NCL America christened the 93,500-ton Pride of Hawaii, the largest, most
luxurious and most expensive U.S.-flagged cruise ship in history. At the
official christening ceremony at the Port
of Los Angeles, the Honorable Daniel
K. Inouye, senior United States Senator from Hawaii, who sponsored and named the vessel
at the pier side event, joined Star Cruises Chairman Tan Sri KT LIM and NCL
CORPORATION's President and CEO Colin Veitch. The Senator was joined by six
female crewmembers from Pride of Hawaii, all hailing from Hawaii, who christened the ship with the
traditional bottle of champagne. The 2,400-passenger Pride of Hawaii is the
third U.S. flagged ship in
the NCL America fleet; that fleet sails between Hawaii's
isles without the need for a foreign port call, something foreign-flagged lines
must do by U.S.
law. As a result, the ship will have 100 hours of port time over a weeklong
cruise, creating a "floating hotel" for guests to use while sailing
from island to island and overnight on both Maui and Kauai.
Star Cruises Chairman Tan Sri KT LIM said his company, the parent of NCL and
NCL America, has invested over $1.2 billion building the U.S. flagged
fleet. Senator Inouye said NCL America is creating as many as 20,400 direct and
indirect jobs, including thousands of U.S.
seafarer jobs and nearly $1 billion in annual U.S. economic activity. Pride of
Hawaii employs a crew of over 1,000, bringing the total seagoing workforce of
NCL's U.S.
flagged fleet to approximately 4,000, making NCL America the largest private
employer of American seafarers in the world. The new ship has itsshare of bells
and whistles too, including 10 restaurants, three swimming pools,
family-friendly accommodations, a state-of-the-art spa and themed public rooms.
The ship features a new style of accommodations—10 Courtyard Villas—which along
with the ship's two Garden Villas—are the largest in the industry; the suite
complex boasts a private courtyard and sundeck and both Courtyard and Garden
Villa guests have a concierge lounge available to them. Additionally, Pride of
Hawaii features "Bar Central," a martini bar, a champagne and wine
bar, and a beer and whisky pub all connected, with three distinct
personalities, plus nine other bars and lounges for passengers to enjoy.
