Norwegian Cruise Line Throws Cruising a Curve, Introduces New Wave Staterooms by NCL

F3 ships to feature the most innovative living space at sea

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today at Aker Yards in France, NCL Corporation revealed the cruise industry's most innovative living space at sea - New Wave Staterooms by NCL. Designed for its next generation of Freestyle Cruising ships, F3, the New Wave standard, New Wave balcony and New Wave deluxe staterooms represent a giant leap forward in cruise ship accommodations with a completely fresh take on bathroom design, contemporary curved architecture and open living space.

"From the introduction of the first Caribbean cruise more than 41 years ago to the launch of Freestyle Cruising in 2000 and beyond, NCL has always blazed a trail of innovation," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "We have thrown away the rule book with the design of F3 and today are revealing the very first element with our New Wave staterooms. Gone are the regimented typical designs and in place are sleek staterooms that are totally outside the box, designed for the needs of tomorrow's guests."

The New Wave staterooms most distinctive design element is its curved walls and lines creating a modern and chic experience. NCL has maximized the living space with a bathroom that is completely unique with a separate shower stall, separate water closet and a modern vanity top sink. The staterooms feature a sophisticated earth-tone palette accented with a splash of color and rich, dark wood. Concealed contour LED lighting and back-lit domed ceilings set a relaxing vibe.

All the amenities and comforts of NCL's Freestyle 2.0 enhancements are included with upgraded bedding, linens and towels, Euro pillows, Elemis bathroom products and MP3 connectivity upon request. Balcony and deluxe staterooms have bathrobes, a customized fruit menu, a fresh-baked cookie at turn down on the last night of cruise, an escort to the stateroom on embarkation day, priority restaurant reservation and reception hotlines and special color keycard for ship-wide recognition.

"Today's announcement is just the first chapter in a series of innovations we will be revealing about our new F3 ships leading up to their launch in 2010," Veitch said. "These ships will further deconstruct the traditional cruise ship experience with innovations in design, accommodations, luxury and entertainment to create a cutting-edge resort vacation experience unlike any other at sea."

    Further design details of the New Wave staterooms include:

    New Wave Deluxe:

    --  A bathroom that's "outside the box," including:

          -- Separate water closet
          -- Separate vanity top sink within the room
          -- Separate bathtub and shower or luxurious shower

    --  Unique curved walls

    --  Concealed contour LED lighting

    --  Back-lit domed ceiling

    --  Comfortable seating area

    --  Flat-screen TV

    --  Mini-Bar

    --  Balcony

    --  Expanded living space

    New Wave Balcony:

    --  A bathroom that's "outside the box," including:

          -- Separate water closet
          -- Separate vanity top sink within the room
          -- Separate shower stall

    --  Unique curved walls

    --  Concealed contour LED lighting

    --  Back-lit domed ceiling

    --  Comfortable seating area

    --  Flat-screen TV

    --  Mini-Bar

    --  Balcony

    New Wave Standard:

    --  A bathroom that's "outside the box," including:

          -- Separate water closet
          -- Separate vanity top sink within the room
          -- Separate shower stall

    --  Concealed contour LED lighting

    --  Most inside staterooms feature the back-lit domed ceiling

    --  Flat-screen TV

    --  Mini-Bar

The two 150,000-ton F3 ships will each total 4,200 passenger berths, representing the largest ships in NCL's fleet. The new ship design will offer 60 percent more guest space than NCL's largest ships to date, which will be used to provide guests an even wider range of on-board activities, amenities and stateroom options. The ships' cabin mix will be the richest of any NCL ship with 100 percent of outside staterooms featuring private balconies. In total, each ship will have 1,415 balcony staterooms.

More details about the F3 ships including other innovative accommodations, public spaces, dining, entertainment/nightlife, cutting-edge technology and casino will be announced leading up to the launch of the first F3 ship in 2010.

For the latest updates on F3 with downloadable high-resolution images of the New Wave staterooms, visit www.F3.ncl.com.

NCL Corporation Ltd. is the holding company for various subsidiary companies involved in owning and operating the ships of Norwegian Cruise Line.

NCL is building two new third generation Freestyle Cruising ships for delivery in 2010. NCL today has the youngest fleet in the industry, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy the flexibility of Freestyle Cruising on the newest, most contemporary ships at sea, and has recently added its latest new ship, the 2,400 passenger Norwegian Gem.

For high resolution, downloadable images, please log onto NCL's Web site at www.ncl.com/pressroom. For further information on NCL Corporation, contact NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (866) 234-0292.

Source: Norwegian Cruise Line

Released April 24, 2008