Norwegian Cruise Line ships from newest to oldest — the complete list

What’s the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship? Knowing the answer is more important than you might think if you’re planning a Norwegian cruise. The newest Norwegian cruise ship is typically also the Norwegian ship with the most modern, up-to-date cabins and the most enticing mix of restaurants, bars and attractions. It’s the right choice if …

May 29, 2025 - 20:34

Norwegian Cruise Line ships from newest to oldest — the complete list

What’s the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship? Knowing the answer is more important than you might think if you’re planning a Norwegian cruise.

The newest Norwegian cruise ship is typically also the Norwegian ship with the most modern, up-to-date cabins and the most enticing mix of restaurants, bars and attractions. It’s the right choice if you want the creme de la creme of the Norwegian fleet as your floating home away from home.

Right now, the newest Norwegian cruise ship is Norwegian Aqua, followed by Norwegian Viva. Respectively, they’re the third and second ships in Norwegian’s new Prima Class of vessels, which began debuting in 2022 with the arrival of Norwegian Prima. Specifically, Norwegian Aqua belongs to the line’s Prima Plus Class, a sub-class of the Prima Class, which means it’s 10% larger than its two older sisters.

Other relatively new Norwegian Cruise Line ships include Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy. All began sailing in the last decade.

Norwegian operates 20 cruise vessels in total. On average, the line comes out with about one new ship every 18 months; it typically keeps vessels in its fleet for between 20 and 30 years before retiring them. The oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Norwegian Spirit, is 26 years old.

Norwegian’s newest ships are generally far bigger and much more amenity-packed than its older ships. If you crave a lot of activities on a Norwegian cruise vacation, you’ll want to stick to vessels built in 2010 or later.

In many cases, Norwegian Cruise Line’s oldest cruise ships — built in the 1990s and early 2000s — are just half the size of the line’s newest vessels and have fewer venues on board. Still, even these smaller ships offer many attractions compared to some vessels at competing lines.

Here is a list of every Norwegian Cruise Line ship currently in operation, ranked from newest to oldest.

1. Norwegian Aqua

A rendering of a new cruise ship — NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Maiden voyage: 2025
Size: 156,300 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,571

2. Norwegian Viva

Maiden voyage: 2023
Size: 143,535 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,099

3. Norwegian Prima

Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 143,535 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,099

4. Norwegian Encore

Maiden voyage: 2019
Size: 169,116 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,998

5. Norwegian Bliss

Maiden voyage: 2018
Size: 168,028 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,004

6. Norwegian Joy

Norwegian Cruise Ship Joy sails across the sea — NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Maiden voyage: 2017
Size: 167,725 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,804

7. Norwegian Escape

Maiden voyage: 2015
Size: 164,998 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,266

8. Norwegian Getaway

Maiden voyage: 2014
Size: 145,655 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,963

9. Norwegian Breakaway

Maiden voyage: 2013
Size: 145,655 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,963

10. Norwegian Epic

Maiden voyage: 2010
Size: 155,873 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,100

11. Norwegian Gem

Maiden voyage: 2007
Size: 93,530 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,394

12. Norwegian Pearl

Maiden voyage: 2006
Size: 93,530 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,394

13. Norwegian Jade

Maiden voyage: 2006
Size: 93,558 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,402

14. Norwegian Jewel

Maiden voyage: 2005
Size: 93,502 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,376

15. Pride of America

Maiden voyage: 2005
Size: 80,439 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,186

16. Norwegian Dawn

Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 92,250 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,340

17. Norwegian Star

Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 91,740 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,348

18. Norwegian Sun

Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 78,309 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 1,936

19. Norwegian Sky

Norwegian Sky cruise ship sailing from Miami during sunset — NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Maiden voyage: 1999
Size: 77,104 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,004

20. Norwegian Spirit

Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 75,904 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,032

What is the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship?

The newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship is Norwegian Aqua, which set sail on its maiden voyage in late March 2025. Measuring 156,300 gross tons and carrying 3,571 passengers at double occupancy, it’s a slightly larger evolution of Norwegian’s Prima Class vessels, which will be rolling out through 2028.

Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima — the first two ships in the Prima Class — are notably smaller than other new Norwegian cruise ships unveiled over the past 15 years, but they still have nearly as many restaurants, bars, showrooms and top-deck attractions as you’ll find on the bigger vessels.

TPG sailed on the maiden voyages of Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima and has covered them extensively. For more on the ships, see the following guides and reviews:

What is the oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship?

The oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship is Norwegian Spirit. Unveiled in 1998, it’s not just the oldest Norwegian Cruise Line ship but the smallest Norwegian Cruise Line ship — far smaller than the newest Norwegian vessels. At 75,904 tons, Norwegian Spirit is less than half the size of recently unveiled Norwegian Encore, and it carries just 1,966 passengers — about 2,000 fewer than the Norwegian biggies.

In part because of its smaller size, Norwegian Spirit also offers fewer (but still quite a few) venues and attractions than newer Norwegian vessels. In all, you’ll find 13 food outlets on Norwegian Spirit, including two main restaurants, a casual buffet eatery and versions of the line’s signature Cagney’s steakhouse and French-inspired Le Bistro. There are more than half a dozen bars and cafes.

Top-deck attractions on Norwegian Spirit include several pools, whirlpools, waterslides, a basketball court and a jogging track. The ship also has a casino, a spa, a nightclub and a theater.

What new Norwegian Cruise Line ships are coming?

Norwegian Cruise Line currently has seven new cruise ships on order — more than any other major cruise brand. They include three more ships in this Prima Class series, scheduled for delivery in 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively.

All three of these coming Prima Class ships will be somewhat bigger than the first two vessels in the series to allow for more cabins and public areas. The last two ships in the series will also be expanded to accommodate new, bigger fuel tanks that can hold methanol — a cleaner-burning type of fuel.

In addition to the forthcoming Prima Class vessels, Norwegian also has ordered four giant new ships that are slated to start sailing between 2030 and 2036.

The as-yet-unnamed series of new ships will measure about 200,000 gross tons each, which will make them about 18% bigger than the biggest ships currently in the Norwegian fleet.

These four big vessels are scheduled to be finished and ready to sail in 2030, 2032, 2034 and 2036, respectively.

Fincantieri, an Italian shipbuilding company, will construct all seven ships currently on order for the Norwegian Cruise Line brand.

What is the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship available for booking?

Norwegian Aqua is the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ship you can book now. At the time of publication, its voyages were available for booking through April 2026. The seven new ships on order have yet to open for bookings.

What is the newest class of Norwegian Cruise Line ships?

The Prima Class is the newest class of Norwegian ships. For now, there are only three vessels in the class that you can sail — Norwegian Aqua, Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima. The class will eventually be made up of at least six vessels.

The series is destined to massively expand Norwegian’s footprint in the cruise business and, if all goes according to plan, significantly transform the brand. The line currently operates 20 vessels around the world. Assuming it doesn’t retire any of its older ships over the next few years, it will grow to 23 ships by 2028 with the addition of three more Prima Class vessels.

At 143,535 tons, Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima are notably smaller than the vessels Norwegian has added to its fleet in recent years. The line’s last new ship before the addition of the two vessels, 2019-built Norwegian Encore, was about 18% bigger than Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima at 169,116 tons.

Norwegian executives have said the smaller size of the new Prima Class ships would give the line more options in designing itineraries; the vessels are able to access smaller ports around the world than the bigger Norwegian ships can. However, Norwegian Aqua is bigger than the first two ships in the Prima Class by about 10%; the three new-builds following it will also be larger than the first two in the class.

What’s the difference between newer and older Norwegian Cruise Line ships?

Newer Norwegian Cruise Line ships are generally bigger than older Norwegian ships — sometimes much bigger. As a result, they have room for many more onboard venues and attractions than the line’s older vessels.

On Norwegian’s relatively new Breakaway Plus Class vessels (Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape), you’ll find multiple pools, waterslides and a kiddie splash zone, and — on most of the ships — a sprawling go-kart racing track. Each vessel also offers shows in big, state-of-the-art theaters, as well as sprawling spas, casinos that fill half a deck, dedicated children’s play zones and more than 2,000 cabins.

Additionally, the two newest ships in this series, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Joy, have large gaming and virtual reality zones called the Galaxy Pavilion.

In short, they’re like giant floating versions of the megaresorts you find in the Orlando and Las Vegas areas, and they appeal to people who like that type of experience.

Norwegian’s oldest ships, in many cases, are about half the size of the line’s newest ships and lack many of the above features. They have a much more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships, and they hold far fewer people. While Breakaway Plus Class ships can hold around 4,000 passengers, based on double occupancy, the line’s oldest vessels are only designed to carry about 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.

Norwegian’s oldest ships are a good choice for vacationers who want to try Norwegian but aren’t eager to travel with huge crowds. The oldest ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet thus appeal to a subset of Norwegian fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don’t mind giving up some onboard amenities to get that. They are also often less expensive to sail on, on a per-day basis.

Because of their size, Norwegian’s oldest ships can operate itineraries to places that aren’t as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports worldwide can handle a ship the size of Norwegian Encore.

Note that all Norwegian ships are regularly renovated and upgraded every few years, so even the oldest Norwegian cruise vessels have newer carpeting, updated furniture, modern decor in cabins and other updates. In many cases, their eateries and bars have been entirely renovated over the years with concepts that first debuted on newer vessels.

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