Last Call For Norwegian Cruise Line's Sky & Sun!

NCL's Norwegian Sky In PortMiami's Turning Basin At Sunset

Don’t like the Super Duper Mega Ships so much?

Savor the opportunity to sail aboard some of the smaller ships while you can!  Major cruise lines are selling – or even retiring, their older, smaller vessels as their newbuilds enter service with dazzlingly, dizzying features that place them at the vanguard of cruising.

We’ve seen this with Carnival and their popular Fantasy-class ships – many of which have been scrapped.

Now Norwegian Cruise Line is selling their smallest and oldest ships, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun.  Each vessel is 77,000 gross register tons with a capacity of 1,928 and 1,976 passengers, respectively.  Both were refurbished in the past three years.

While oldest is an absolute term, smallest is relative, given the history of the cruise industry.  We need look no further than NCL’s own history.  The company’s first ship, the MS Sunward was a sub-10,000 ton vessel.  The Starward, Skyward, and Southward were all under 20,000 tons – as was the Sunward II (successor to the original).

According to multiple news sources, the ships will be chartered to India’s Cordelia Cruises.  The line already operates Royal Caribbean’s former Empress of the Seas (originally Nordic Empress).

Norwegian Sky:  The Last Hurrah

 According to available cruise inventory, the Sky currently sails northern and central Europe ahead of sailing the Mediterranean.  She will then complete a series of cruises that include Morocco, the Azores, and the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic.  From there, Norwegian Sky will sail the southern Caribbean from the Dominican Republic. This should be quite interesting and could prove to embody a more laid back cruise experience.  The last part of her service with NCL involves heading back to Morocco/Canary Islands/Azores, the Mediterranean, and the Persian Gulf – ending in Dubai.

O, to sail aboard this vessel on one of her southern Caribbean voyages would be such a fitting way of enjoying her before she leaves the NCL fleet. Though her itineraries are port intensive, one can make time to explore her fully and enjoy her ambiance.

Norwegian Sun by Cullen328 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149482934

Norwegian Sun:  The True Globetrotter

 As of this post, Norwegian Sun is sailing to Alaska from Hawaii.  After completing time in Alaska, she will return to the South Pacific through the summer before heading back to Alaska for a southbound autumnal sailing – after which she will head back across the Pacific to Japan where she will then make her way through Asia, visiting China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Then she will embark from Cape Town, South Africa up the west coast of the African continent, calling also at the Canary Islands and Vigo, Spain before terminating at Southampton, England.  From there, the Sun will cruise northern European waters, calling at places such as Amsterdam (Netherlands), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Helsinki (Finland) – among other places.

She will undertake a Transatlantic crossing into New York, including calls at Sydney and Halifax in Canada before returning to service in the Caribbean starting January 2026.

These sailings may be of most interest to those in the American cruise market; they will have a special appeal due to the fact that they are longer length sailings, such as 12 nights.  And if you love the idea of going to cruise line owned private islands, Great Stirrup Cay shows up on the itineraries.

Built To Suit A Certain Taste In Cruising

Being that these ships are significantly smaller than NCL's newer offerings, they do not offer such amenities as go-cart tracks, extensive water parks, multi-deck waterslides, and such. At the same time, you might find the atmosphere to be a bit more relaxed.

Also absent is NCL's Haven for passengers occupying deluxe accommodations and suites in an exclusive ship-within-a-ship enclave. Still both ships offer an array of staterooms - including a roomy Aft-Facing Penthouse where occupants can "Take A Stern View of Cruising as often as they like! The Owner's Suite with a large living area and an expansive balcony for breath-taking views across the ship's bow. All rooms benefit from the company's investment in keeping these ships updated through timely renovations.

Like their larger fleetmates, the Sky and Sun feature signature specialty dining, such as:

• Cagney's Steakhouse

• La Cucina (Italian)

• Le Bistro (French)

• Pinnacle Lounge & Sushi Bar (Japanese)

Time Is Of The Essence & Great (Cruise) Vacations Await!

Post Script:

These two ships share a common predecessor and a very interesting history - one you won't find often discussed! Look out forward to a follow-up post where you will certainly gain a greater appreciation for their place in cruise and maritime history.

And do consider a sailing on one or both while you still can, because once they are out-of-service with NCL, these ships will be out-of-reach for most of us. Happily, though, they will still be part of the cruise industry for years to come.