NCL Ships by Age & Size: Complete Guide to the Fleet

Norwegian Cruise Line currently sails with a fleet of 20 ships, from brand‑new mega‑vessels designed for thousands of guests to much older, more intimate ships that trace back to the late 1990s.

I have been lucky enough to experience the oldest and newest, the largest and smallest, so I can say firsthand how strikingly different they are, in scale, vibe, and onboard experience.

This guide is here to help you choose which NCL ship best suits your next cruise – organised by age, size, and class, complete with photos to bring each one to life.

NCL Ships in Order of Age

The following table lists all of the ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, ordered from newest to oldest. It includes the ones that are currently on order, too.

Ship	Year Built	Refurbished	Class
Unnamed	2036	–	Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed	2034	–	Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed	2032	–	Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed	2030	–	Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed	2028	–	Prima Plus Class
Unnamed	2027	–	Prima Plus Class
Norwegian Luna	2026	–	Prima Plus 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	2025	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Epic	2010	2025	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	2025	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

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Newest Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship currently sailing is Norwegian Aqua, which officially launched in April 2025. She’s the first ship in the brand-new Prima Plus class, an evolution of Norwegian’s original Prima-class design. While Norwegian Aqua follows her sisters Norwegian Prima (2022) and Norwegian Viva (2023), she’s around 10% larger at 156,300 gross tons and carries 3,571 guests at double occupancy.

The Prima Plus class introduces several upgrades, including expanded top-deck spaces, a larger infinity pool, a redesigned Aqua Slidecoaster, and more outdoor dining options, making Aqua one of Norwegian’s most innovative ships to date.

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

Before Norwegian Aqua, the most recent new ship was Norwegian Viva, which launched in August 2023 as the second ship in the Prima class. Viva is one of the most spacious new ships at sea, featuring expansive outdoor deck areas, an infinity pool designed to blend into the ocean, cosy firepits, and a dramatic glass bridge walkway.

Prior to Viva’s arrival – and her sister ship Norwegian Prima in 2022 – the last new addition to the fleet had been Norwegian Encore in November 2019. Part of the Breakaway Plus class, Encore remains one of the largest ships in the fleet, coming in at 169,116 GRT and carrying almost 4,000 guests at double occupancy.

She features family-friendly favourites like a virtual reality arcade, open-air laser tag, thrilling waterslides, and a multi-level 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 over 25 years ago in 1998, this ship has undergone 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 Ranked by Size

The following table lists the Norwegian cruise ships by size from largest to smallest – just the ones currently sailing, for now.

Ship	Size (GRT)	Guest Capacity	Class
Norwegian Encore	169,116	3,998	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Bliss	168,028	4,010	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Joy	167,725	3,776	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Escape	164,998	4,218	Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Aqua	156,300	3,571	Prima Plus Class
Norwegian Epic	155,873	4,070	Epic Class
Norwegian Getaway	145,655	3,903	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Breakaway	145,655	3,903	Breakaway Class
Norwegian Viva	142,500	3,195	Prima Class
Norwegian Prima	142,500	3,195	Prima Class
Norwegian Jade	93,558	2,352	Jewel Class
Norwegian Gem	93,530	2,344	Jewel Class
Norwegian Pearl	93,530	2,344	Jewel Class
Norwegian Jewel	93,508	2,330	Jewel Class
Norwegian Dawn	92,250	2,290	Dawn Class
Norwegian Star	91,740	2,298	Dawn Class
Pride of America	80,439	2,180	Unclassed
Norwegian Sun	78,309	1,878	Sun Class
Norwegian Sky	77,104	1,944	Sun Class
Norwegian Spirit	75,904	1,972	Unclassed

The Biggest Ship

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 4,218 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.

The Smallest Ship

Norwegian Cruise Line’s smallest ship is Norwegian Spirit. The oldest ship in the fleet, this mid-sized cruise ship has the capacity for 1,972 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 Explained

Norwegian Cruise Line has grouped its ships into nine 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 Hawaii all year round.

The Best NCL 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 ships, Norwegian Aqua (2025), Norwegian Viva (2023) and Norwegian Prima (2022), are fantastic for teenagers. With attractions like a virtual reality arcade, laser tag, a multi-level race track, and Aqua’s upgraded Slidecoaster, there’s a good chance you’ll barely see them!

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

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