Miami, January 26, 2004 – Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new Pride of Aloha, will undergo a major transformation when she enters dry dock in San Francisco in May. The company has been working on a new design for months since it was first announced that Norwegian Sky would be reflagged into the U.S. registry and renamed Pride of Aloha to sail inter-island cruises in Hawai`i.

After the dry dock, which begins May 17 and a series of Pacific Coastal cruises, Pride of Aloha will take over Pride of America’s previously published program of seven-day cruises on July 4th. The ship will call on the four main islands featuring an overnight in Kaua`i, full day calls in Kona and Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai`i, and an overnight in Maui.

In addition, the ship will debut a first for the cruise industry – the first Bishop Museum Collection at Sea. The company will announce full details in the coming weeks.

The redesign touches almost every part of the ship including the public rooms, staterooms, the deck and pool area and the six restaurants onboard.

“When faced with the daunting task of redesigning a ship to capture the essence of Hawai`i’s many rich and diverse elements, we immediately sought out one of the island’s most well-respected designers, Mary Philpotts,” said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL. “It’s Mary’s vision, along with the folks at SMC Design, that makes the redesign a truly unique one; one that we hope honors the ship’s name.

“Mary has worked closely with the NCL Team and, in fact, spent quite a bit of time onboard the ship last summer. The NCL Team also spent several weeks visiting with Hawai`i artists, many whose work will be showcased on the ship,” Veitch added.

According to Philpotts, the project was an opportunity to bring the varied history and multi-faceted culture of Hawai`i to a cruise ship environment.

“We wanted to give the ship a sense of place, of history, of the diversity that is Hawai`i,” Philpotts said. “When people get off the plane they also want to know two things – ‘where are the beaches and where are the waterfalls?’ So we incorporated the beautiful, natural surroundings of Hawai`i into the overall design.”

Dramatic changes for Pride of Aloha
As soon as passengers board the Pride of Aloha, they will experience a vibrant and colorful world of flora, fauna and water-inspired details.

The focal point of the ship, a towering eight-deck-high glass-domed atrium, will have dramatic artworks that spiral throughout the area. Fifty-foot high sculptures, inspired by the Menehune (the mythical little people of Hawai`i), will flank the space while rainbow-colored sails patterned after the islands’ traditional canoes will be suspended overhead. Vibrant colors of pink, yellow, green and blue will adorn the new carpet and chairs.

The bright and colorful pool deck will have a ‘laid back’ atmosphere as a ‘Pau Hana’ (abandon work) attitude prevails. The design is inspired by a Hawai`i beach or outdoor lanai. A mural of surfers will be a colorful backdrop to The Breakers Bar at the pool and the ship’s basketball court.

The disco on deck six will become the Blue Hawai`i Night Club inspired by the outdoor beachfront dance clubs that have historically been popular in Hawai`i. The nightclub entrance will feature a life-sized Hula girl lamp with slowly swaying hips, lit by her Hawai`i print lampshade. Hula girl graphics will grace the surrounding walls. Thatched roof sections, palm trees and the new carpet scattered with colorfully strewn leis will give passengers that tropical feeling.

Pride of Aloha’s new library, the Mark Twain Library on deck six, will be infused with the names and personalities of well-known authors who journeyed to the islands for inspiration and relaxation. The design will incorporate old photos of the era. The three meeting rooms on board will be renamed to O`ahu, Maui and Kaua`i.

Captain Cook’s Bar and Captain Cook’s Cigar Club on deck six will feature artwork depicting the discoveries and travels of Captain James Cook, the European discoverer of Hawai’i, and replications of early 1800s etchings that artists traveling on ships used to visually record what they found on the Islands.

The Outrigger Lounge on deck 11 is inspired by the Polynesians who navigated the Pacific Ocean. They were known as the Blue Water Sailors for their incredible exploits using the stars as navigation charts. The redesign uses many traditional images and patterns of that time combined with a large outrigger canoe that will be suspended from the ceiling.

The Plantation Club on deck 12 will be styled in the British Colonial period of the Plantation era. The ambiance will reflect the hospitality of a plantation owner’s home. The Hoku (Hawaiian for star) Bar on deck 11 is an outdoor bar.

Images and memorabilia of both surfing and baseball will make the Sports Bar an entertaining place to watch sporting events. The theme is inspired by Duke Kahanamoku, the four-time Olympic swimming winner and world renown surfer, and Joe DiMaggio, who started his career with the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League where he played semi-professional ball and traveled to Hawai`i frequently to play games.

Pride of Aloha’s staterooms will capture the ‘bigger than life’ philosophy that permeates when travelers visit the Islands.

“Again and again, we hear people say that the sky is the bluest, the foliage is the greenest and the flowers are the most colorful they have ever seen,” Philpotts said. “We took those observations and transferred them to the furnishings of the staterooms.”

An explosion of color will greet passengers as they enter their rooms. Lively colors of pink, blue, orange, purple and green will adorn carpets, upholstery and bedspreads.

Pride of Aloha’s six restaurants will undergo significant changes:

• Palace Restaurant – A main restaurant that will offer an a la carte menu with daily specials; the redesign will feature a bold color scheme of exciting pinks and reds; located on deck five;

• Crossings Restaurant – Another main restaurant will offer an a la carte menu with daily specials; the redesign will feature a nautical design inspired by the Trans Pacific yacht race from Los Angeles to Honolulu; located on deck 5

• Kahili Restaurant – An alternative restaurant that will feature high-end Italian fare; the new design is inspired by the rich pageantry of the Hawai`i Royal Families reflecting the European style influenced by Queen Victoria; The Kahili is a feather decorated staff that is symbolic of royalty; located on deck 5

• Pacific Heights – An elegant Pacific Rim/Asian Fusion alternative restaurant to offer Hawai`i cuisine from steak to local fish; the redesign will feature modern contemporary art from local Hawai`i artists; located on deck 11

• Royal Palm Bistro – This alternative restaurant (Le Bistro on other NCL ships) will feature an a la carte menu of nouvelle and classic French cuisine; the new design is themed on the royal and aristocratic garden schemes of the Victorian era inspired by the exchange of plants between the Pacific Basin and Europe; located on deck 12

• Hukilau Café and Hukilau Lanai – A casual eatery serving breakfast/lunch buffets and snacks as well as food action stations; The Hukilau, Hawaiian for community gathering to celebrate with a feast, will feature murals depicting the harvesting of the feast from the sea and land; bright orange and pink fish will adorn the new carpet; located on deck 11.

The Hawai`i-themed design also extends to the outside of the ship. Local Hawai`i artist Linda Umstead created the ship’s distinctive new hull artwork. The artwork incorporates vibrant yellows, pinks and greens in the quintessential symbol of Hawai`i’s gracious welcome, a flower Lei.

The design centers on the popular Plumeria Lei, whose fragrance is often the first and last experienced by visitors to the islands, and the traditional Maile and Orchid Wedding Leis.

Kumu A`o Cultural Center
NCL has partnered with the Bishop Museum to bring a Hawaiian cultural center on board the Pride of Aloha called the Kumu A`o Cultural Center (Kumu A`o is Hawaiian for source of learning). Located on deck seven, the center will have a quiet and warm elegance and can be used as an area of learning, for meetings and as a gathering place. Contemporary Island wood cabinets will display artifacts and antiques from the Bishop Museum to form the first Bishop Museum Collection at Sea.

The 77,000-ton Pride of Aloha is 2,000-passenger ship built in 1999 as Norwegian Sky. She will be reflagged into the U.S. Registry in June of 2004 to begin sailing seven-day inter-island cruises in Hawai`i on July 4th. The ship will have 100 percent U.S. crew, mostly hailing from Hawai`i offering the famous Aloha Spirit onboard.