What's the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship? Knowing the answer is more important than you might think if you're planning a Norwegian cruise.
The newest Norwegian cruise ship is typically also the Norwegian ship with the most modern, up-to-date cabins and the most enticing mix of restaurants, bars and attractions. It's the right choice if you want the creme de la creme of the Norwegian fleet as your floating home away from home.
Right now, the newest Norwegian cruise ship is Norwegian Viva, which debuted in August. It's the second ship in Norwegian's new Prima Class of vessels, which began debuting in 2022 with the arrival of Norwegian Prima.
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Other relatively new Norwegian Cruise Line ships include Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy. All began sailing in the last six years.
In all, Norwegian operates 19 cruise vessels. On average, the line comes out with about one new ship every 18 months, and it typically keeps vessels in its fleet for around 20 to 30 years before retiring them. The oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Norwegian Spirit, is 25 years old.
Norwegian's newest ships are generally far bigger and much more amenity-packed than its older ships. If you crave a lot of activities on a Norwegian cruise vacation, you'll want to stick to vessels built in the last 12 or so years.
Related: The 8 types of Norwegian Cruise Line ships, explained
In many cases, Norwegian Cruise Line's oldest cruise ships — built in the 1990s and early 2000s — are just half the size of the line's newest vessels and have fewer venues on board. Still, even these smaller ships offer many attractions compared to some vessels at competing lines.
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Here is a list of every Norwegian Cruise Line ship currently in operation, ranked from newest to oldest.
1. Norwegian Viva
Maiden voyage: 2023
Size: 143,535 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,099
2. Norwegian Prima
Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 143,535 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,099
3. Norwegian Encore
Maiden voyage: 2019
Size: 169,116 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,998
4. Norwegian Bliss
Maiden voyage: 2018
Size: 168,028 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,004
5. Norwegian Joy
Maiden voyage: 2017
Size: 167,725 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,804
6. Norwegian Escape
Maiden voyage: 2015
Size: 164,998 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,266
7. Norwegian Getaway
Maiden voyage: 2014
Size: 145,655 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,963
8. Norwegian Breakaway
Maiden voyage: 2013
Size: 145,655 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,963
9. Norwegian Epic
Maiden voyage: 2010
Size: 155,873 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,100
10. Norwegian Gem
Maiden voyage: 2007
Size: 93,530 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,394
11. Norwegian Pearl
Maiden voyage: 2006
Size: 93,530 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,394
12. Norwegian Jade
Maiden voyage: 2006
Size: 93,558 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,402
13. Norwegian Jewel
Maiden voyage: 2005
Size: 93,502 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,376
14. Pride of America
Maiden voyage: 2005
Size: 80,439 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,186
15. Norwegian Dawn
Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 92,250 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,340
16. Norwegian Star
Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 91,740 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,348
17. Norwegian Sun
Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 78,309 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 1,936
18. Norwegian Sky
Maiden voyage: 1999
Size: 77,104 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,004
19. Norwegian Spirit
Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 75,904 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,032
What is the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
The newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship is Norwegian Viva. As noted above, it debuted in August. Measuring 143,535 gross tons and carrying 3,099 passengers at double occupancy, it's almost identical to Norwegian's last new ship, Norwegian Prima. Both ships are part of the line's new six-ship Prima Class series, which will be rolling out through 2028.
Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima are notably smaller vessels than other new Norwegian cruise ships unveiled over the past 15 years. But they still have nearly as many restaurants, bars, showrooms and deck-top attractions as you'll find on the bigger vessels.
TPG sailed on the maiden voyages of Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima and has covered them extensively. For more on the ships, see the following guides and reviews:
- Norwegian Viva review: What to expect on Norwegian's 2nd Prima Class vessel
- 5 things I loved about the new Norwegian Viva
- I've been on nearly every Norwegian ship; here are my first impressions of Norwegian Prima
- My strange night out at Norwegian Prima's 'zero-waste' bar
- Prima has a ridiculously large go-kart track; here's why I loved it
- Can luxury cruisers fall in love with Norwegian Prima? TPG booked a voyage to find out
- Did Norwegian make its new Prima Class ships too small?
What is the oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
The oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship is Norwegian Spirit. Unveiled in 1998, it's not just the oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship but the smallest Norwegian Cruise Line ship — far smaller than the newest Norwegian vessels. At 75,904 tons, Norwegian Spirit is less than half the size of the recently unveiled Norwegian Encore, and it carries just 1,966 passengers — about 2,000 fewer than the Norwegian biggies.
In part because of its smaller size, Norwegian Spirit also offers fewer (but still quite a few) venues and attractions than newer Norwegian vessels. In all, you'll find 13 food outlets on Norwegian Spirit, including two main restaurants, a casual buffet eatery, and versions of the line's signature Cagney's steak house and French eatery Le Bistro. There are more than half a dozen bars and cafes.
Deck-top attractions on Norwegian Spirit include several pools, whirlpools, waterslides, a basketball court and a jogging track. The ship also has a casino, spa, nightclub and theater.
What new Norwegian Cruise Line ships are coming?
Norwegian Cruise Line currently has four new cruise ships on order. The first to arrive will be Norwegian Aqua in April 2025. It'll be the third ship in the line's new Prima Class series.
Additionally, three more ships in this Prima Class series are on order for delivery in 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Related: The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line
All four of these coming ships, including Norwegian Aqua, will be somewhat bigger than the first two vessels in the series to allow for more cabins and public areas. The last two ships in the series will also be expanded to accommodate new, bigger fuel tanks that can hold methanol — a cleaner-burning type of fuel.
The Prima Class vessels are under construction at a Fincantieri shipyard near Monfalcone, Italy.
What is the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship available for booking?
Norwegian Aqua is the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship you can book now. While the ship isn't yet sailing, its initial voyages scheduled for April 2025 are already on sale, as are future sailings through April 2026. The three other Norwegian ships on order have yet to open for bookings.
What is the newest class of Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
The Prima Class is the newest class of Norwegian ships. For now, there are only two vessels in the class that you can sail — the recently unveiled Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima. The class will eventually be made up of at least six vessels.
The series is destined to massively expand Norwegian's footprint in the cruise business and, if all goes according to plan, significantly transform the brand. The line currently operates 19 vessels around the world. Assuming it doesn't retire any of its older ships over the next few years, it will grow to 23 ships by 2028 with the addition of four more Prima Class vessels.
Including the just-unveiled Norwegian Viva, that's a 28% increase in its fleet size in just five years.
At 143,535 tons, Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima are notably smaller than the vessels Norwegian has added to its fleet in recent years. The line's last new ship before the addition of the two vessels, the 2019-built Norwegian Encore, was about 18% bigger than Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima at 169,116 tons.
Norwegian executives have said the smaller size of the new Prima Class ships would give the line more options in designing itineraries; the vessels are able to access smaller ports around the world than the bigger Norwegian ships can.
What's the difference between newer and older Norwegian Cruise Line ships?
Newer Norwegian Cruise Line ships are generally bigger than older Norwegian ships — sometimes much bigger. As a result, they have room for many more onboard venues and attractions than the line's older vessels.
On Norwegian's relatively new Breakaway Plus Class vessels (Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape), you'll find multiple pools, waterslides, a kiddie splash zone and — on most of the ships — a sprawling go-kart racing track. Each vessel also offers real Broadway shows in big, state-of-the-art theaters as well as sprawling spas, casinos that fill half a deck, dedicated children's play zones and more than 2,000 rooms.
Additionally, the two newest ships in this series, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Joy, have large gaming and virtual reality zones called the Galaxy Pavilion.
In short, they're like giant floating versions of the megaresorts you find in the Orlando or Las Vegas areas, and they appeal to people who like a megaresort experience.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Norwegian ship
Norwegian's older ships, in many cases, are about half the size of the line's newer ships and lack many of the above features. They have a much more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships, and they hold far fewer people. While Breakaway Plus Class ships can hold around 4,000 passengers, based on double occupancy, the line's oldest vessels are only designed to carry about 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.
Norwegian's oldest ships are a good choice for vacationers who want to try Norwegian but aren't eager to travel with huge crowds. The oldest ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet thus appeal to a subset of Norwegian fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don't mind giving up some onboard amenities to get that. They are also often less expensive to sail on, on a per-day basis.
Related: Don't miss out on these Norwegian loyalty perks
Because of their size, Norwegian's oldest ships can operate itineraries to places that aren't as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports worldwide can handle a ship the size of Norwegian Encore.
Note that all Norwegian ships are regularly renovated and upgraded every few years, so even the oldest Norwegian cruise vessels have newer carpeting, updated furniture, modern decor in cabins and other updates. In many cases, their eateries and bars have been entirely renovated over the years with concepts that first debuted on newer vessels.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
