Norwegian Cruise Line postpones ship debut

[Jason]

By Kelly Yamanouchi, The Honolulu Advertiser

Advertiser Staff Writer

Norwegian Cruise Line is canceling plans to debut its first U.S.-flag ship, Pride of America, this summer after the vessel was severely damaged during a storm this week at a German shipyard.

Cruise questions

For refunds or other questions, call (800) 456-3054. Updates will be posted at www.ncl.com/prideofamerica.

Instead, another Norwegian ship, the Norwegian Sky, will be renamed Pride of Aloha and start interisland cruises July 4 under a U.S. flag.

The launch of cruises on Pride of America, under construction in Bremerhaven, Germany, will be delayed for months — Norwegian could not say how long. A delay until later this year or early 2005 is possible.

The Norwegian Sky carries 2,000-passengers and will be renovated with a Hawai'i theme to become the Pride of Aloha. The ship was originally scheduled to begin three- and four-day Hawai'i cruises in October.

The switch means more than 1,000 employees who have been hired for the cruises, including hundreds from Hawai'i, will be able to work for Norwegian. And to the relief of Hawai'i companies that counted on new business from Norwegian, the restart of U.S.-flag cruises will begin on schedule.

"Under very bad circumstances, I think we are effectively going to be able to put in place the deployment that we originally intended," said Robert Kritzman, senior vice president for NCL America, the company set up to run Norwegian's U.S.-flag operations.

Although Norwegian is still recruiting employees, it will decide later whether to continue hiring for a second U.S.-flag ship. Norwegian had plans to employ about 1,000 workers for each ship.

Some passengers could be asked to switch cruise ships or itineraries. Norwegian also could lose revenue from the schedule changes. For employees, training schedules will be altered.

Passengers holding tickets for the 2,156-passenger Pride of America will be

rebooked on the Pride of Aloha, whose original itinerary will be canceled. Norwegian had sold most tickets available in July, August and September for the weekly Pride of America cruises.

Inaugural cruises around the Mainland on the Pride of America will be canceled.

Passengers booked on the Norwegian Sky's original itinerary of Alaska cruises also will have their plans altered.

Customers affected can receive full refunds, Norwegian said.

The damage to the Pride of America and delay in the start of a second ship to ply Hawai'i waters present another setback in attempts to revive U.S.-flag inter-

island cruises. Norwegian had faced higher labor costs and taxes, plus a short time span to recruit and train employees for its cruises.

The Pride of America, buffeted by storm winds in its berth, listed 15 degrees and took on water. Its lower section sank to the bottom of the shipyard in about 30 feet of

water. Its engine is in a flooded area of the ship and has been damaged, according to Lloyd Werft spokesman Werner LŸken. There was no immediate dollar estimate of the damage.

"It's important that they keep people coming to Hawai'i and keep the tourist industry going and keep the employees working," said Danny Ching, president of Non-Stop Travel, a major seller of Norwegian cruise tickets in Hawai'i. "We're

optimistic about the prospects of the ship, and I think it's still a good program for Hawai'i and for tourism."

Barrett Winning, who lives in Honolulu and was hired by Norwegian to work on the Pride of America, said there was some confusion among employees waiting to hear how the latest changes would affect their schedules and training.

Winning and many other new hires were to travel to Germany in coming months to work on board the Pride of America. That won't happen. But Winning said he's still optimistic and excited about working for Norwegian.

"Personally, it would have been fun to go to Germany," Winning said. "But it doesn't alter my enthusiasm."