Norwegian Cruise Line will no longer introduce one Prima-class ship a year, citing supply-chain delays affecting the yet-to-be-named third and fourth ships.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CFO Mark Kempa said the delay is “strictly 100% as a result of shipyard delays from supply-chain constraints.” The third and fourth Prima ships are currently delayed by four to five months each, he said.
NCL was to release one Prima class ship a year from 2022 until 2027, beginning with the Prima, which debuted in August, and the Norwegian Viva, due out in August 2023. NCL plans six ships in the class.
According to NCLH documents, the company no longer expects to release a ship in 2024. The revised schedule calls for one ship in 2025, two ships in 2026 and one ship in 2027.
In the company’s Q3 earnings report, NCLH pointed to the impact of Covid-19 on shipyards, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other macroeconomic events for causing delays in expected ship deliveries. In August, NCL pushed back the Norwegian Viva’s 2023 debut, citing supply-chain problems.
The company also reported that it may want to modify its newbuilds in the future to make them more environmentally sustainable, which would result in additional delays “which may be prolonged.”
Unlike other large cruise lines, NCL resisted the urge to power their first two Prima-class ships with liquified natural gas. The company has begun testing biofuel blends and has signed an agreement with MAN Energy Solutions in October to explore the feasibility of retrofitting existing engines to work off both diesel and methanol.
