Norwegian Cruise Line to Asia: Here we come!
Norwegian Cruise Line's long-awaited expansion into Asia is now on the schedule.
The 13-ship brand today announced it would offer sailings in the region starting in 2016 on the 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star.
Norwegian says the vessel will operate out of Singapore and Hong Kong as part of a seasonal deployment that also will include Australia and New Zealand sailings out of Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand.
The voyages will be Norwegian's first in Asia, Australia and New Zealand since 2002, when the Norwegian Wind briefly visited the regions.
The Norwegian Star's deployment to Asia will begin in October 2016 with a 20-day voyage from Istanbul to Dubai that will be the brand's first sailing through the Suez Canal to the Persian Gulf region. It'll include stops in Turkey, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Oman.
The ship then will sail a 21-day voyage from Dubai to Singapore in November 2016 that includes the brand's first stops in India.
Three Asia sailings between Singapore and Hong Kong are planned for December 2016 and January 2017 ranging from 11 to 14 days. The ship will visit ports in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Taiwan. It'll then head to Australia and New Zealand for several voyages before returning to Singapore in March 2017.
The final leg of the deployment will feature an 18-day sailing from Singapore to Dubai, and a 20-day sailing from Dubai to Venice, Italy.
The Norwegian Star will continue to spend summers sailing to the Baltic of out Copenhagen, Denmark.
The move into Asia comes as Norwegian is in the midst of a major fleet expansion that will allow it to offer a wider range of itineraries. Four new ships are on order for delivery over the next four years, including one due in October.
Norwegian is one of the last of North America's big mass-market brands to target Asia for growth. Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America and Celebrity already offer an extensive array of voyages in the region.
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