The third and fourth Prima class cruise ships will both be delayed by several months due to a variety of factors impacting all Norwegian cruise brands.
NCL has confirmed that the two ships, already scheduled but not yet under construction, will be delayed due to supply chain issues impacting shipyard delivery schedules.
This follows the news that the second ship in the new class, Norwegian Viva, was also to be delayed and had six initial sailings cancelled.
The two ships have not yet begun construction, but will be built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, in Italy, the same yard that completed Norwegian Prima and is currently building sistership Norwegian Viva.
This delay reflects the ongoing difficulties with cruise ship construction, as shipyards are suffering from supply chain issues that are impacting construction schedules.
Workforce issues may also be part of the difficulties, if the skilled workers necessary to complete the work on high-tech vessels are unavailable due to health and safety protocols, staffing challenges, or other issues.
The third vessel was planned to debut in late 2024 and the fourth in mid- or late 2025. Now, the ships will not join the NCL fleet until early 2025 and early 2026. Their names have not yet been announced.
Norwegian Prima‘s inaugural sailing was delayed, but the ship has recently undertaken her inaugural cruise, offering limited sailings from various ports, before homeporting in Port Canaveral for the bulk of the winter Caribbean season.
