NCL announced that construction has started on 2 new "F3" ships, which will be named later. The first is expected to be delivered in 2010.

These ships will hold 4200 passengers, about 1800 more than the new Norwegian Gem. There will be lots of space for things like bowling alleys. Details of what we can expect onboard these ships is not being revealed yet.

The ships are being built at Aker Yards in St. Nazaire, France.

Stay tuned!

Sandy

Sandy-From what I'm reading - the new ships are to be 150,000 tons each-everybody is upsizing!

BillyBuzzy

How big is TOO big???

Trouble with docking stations I would think and more tendering....but...I will book on them:-)

Happy Cruising,


Bob E

quote:

Originally posted by Berick1234:
How big is TOO big???
Trouble with docking stations I would think and more tendering....but...I will book on them:-)
Happy Cruising,Bob E

There are ships plying the seven seas that are as large, or larger. Most of the additional tonnage is caused by the ships wider berth, not by added length. Docks sizes aren't the problem, it's the limited size of the islands and the increase numbers of passengers aboard these huge ships causing over crowding near the piers.

Norwegian Spirit
Passengers 1966
Length 880 feet
Beam 106 feet
Tonnage 76,800

Norwegian Gem
Passengers 2384
Length 965 feet
Beam 106 feet
Tonnage 93,000
Addign 80 feet to the length of the ship only increased the passenger capacity by 400.

F3 class
Passengers 4,200
Length 1066 feet (325 m)
Beam 131 feet (40 m)
Tonnage 150,000
Increasing the length another 100 feet, and adding 25 feet to the beam, nearly doubles the passenger capacity.

Bigger isn't always better, but I understand the cruise lines wanting to get more passengers on board. I personally enjoy ships under 2000 pax, it just seems easier to get on/off. I do enjoy the glamor of the new ships, but like the intimacy of the smaller ones.

All that money NCL is using to create the two "F3" Class Ships could have been used to restore the SS United States as well as the SS Norway(back to its SS France configuation) as floating hotels. The Big U in NYC and the SS France in La Havre next to its original port terminal.

So much good money gone to waste.

Actually, the waste of money would be if they spent it on the SS Norway and SS United States for a memorial.

A new or old cruise ship only makes money operating. The SS Norway sailed with 2,000 passengers every week, each spending easily over $500 per person. That's a weekly gross income of at least $1 million per week. As a memorial, to generate that much gross income at $10 per person, they would have to sell 100,000 tickets per week. At $100 per peson, which would probably elimate most visitors as the price would be too high, they would have to sell 10,000 tickets per week.

Of course, an operating ship has far more expenses, fuel, port fees, and crew payrolls. But insurance premiums, financing the loan, paying taxes, and paying port fees, alongside a dock 24 hours/ 7 days a week, will still be there for a stationary ship.

The cruise lines have been very sucessful selling out their ships on a weekly basis. I'm not so sure memorial ships/hotels have been.
I don't believe many will wish to spend a small fortune booking a very small cabin aboard either the SS Norway or SS US on the waterfront, in an industrial area, when there's the Plaza available with much larger rooms located next to Central Park.

The new F3 class passenger capacity is listed at 4200 pasengers. 4200 x $500 = $2.1 Million gross income each week, as a minimum. I can't see how a stationary, old, classic ship can generate that much income, unless it's turned into a casino barge.

Either fix the ships to be cruise ships, sailing the seven seas to exotic ports, or scrap them.

Totally agree with Ron Clark on his above post. It comes down to a question of economics NOT sentimental journeys.

Richard & Mary
Las Cruces, New Mexico USA

Agreed with you, Ron Clark. The Norway was my home for about a year, but it wouldn't comfort me at all to see her laid up in some city as a hotel, casino or its likes! Then it's better to scrap her and cherish the memories of all the good times onboard

Sandy, thank you for the information. I look forward to hearing more about this new project as it becomes available.

There are two things that concern me about the very large ships we are starting to see. First is getting off the ship, either in port or -- heaven forbid -- an emergency. Second, while "concern" might be too strong a word here, I am somewhat sad for pax who will never visit some of the beautiful places these ships cannot go, such as the Town Cut in Bermuda (and, as of now, St. George's itself).

Yet, as we've seen on other lines (I'm thinking primarily Royal Caribbean), this is apparently what people want. I admit to not being one of those people, though. So, thankfully, there are other ships in the NCL fleet and other lines that will accommodate the rest of us. Remember, old is not obsolete.

...Same yard the SS France/Norway was built...

coincidence?????

quote:

Originally posted by Derf:
...Same yard the SS France/Norway was built...

coincidence?????

The yard in St Nazaire is well known for building cruise ships, and has delivered lots of well known ships such as the Norwegian Dream, Wind, the QM2 Crystal Serenity lots of MSC ships, Celebrity and RCI ships. So theres nothing special in the fact that the Norway was built there as well.

I've found some additional information surfing the world wide web about these new ships.

Propulsion motors from Converteam
http://www.converteam.com/converteam/1/doc/News/190207_PR_Aker_Yards.pdf

Two 24 MW induction motors powering 2 fixed pitched propellers

Diesels from Cat/Mak
http://www.cat.com/cda/components/fullArticleNoNav?ids=444699&languageId=7

Three MaK 12 M 43 C and three MaK 16 M 43 C marine engines per vessel, which will form a power plant providing a total of 79.8 MW for ship propulsion and on-board electricity supply.

Elevators/Escalators from Kone
http://www.kone.com/en/main/0,,content=61850,00.html

KONE will design, supply and install altogether 60 custom designed elevators and 12 escalators tailored for passenger and service use.

Meaning 15 elevators and 6 escalators per ship.

One can get frustrated looking for any information about these new ships. But, from what I've been able to find, they will have two conventional propellers and shafts, vs azipods.

Two 24 MW propulsion motors means a total of 48 MW. That's more than the total 42 MW on RCI's Voyager and Freedom class ships using three 14 MW azipods.

Escalators on NCL cruise ships will be a first. I wonder how that will affect the grand stairway in the main atrium? I'm not sure 15 elevators, assuming three banks of five, will be enough for 4,200+ passengers, and that's assuming a few will not be for the crew only.

quote:

Elevators/Escalators from Kone
http://www.kone.com/en/main/0,,content=61850,00.html

KONE will design, supply and install altogether 60 custom designed elevators and 12 escalators tailored for passenger and service use.

Meaning 15 elevators and 6 escalators per ship.

I can't believe my math is that bad. I meant to write 30 elevators per ship, not 15. So I take back all that I wrote earlier about 15 elevators not being enough, as there will be more than 15 of them on each ship.