Recently, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri revealed they’d struck a deal to build four new cruise ships for NCL. These ships will be very large and very expensive to build, and while we’ll share some numbers we know, there is a number relating to these new ships that we don’t know and it could indicate that Norwegian is taking a different approach.  We’ll warn you, we’re going to get a bit nerdy in this article, but we’ll also be offering you the chance to call us out in the future for being wrong - so keep reading!

Sunday evening a US District judge granted a preliminary injunction to stop Florida's so called "vaccine passport ban".  The Florida law, until now, prohibited businesses (including cruise lines) from denying service to customers if they couldn't provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Businesses violating the law were subject to a $5,000 fine per instance.  Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, originally filed a suit on the matter in July of this year.

This is the first In the very first episode of Billy's Cruise Takes I weigh in on NCLH suing Florida, Carnival's smoking policy changes, Canada allowing cruising, and the state of the Conditional sailing order...

When cruising resumed in Europe last year, cruise lines restricted guests from going ashore unless they were on an excursion booked through the cruise line.  At least one major cruise line will resume cruising in North America without this requirement...

Just a day after the CDC finally provided updated guidance on the next steps to return to cruising, one of the three largest cruise companies has taken a bigger step.  In a letter to CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky, Frank Del Rio (CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings) outlines the steps the COVID-19 safety measures the company’s three lines have taken, and explains how they plan to sail from the US starting in early July.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, two of the three largest cruise companies in the world, have brought together an impressive group of cross-disciplinary experts on public health, epidemiology, maritime operations, hospitality, and more.  Their goal?  Combine all of the best science and experience to identify a science-backed plan for a healthy return to service that ensures the wellbeing of guests, crew, and communities that lines visit.  In a time we should all be coming together, these competitors are doing just that.