2400-passenger Pride of Hawai`i to launch in summer of 2006

Honolulu -- July 6, 2004 – On Independence Day, NCL America announced the addition of a third U.S. Flagged ship to Hawai`i to be delivered in the summer of 2006. The Pride of Hawai`i is the second ship in the original Project America program and the third ship of the brand’s U.S.-Flagged fleet, joining Pride of Aloha and Pride of America.

“This announcement completes our plan of bringing three ships to Hawai`i by 2006 and creating more than 3,000 U.S. seafarer jobs,” said Colin Veitch, NCL America’s president and CEO. “Pride of Aloha is already a clear commercial success and we are keen to get all three ships into service as quickly as possible. We are proud to be the company to revive modern U.S. Flagged passenger shipping and developing a new and exciting cruise destination for consumers and travel agents alike.

"Consumers will now have the choice to sail inter island Freestyle cruises on three different NCL America ships, all sharing one important element – a U.S. crew hailing mainly from Hawai`i.”

On July 4, Pride of Aloha, the first of the three ships, began sailing her seven-day inter island cruises roundtrip from Honolulu. Two days prior to that, on July 2, the company announced that the second ship, Pride of America, would be delivered on June 6, 2005. Construction work on Pride of America had been set back by an accident in the shipyard in January but has now been recommenced.

Details on both Pride of America’s and Pride of Hawai`i's deployments will be announced soon.

Pride of Hawai`i will be the twin sister of the recently announced Bahamas-flagged Norwegian Jewel. She will be a 92,000-ton vessel and the seventh new Freestyle Cruising ship to be added to the NCL fleet in a five-year period. Like Norwegian Jewel, Pride of Hawai`i will feature 10 restaurants, dynamic public rooms, two Garden Villas and 10 courtyard villas with a private courtyard and sundeck.

Her 10-restaurant lineup will include Cagney’s Steak House, Blue Lagoon and NCL’s signature restaurant, Le Bistro as well as an Asian complex featuring a sushi bar, a teppaynaki table and a Pacific Fusion restaurant.

The ship will feature NCL’s new concept – a “Bar Central” -- featuring a martini bar, a champagne and wine bar, and a beer and whisky pub all connected but with three distinct personalities.

The interior design scheme will highlight many of the key aspects of Hawai`i's history and culture.

Pride of Hawai`i will have 1188 staterooms and accommodate just under 2,400 guests (double occupancy). She will also feature NCL’s latest standards in cabins, with rich cherry wood finishing, refrigerators, tea and coffee makers in every room, and a much larger bathroom unit than other competing ships, containing separate WC, shower, and washstand compartments separated by sliding doors in the outside, balcony and suite cabins.

The ship will also be family friendly with a large number of cabins (including suites and junior-suites) that can interconnect to create a two, three, four or five bedroom area suitable for small or large families and an expansive kids and teen center. Other amenities include a spa and state-of-the-art fitness center, an Internet café and a 1,000-seat theater.