Thursday, October 19, 2023, Norwegian Cruise Line celebrated its return to Asia after a three-year hiatus when Norwegian Jewel set sail from Tokyo on an 11-day voyage.
During her six-month deployment to the region, Norwegian Jewel will sail 16 unique itineraries, visit 11 countries and embark from nine different ports. The itineraries will range from 10- to 14-days departing from the ports of Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Bali, Indonesia; Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea. The departure from Seoul, South Korea will be the first in the cruise line’s history.
The cruises average less than two sea days per sailing and focus on lengthy calls like 13.5 hours in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and extended overnight stays in Phuket, Thailand; Osaka, Japan; and Bali, Indonesia. Norwegian Jewel will also make inaugural calls to Manila, Boracay, Palawan and Salomague, Philippines; Bintan Island, Indonesia; and Hualien, Taiwan.
“Today is a milestone moment, as we return to Asia with Norwegian Jewel’s arrival to Tokyo,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We pride ourselves in delivering the best vacation experience and providing endless opportunities for our guests to explore the world…including Asia! This region delivers some of the most intriguing history, cuisine, and culture for travelers to discover, and we are thrilled to deliver a diverse selection of port-rich voyages. This market is important to us, and we are committed to servicing it in the long term.”
By the 2024-2025 season, Norwegian Cruise Line will have four ships deployed in the region–Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Sky. The four ships will visit the region’s most diverse ports and iconic destinations in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia.
Norwegian Sun will debut in Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and Asia. She will sail a six-month Asia Pacific season with 13 exotic itineraries between October 2024 to April 2025. Four itineraries are new and include departures from Melbourne, Australia as well as an Auckland, New Zealand to Bali, Indonesia sailing.
Norwegian Spirit is returning to Australia and New Zealand after a very successful maiden season. She will sail popular open-jaw sailings between Sydney and Auckland from December 2023 through March 2024 and then sail a number of repositioning cruises in the South Pacific. She will return to the region for an eight-month season offering a series of 14 Asia voyages from September 2024 through April 2025. Those itineraries will depart from Manila, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul.
Norwegian Sky will sail a four-month Asian season offering seven exotic itineraries in Asia, Asia Pacific and Africa. Between December 2024 and March 2025, she will depart from Manila, Philippines; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo; and Port Louis, Mauritius and offer 10- to 17-day sailings.