, 2022. With the introduction of the new Prima Class, Norwegian Cruise Line has plans in the work to release six more vessels in the Prima Class between now and 2027. The next Prima Class ship is currently scheduled to be delivered next year, in 2023, named the Norwegian Viva.

Norwegian Cruise Line has 7 classes of ships; the Breakaway Class, Breakaway Plus Class, Dawn Class, Sun Class, Epic Class, Jewel Class, and the Prima Class. NCL additionally has two cruise vessels that do not sail under a specific class, those two ships are the Norwegian Spirit and Pride of America.

NCL has committed to updating their older ships to ensure that every Norwegian vessel is equipped with modern amenities, and provides the best guest experiences as possible. In 2020 and 2021 alone, Norwegian Cruise Line refurbished eight of its older ships. In 2014, NCL announced their fleet enhancement program called “Norwegian NEXT.”

“We want to continue to provide fresh and relevant experiences to our guests every time they sail with us. We are investing significantly in making sure that our guests have the vacation of a lifetime and fully experience what it means to cruise like a Norwegian,” stated Norwegian Cruise Line. Since the announcement of the Norwegian NEXT program, NCL has refurbished and updated all 17 of its vessels, an impressive feat. While each class varies, this program provides a sense of consistency within the fleet.

Lets take a look at Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships by their size:

Breakaway Plus Class

The Norwegian Breakaway Plus Class is overall the largest class in NCL’s fleet. Each of its four large ships can provide for over at least 3,000 guests per sailing.

Norwegian Escape 

The Norwegian Escape is the largest vessel in NCL’s fleet, and measures at 164,998 gross register tonnage. This ship is capable of hosting 4,266 guests, the most of any Norwegian ship. Currently, The Norwegian Escape is the oldest ship to have not had any kind of refurbishment since its construction. It was built in 2015.

Fun fact: It has the largest ropes course at sea with three-stories of fun and two planks! 

Sails to: The Caribbean, Canada and New England, The Mediterranean, and Bermuda.

(Norwegian Escape)

Norwegian Bliss 

The next largest ship in the Breakaway Class is the Norwegian Bliss. This ship measures at 168,028 gross register tonnage, making it the second heaviest vessel in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. This ship can hold 4,004 guests, and was delivered in 2018.

Sails to: Alaska, Bermuda.

(Norwegian Bliss)

Norwegian Encore 

The Norwegian Encore measures as the heaviest ship in the NCL fleet, weighing in at 169,116 gross register tonnage. The Encore can host up to 3,998 guests and began sailing in 2019.

Sails to: The Caribbean, Alaska.

(Norwegian Encore)

Norwegian Joy 

The final ship in the Breakaway Plus class is the Norwegian Joy. This vessel measures at 167,725 gross register tonnage, can hold 3,804 guests, and was delivered to the fleet in 2017. This vessel underwent refurbishment in 2019.

The Norwegian Joy was the first ship to feature at racetrack at sea. 

Sails to: Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, The Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda.

(Norwegian Joy)

Epic Class

Norwegian Epic 

Currently, the Norwegian Epic Class contains just one ship, the Norwegian Epic. This ship is one of the largest in the fleet by how many guests it can hold, up to 4,100 guests. The Epic measures at 155,873 gross register tonnage, and was constructed in 2010, but was recently refurbished in 2020.

Sails to: The Mediterranean, Transatlantic, The Caribbean.

(Norwegian Epic)

Breakaway Class

The Norwegian Breakaway Class has two ships, the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Getaway. These two ships are very similar, and measure at nearly identical size.

Norwegian Breakaway 

The Breakaway is capable of holding 3,959 guests, and measures at 145,655 gross register tonnage. This ship debuted in 2013, but was refurbished in 2020.

Sails to: The Mediterranean, The Caribbean, Transatlantic.

(Norwegian Breakaway)

Norwegian Getaway 

The Getaway measures at exactly the same tonnage as The Breakaway, at 145,655 gross register tonnage. The Getaway holds the most amount of guests in this class, with a 3,963 guest capacity. This vessel was delivered to the NCL fleet in 2014, but underwent refurbishment in 2020.

Sails to: The Bahamas, The Caribbean, Europe, Bermuda, Transatlantic.

(Norwegian Getaway)

Prima Class

Once completed, the Prima Class will consist of six ships, the last to be delivered in 2027. “The new class will build upon the brand’s legacy of freedom and flexibility found across its fleet and feature a host of cutting-edge designs that will further elevate its already award-winning guest experience,” states Norwegian Cruise Line about their newest class of ship.

Norwegian Viva 

The Norwegian Prima, when it is finished, will be the newest vessel in NCL’s fleet. This ship is currently under development, and is set to make its debut in 2023. When completed, this ship will measure 142,500 gross register tonnage, and will be capable of hosting 3,215 guests.

Sails to: Europe, The Mediterranean, The Caribbean.

(Norwegian Vivia)

Norwegian Prima 

The Norwegian Prima make its debut to the Norwegian fleet in August 2022. This ship is equipped with the latest amenities and technology for guests to explore and enjoy. The Norwegian Prima measures at the same gross register tonnage as the Norwegian Viva, at 142,500 tons. The Prima holds up to 3,099 guests. 

The Norwegian Prima is full of Norwegian firsts, such as the Indulge Food Hall, 10-story dry slide, and a sustainability-focused cocktail bar. 

Sails to: Europe, The Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico.

(Norwegian Prima)

Jewel Class

As with the Norwegian Breakaway Plus Class, the Jewel Class consists of four ships.

Norwegian Jade 

The Norwegian Jade is the largest in the Jewel Class in both its tonnage, and its guest capacity. This vessel measures at 93,558 gross register tonnage, and can hold up to 2,402 guests. The Jade is an older Norwegian ship, being built in 2006, but received a refurbishment in 2017.

Sails to: The Mediterranean, Africa.

(Norwegian Jade)

Norwegian Gem 

The Gem is measures at 93,530 gross register tonnage, and can host 2,394 guests. This ship was delivered to the fleet in 2007, and underwent refurbishment in 2020.

Sails to: The Caribbean, Bermuda, The Bahamas, The Mediterranean.

(Norwegian Gem)

Norwegian Pearl 

The Pearl is The Gem’s twin, as this ship has nearly the exact same measurements as The Gem, built just one year earlier. The Pearl weights in at 93,530 gross register tonnage, and provides for up to 2,394 guests. This vessel was delivered in 2006, and recently had its refurbishment in 2021.

Sails to: The Caribbean, Panama Canal.

(Norwegian Pearl)

Norwegian Jewel 

The first vessel in the Jewel Class is the Norwegian Jewel, constructed in 2005. This ship measures 93,502 gross register tonnage, and has a guest capacity of 2,376 people. The Jewel was also recently refurbished in 2021.

Sails to: Alaska, Asia, The Caribbean, Mexican Riviera.

(Norwegian Jewel)

Dawn Class

Norwegian Star 

The Norwegian Star, the first ship in the Dawn Class, measures at 91,740 gross register tonnage. This ship can hold up to 2,348 guests at full capacity, and was delivered in 2001. This vessel had a refurbishment a few years ago in 2018.

Sails to: The Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America, Transatlantic.

(Norwegian Star)

Norwegian Dawn 

The namesake of the Dawn Class, measures at 92,250 gross register tonnage. This ship is capable of hosting up to 2,340 guests, and was built in 2002. This vessel had its most recent refurbishment in 2016.

Sails to: The Bahamas, The Caribbean, The Mediterranean, Europe, Transatlantic.

(Norwegian Dawn)

Sun Class

The Sun Class was the first class of ship debuted by Norwegian Cruise Line. Before the introduction of the Sun Class, Norwegian Cruise Line had not categorized its previous ships into a class.

Norwegian Sky 

The second oldest ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet is the Norwegian Sky, constructed in 1999. This vessel underwent refurbishment three years ago in 2019. The Sky measures at 77,104 gross register tonnage, and hosts up to 2,004 guests.

Sails to: The Bahamas.

(Norwegian Sky)

Norwegian Sun 

The last ship in the Sun Class weighs in at 78,309 gross register tonnage, and holds up to 1,936 guests. Norwegian Sun is currently the smallest ship in the NCL fleet, based off of its guest capacity. This ship was delivered to the fleet in 2001, and had a refurbishment in 2018.

Sails to: Alaska.

(Norwegian Sun)

Ships not categorized by class

Norwegian Cruise Line currently has two ships that do not belong to any class.

Norwegian Spirit 

The Norwegian Spirit is the first ship in NCL’s fleet. The Spirit was constructed in 1998, and measures at 75,904 gross register tonnage. This ship hosts up to 2,018 guests at full capacity. Norwegian Cruise Line’s oldest ship underwent a refurbishment two years ago in 2020.

Sails to: The Mediterranean, Australia.

(Norwegian Spirit)

Pride of America 

Pride of America is a unique vessel in NCL’s fleet, as it is the only major cruise ship that currently sails exclusively to Hawaiian waters. This ship conducts year-round sailings around the Hawaiian islands. Pride of America takes up to 2,186 guests on these voyages, and measures at 80,439 gross register tonnage. Pride of America is one of NCL’s older ships, being constructed in 2005, but recently had a refurbishment last year in 2021.

Fun Fact: Due to the ship only docking at ports of call located within the United States, it has a special drink package that is exclusive to the ship! This package only started to include alcoholic beverages post 2019. 

Sails to: Hawaii

(Norwegian’s Pride of America)

Norwegian Cruise Line has some of the largest and most innovative ships in the industry. After the debut of the Norwegian Prima in August 2022, we are looking forward to the delivery of the Norwegian Viva and its maiden voyage!