Norwegian's Pride of America new 2005 schedule

Jason · July 29, 2004

Pride of America '05 schedule announced

Howard Dicus

Less than four weeks after launching Hawaii interisland cruises with American crews on the Pride of Aloha, Norwegian Cruise Line has issued its full 2005 deployment schedule for the Pride of America.

The Pride of America is the new cruise liner that was originally set to launch the all-Hawaii cruises this month. Its delivery was set back a year after it sank at the dock in a gale in Bremerhaven, Germany, forcing the Lloyd Werfft shipyard to replace engines and wiring damaged by seawater submerging the three bottom decks.

"After several inaugural cruises, Pride of America will begin sailing seven-day roundtrip cruises from Honolulu on July 23, 2005 as well as offering three-day and four-day inter-island cruises between Honolulu and Maui," NCL Corp. said Tuesday.

NCL also it would offer a Maui embarkation/disembarkation option on the Pride of Aloha, the newly-renovated ship that is currently doing interisland cruises, resulting in a seven-day round-trip cruise from Maui as well as the current seven-day round-trip cruise from Honolulu.

"It coincides with United announcing a new nonstop flight from Chicago to Maui with continuing service to Kona," said NCL Hawaii spokesman Chad Lovell. "The direct route strengthens the relationship between United and NCL, offering NCL passengers an added flight option to Hawaii."

United was already an alliance partner of NCL and flies a large number of NCL Hawaii customers here from the mainland.

The new cruise options, once Maui embarkation begins, extend beyond a choice of two places to start the weeklong interisland cruise. NCL said it will also let passengers elect to simply take a three-night cruise from Honolulu to Maui via the Big Island (on the Pride of Aloha) or a four-night cruise from Maui to Honolulu via the Big Island and Kauai (on the Pride of America).

"With two NCL America ships sailing interisland cruises and a Norwegian Cruise Line ship sailing a Hawaii/Fanning Island itinerary this will be the largest cruise deployment ever for Hawaii," NCL President Colin Veitch said.

The Fanning Island itinerary, sailed by the Norwegian Wind, is the longer cruise option -- 10 or 11 days -- with international crew members and a lengthy side trip to Fanning Island in the Republic of Kiribati.

Cruises go on sale on August 9.