NCL Ships By Age And Size (2023)

Norwegian Cruise Line has 20 ships, ranging from new mega-ships that accommodate over 4,000 guests to ships that were built in the 1990s and are less than half the size.

I’ve been lucky enough to experience both the oldest and newest and the biggest and smallest NCL ships and honestly, they’re worlds apart in many ways.

So, to help you decide which of Norwegian’s cruise ships to choose for your next cruise, read on for a guide to NCL ships by age, size and class along with photos of each.

NCL Ships By Age

The following table lists all of the ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, ordered from newest to oldest.

Ship	Year Built	Refurbished	Class
Norwegian Aqua	2025*	–	Prima Plus Class
Norwegian Viva	2023	–	Prima Class
Norwegian Prima	2022	–	Prima Class
Norwegian Encore	2019	–	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Bliss	2018	–	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Joy	2017	2019	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Escape	2015	–	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Getaway	2014	2019	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Breakaway	2013	2018	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Epic	2010	2020	Epic Class
Norwegian Gem	2007	2015	Jewel Class
Norwegian Jade	2006	2017	Jewel Class
Norwegian Pearl	2006	2017	Jewel Class
Norwegian Jewel	2005	2018	Jewel Class
Pride of America	2005	2016	Unclassed
Norwegian Dawn	2002	2016	Dawn Class
Norwegian Star	2001	2018	Dawn Class
Norwegian Sun	2001	2018	Sun Class
Norwegian Sky	1999	2019	Sun Class
Norwegian Spirit	1998	2020	Unclassed

The newest Norwegian ship currently sailing is Norwegian Viva, but we do know that Norwegian Aqua will be joining the fleet in 2025, with three more ships also being built.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Newest Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship currently sailing is Norwegian Viva. This new ship is the second of the Prima-class cruise ships to be built for NCL, having launched in August 2023. However, future ships may be part of the new Prima Plus class instead.

Read more: The Newest Norwegian Cruise Line Ships (In Order)

Norwegian Viva is one of the most spacious new cruise ships at sea, with expansive outdoor deck spaces, an infinity pool designed to blend into the ocean, outdoor firepits and a glass bridge walkway.

Prior to the launch of Norwegian Viva and her sister ship Norwegian Prima in 2022, the most recent addition to the fleet had been Norwegian Encore. Launched in November 2019, this Breakaway Plus-class ship is also the largest in the NCL fleet, with an internal volume of 169,116 GRT and the capacity for almost 4,000 guests at double occupancy.

Norwegian Encore boasts a selection of family-friendly facilities including a virtual reality arcade, open-air laser tag arena, thrilling waterslides and a go-kart track.

Suggested read: My Norwegian Encore Review

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Oldest Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line’s oldest ship is Norwegian Spirit. Launched 25 years ago in 1998, this ship was the most recently refurbished with a $100 million refit that saw the addition of 14 new venues including an additional main dining room and an expanded Spa.

I visited Norwegian Spirit just before the makeover. Take a look at what she looked like previously in this Tour of Norwegian Spirit.

The other older ships in the NCL fleet include the Sun-class and Dawn-class ships which were all built before 2012.

As you can see in this photo of the Sun-class Norwegian Sky that I took in Nassau, these older ships are relatively small and do not have many balcony staterooms compared to more modern cruise ships.

NCL Ships By Size

The following table lists the Norwegian cruise ships by size from largest to smallest.

Ship	Size (GRT)	Guest Capacity	Class
Norwegian Encore	169,116	3,998	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Bliss	168,028	4,004	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Joy	167,725	3,804	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Escape	164,998	4,266	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Aqua	156,300	3,571	Prima Plus Class
Norwegian Epic	155,873	4,100	Epic Class
Norwegian Getaway	145,655	3,963	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Breakaway	145,655	3,963	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Viva	142,500	3,215	Prima Class
Norwegian Prima	142,500	3,215	Prima Class
Norwegian Jade	93,558	2,402	Jewel Class
Norwegian Gem	93,530	2,394	Jewel Class
Norwegian Pearl	93,530	2,394	Jewel Class
Norwegian Jewel	93,508	2,376	Jewel Class
Norwegian Dawn	92,250	2,340	Dawn Class
Norwegian Star	91,740	2,348	Dawn Class
Pride of America	80,439	1,936	Unclassed
Norwegian Sun	78,309	1,936	Sun Class
Norwegian Sky	77,104	2,004	Sun Class
Norwegian Spirit	75,904	2,018	Unclassed

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Biggest Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ship is Norwegian Encore with a gross tonnage of 169,116 GT and the capacity for 3,998 guests at double occupancy. This Breakaway Plus-class ship has 20 decks, of which 16 are accessible to guests and a length of 1,094 feet.

The NCL ship that can accommodate the most guests is Norwegian Escape with a capacity for 4,266 guests when each room has two people in. This ship is slightly smaller than Norwegian Encore but has space for more staterooms as it doesn’t have the laser tag arena, the race track or the splash park.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ships aren’t that big when compared to the biggest ships from other cruise lines. In fact, NCL’s Breakaway Plus-class ships are around 25% smaller than Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class and 7% smaller than MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia Plus-class ships.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Smallest Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line’s smallest ship is Norwegian Spirit. The oldest ship in the fleet, this mid-sized cruise ship has the capacity for 2,018 guests at double occupancy and an internal volume of 75,904 gross tonnes.

Around half of the NCL fleet consists of medium-sized cruise ships that accommodate fewer than 2,500 guests. These ships were all built before 2008 when the fashion for bigger cruise ships took off.

NCL Ship Classes

Norwegian Cruise Line has grouped its ships into eight classes. Interestingly, the two ships remain unclassed as they are different from all others in the fleet.

Unclassed ships

These ships are unique and do not belong to any class:

• Norwegian Spirit
• Pride of America

Norwegian Spirit was originally built for the Asia-based cruise company Star Cruises under the name SuperStar Leo.

Pride of America is the only US-flagged cruise ship in the world and was specifically designed to sail around Hawaii all year round.

What Are The Best NCL Ships?

So, which are the best NCL cruise ships? Are the bigger, newer ships actually better than the smaller older ships? Having experienced both, I must say that the answer depends on what you want from a cruise.

The newest NCL ship Norwegian Viva and her sister Norwegian Prima are great for teenagers. You’ll probably never see them all week as they’ll be so excited to visit the virtual reality arcade, laser tag and race track.

However, all of these activities aren’t included in the price of your cruise, so you could easily rack up a large bill. Plus, they take up a lot of space, meaning that there isn’t that much room left on the open decks for sunbathing.

Even the oldest ships in the NCL fleet have been refurbished recently, so these ships no longer feel like they’re 20+ years old. Ticket prices are much cheaper than the newer ships, and they have better itineraries, making them a good choice for couples without kids and those on a budget.

However, my favourite NCL ship has to be Norwegian Breakaway. I loved the amazing waterslides on this ship and had a lot of fun on the high ropes course and watching the amazing entertainment – all of which were complimentary.

Read more: Norwegian Cruise Line Ships Ranked Best To Worst

Norwegian Cruise Line Ships FAQs

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