Norwegian Cruise Line Introduces Vintage Vessels for Indian Waters

Norwegian Cruise Line is shaking things up by chartering out its two oldest vessels as part of a broader plan too modernize its fleet. This move aligns with the parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which has also leased ships from its luxury brands to kick off a new residential cruise venture.

In an exciting development for Indian cruising, Cordelia Cruises—the nation’s sole dedicated cruise line—will take over the Norwegian Sky in 2026 and the Norwegian Sun in 2027.Launched after the pandemic with just one ship, Cordelia is now gearing up for expansion.

The Norwegian Sky, weighing in at 77,104 gross tons, and the slightly larger Norwegian Sun, at 78,309 gross tons, were pivotal for Norwegian’s modernization efforts back in the late ’90s. Founded in 1965, Norwegian struggled financially and fell behind competitors like Carnival and Royal Caribbean during that era.

The story of the Norwegian Sky‘s construction is quite interesting; it was initially commissioned by costa Cruises but hit a snag when financial issues halted work at Bremer Vulkan shipyard. Norwegian swooped in to finish building it at Lloyd Werft before launching it into service in 1999. With room for around 2,000 guests, this ship primarily cruised through Caribbean waters and even had a stint as the Pride of Aloha from 2004 to 2008.

A sistership followed shortly after—entering service as the Norwegian Sun. Even though there were plans for another sibling vessel, those never materialized.

Both ships are among the smallest in Norwegian’s lineup and predate their signature open dining concept that allows guests versatility without assigned seating. While they were retrofitted to accommodate some aspects of “Freestyle Cruising,” they still lack many amenities found on newer models.

NCL Holdings’ CEO Harry Sommer described this chartering strategy as part of a “smart approach” toward optimizing their fleet. This week marks another milestone with their latest addition—the third ship from their new series called the Norwegian Aqua. In total, seven new vessels are on order under this brand name—including some massive ships exceeding 200k gross tons!

Cordelia Cruises expressed enthusiasm about expanding horizons: “we’re excited to unveil fresh destinations while redefining what cruising can be for India and beyond.” Currently operating shorter trips on their vessel acquired from Royal Caribbean (now dubbed Cordelia Sky), they plan to launch longer itineraries starting August 2026 from Mumbai; though details regarding routes for the Sun remain under wraps until late-2027 when it transitions away from NCL.

Additionally noteworthy is NCL’s arrangement involving charters like that of Regent Seven Seas’Seven Seas Navigator em >and Oceania’s Insignia em >to Crescent Seas—a residential cruise line set to commence operations between late-2026 into early-2027! Meanwhile,Norwegian has three more ships being built specifically for Oceania along with two additional ones destined for Regent Seven Seas—all crafted by Fincantieri over in Italy! p >