Norwegian Star - History

History

The Norwegian Star was originally intended to operate with Star Cruises under the name SuperStar Libra. The plans for the SuperStar Libra were unveiled on June 7, 1999, with the vessel costing US$400 million. It was to be the first of two Libra-class vessels constructed by the German shipyard Meyer Werft. The first of 60 prefabricated "blocks" of the Libra was laid on June 23, 2000. When the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) was bought by Star Cruises, the SuperStar Libra and the second Libra-class cruise ship, the SuperStar Scorpio, were transferred to NCL in March 2001.

Under NCL, the Libra was renamed the Norwegian Star and the Scorpio became the Norwegian Dawn; subsequently the Libra class became referred to as the Dawn class. On September 30, 2001, the Norwegian Star was floated-out from the shipyard's building dock to its fitting-out pier. Two days later, it departed Papenburg and transited the Ems. The vessel was christened on November 17, 2001 at the Miami, Florida in a dual ceremony with another NCL ship, the Norwegian Sun.

The Norwegian Star entered regular service on December 16 with cruises around the Hawaiian Islands. In 2004, it was moved to the West Coast for cruises to Alaska in the summer and to the Mexican Riviera in the winter. The Norwegian Star gained the addition of hull art, a new steakhouse and a casino as part of the transfer. The ship was replaced in Hawaii with the newly refurbished Pride of Aloha.

The Norwegian Star was chartered to serve as a floating hotel for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, however the deal was cancelled because of financial costs and lack of demand. The cancellation allowed NCL the extra two weeks to move up a refurbishment planned for late 2011. The Norwegian Star entered drydock at the Victoria Shipyards in nearby Victoria on February 16. The majority of the renovations consisted of the relocation of the gift shops and lounge, as well as the addition of 58 new suites and staterooms; a similar project was carried out on the Norwegian Dawn a year later. The Norwegian Star left Victoria on March 2 and returned to service four days later.

The Norwegian Star was repositioned in October 2011 to Tampa, Florida and the western Caribbean Sea instead of returning to the Mexican Riviera. In summer 2012, it was moved from Alaska to New York City. The Norwegian Star replaced the Norwegian Gem in cruises to Bermuda from April to October. In return for coming to New York, the slightly larger Norwegian Jewel replaced the Norwegian Star in Alaska. It wintered in New Orleans, Louisiana where it replaced the Norwegian Spirit. The Norwegian Star will move to northern Europe and the Baltic Sea in summer 2013. The Norwegian Star would return to cruising between Los Angeles and the Mexican Riviera in winter 2013–2014.