Welcome back to Byte Size Cruises! Today we are going to break down the NCL ships and share where they are going, how they are similar, and how they are different so you can choose the ship that is best for you. 

Let’s start with the Sun class of ships which are the oldest ships in the NCL fleet. These ships were built in the late 90’s to 2001. This is the Sun (Photo 1), which holds about 2100 travelers. The Sun is currently cruising in Alaska and then it will be going from Baltimore to the Caribbean and then to the Mediterranean. 

One of the things to keep in mind is that smaller ships tend to be best for itinerary heavy vacations. Now, sometimes you might just want a smaller ship for a more intimate experience. However, keep in mind that on a smaller ship there often is only one thing going on at a time and if an event is popular, such as a show or a specific dinner experience, it will probably be crowded. Don’t count on less crowds just because there are less people on the ship. We find that if the itinerary involves several ports and excursions with only a few days at sea, small ships are great. 

Another one of these ships is the Sky (Photo 2) that was built in 1999. This ship is currently doing Miami into the Caribbean and then will do Barbedos into the Southern Caribbean. Again, this ship will be great for cruisers who want to immerse themselves in destinations or those looking for a low key sailing experience without tons of entertainment on the ship itself. 

Next up we have the Dawn class of NCL ships. These ships were built in the early 2000’s. In this class there is the NCL Dawn (Photo 3) which is currently in England and is another smaller ship. After England, the Dawn will be doing Dubai, Turkey, South Africa and the Mediterranean; a busy itinerary which is perfect for this smaller ship. Same thing with the Star (Photo 4), another ship in this class, which will be doing Iceland and then Portugal and Argentina. 

The next class of ships is going to be around the same size, however this is the time when NCL adopted “freestyle cruising” so there will be more to do on the ship. Some of them will have waterslides, some of them will have specialty dining, etc. First up here is the NCL Jewel, built in 2005. (Photo 5) This ship is currently doing Alaska and then it will be going from Tampa to the Caribbean. Remember, Tampa is a smaller port so only these smaller ships can use it. Also in this class is the NCL Jade, built in 2006 (Photo 6) which is currently in the Greek Isles and then will be going from Tampa to the Caribbean, Port Canaveral to the Caribbean, and then north to Alaska. 

Also in this class of ships is the Pearl (Photo 7), built in 2006, another smaller NCL ship holding about 2500 passengers. The Pearl does a lot of charters and currently is doing Boston to Bermuda and then Miami to the Bahamas. We recommend these cruises on smaller ships for anyone looking for a slower paced vacation as these ships won’t offer those over-the-top experiences you’ll find on larger ships. Next up is the Gem (Photo 8), built in 2007. A few fun things we enjoy about the Pearl and the Gem is the bliss ultra lounge with the bowling alley attached to it. Right now the Gem is going from Miami to the Panama Canal and then it will be going from Boston to Bermuda and back up to Maine, stopping at Bar Harbor and Portland. 

The next class of NCL ships is the Breakaway class. The Breakaway (Photo 9) was built in 2013 and holds 4500 passengers. This was a big step up for NCL. On this class of ships you’re going to find all of the specialty dining, comedy clubs, Broadway style shows and more. These ships are great for families with fun activities offered just for kids. Here you’ll find the waterfront, which goes all the way around Deck 8, among other fun features on this ship. Currently the Breakaway is in the Mediterranean and then it will go from New Orleans to the Caribbean and Miami, and then New York to Bermuda and Canada. The Getaway (Photo 10) in this class was built in 2014 and is going to be doing the same kind of trips. Currently in the Mediterranean then it will be going from New York City to Bermuda and then the Greek Isles. These ships are great if you have a family or if you’re a bit younger and want more choices and more activities on the ship. 

Next, NCL built the Breakaway Plus class ships. These are the newer ships in the NCL fleet and there are four ships in this class and have all been built in the past 8 years. There is the Escape (Photo 11), which is currently going from New York to Canada and Bermuda. Next it will be going from Port Canaveral to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and then shooting over to Galvaston. Galvaston is getting lots of ships in their new terminals, which is great for Texas. Then there is the NCL Joy (Photo 12) which is going from New York City to Bermuda and then Miami to the Caribbean. The other two ships in this fleet are the Encore and Bliss, both doing Alaska right now. All of the ships in this fleet were built between 2015 and 2018 and hold about 5000 passengers.

Next is the Prima class of ships, with the NCL Prima (Photo 13) which holds about 3500 guests. This ship is currently touring Iceland and then will do Galveston to the Caribbean and then New York City to the Caribbean. This class of ships has been a bit controversial and there were supposed to be 4 to 6 ships in this class. The Prima was built in 2022 and the Viva in the same year. These ships look like luxury ships but when you get to the top deck you’ll find things like beer pong, which feels contradictory. What you will find on these ships though is amazing entertainment and shows. The next 4 ships that are coming out in this class will each be larger than the last. 

There are a few other NCL ships that do not belong to a class, such as the Epic (photo 14) which was built in 2010 and holds about 4,700 guests. It was originally designed to be a different type of cruise ship and break the traditional style, something travelers did not like at first. Another ship that does not belong in a class is Pride of America (photo 15) which is the only US flagged cruise ship in the NCL fleet and holds about 2,500 guests. This means that the majority of the staff must be American citizens. Pride of America does Hawaii trips and is one of the only cruise ships that does all of the Hawaiian islands because it’s a smaller ship. Finally there is the Spirit, which is another smaller cruise ship that also does some unique locations. This ship does Australia, New Zealand, and also is the only NCL ship that does Alaska to Hawaii. 

That is all of the different classes of NCL ships and where they are currently traveling! Here at Byte Size Cruises, we always enjoy cruising with NCL and the variety of options available depending on the type of cruise experience we are looking for. Overall we find that NCL strikes a great balance between being family friendly without being over the top so you can enjoy your time on the ship whether or not you have young children with you. We hope this information will help you choose your next ship for your best vacation! Have you cruised with NCL before? What was your experience like? Comment below!