Dover, 6 August 2005. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) delivered its newest gem, Norwegian Jewel on August 5, 2005 from the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany. From there, the 92,000-ton vessel embarks on her European sailings before heading to the US to begin her 2005 inaugural program.
Norwegian Jewel, NCL’s fourth purpose-built ship for Freestyle Cruising, features a brand new style of accommodations - 10 Courtyard Villas - which make up the biggest, most luxurious and most innovative suites at sea. Shining from bow to stern, she also offers the most versatile, family-friendly accommodations afloat as well as an incredible array of amenities including 10 distinct restaurants, 13 bars and lounges, three swimming pools, a state-of-the-art spa and more.

From Sea to Shining Sea
On August 10, 2005 Norwegian Jewel will depart from Dover on her Mediterranean Treasures itinerary, calling in Lisbon, Portugal; Gibraltar; Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy; Cannes, Frances and Barcelona and Almeria, Spain. Then on August 23, the ship will sail to the Baltic Capitals from Dover sailing to Oslo, Norway; Helsinki, Finland; spending the night in St. Petersburg, Russia, before sailing to Stockholm, Sweden; Berlin (Warnemunde) Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark, before crossing transatlantic from Dover to New York. The transatlantic cruise, called Path of the Vikings, departs Dover on September 4, 2005 and stops in Cobh, Ireland; Reykjavik, Iceland; St. John’s, Newfoundland and Newport, Rhode Island before arriving in New York on September 14, 2005.

Beginning September 18, 2005, Norwegian Jewel will sail a series of 11-day Canada/New England cruises roundtrip from New York. The itinerary features calls in Boston, Massachusetts; Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; cruise Cabot Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Quebec City, Quebec; cruise the Saguenay River, Sydney, Nova Scotia; cruise Bay of Fundy and St. John, New Brunswick.
After relocating from New York to her home port of Miami, where the ship will spend her winter season, Norwegian Jewel will begin her regularly scheduled, seven-day itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Eastern Caribbean sailings call in San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. John’s, Antigua; St. Thomas, USVI and NCL’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay. Western Caribbean itineraries will call at Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman and Roatan, Bay Islands. Norwegian Jewel will feature these itineraries each Sunday from November 4, 2005 through April 23, 2006. NCL will then deploy Norwegian Jewel in Europe to sail Mediterranean, Egypt and Greek Isles itineraries for the summer 2006 season.

A Dazzling Lineup of Dining Options
Norwegian Jewel features 10 restaurants including fleet favorites such as Cagney’s Steak House, Blue Lagoon and NCL’s signature restaurant, Le Bistro. In addition, Norwegian Jewel also features:

• Tango’s – Tango’s is a contemporary, brightly colored restaurant to compliment the hot and spicy Latin/Tapas fare. The interior is decorated with colorful ceramics and mosaics and the carpet is inspired by the steps of the Tango;
  
• Chin Chin – The décor of this Asian restaurant is inspired by the traditional female costumes and dances of the Far East. Tibetan flags flutter along the railing next to the traditionally carved entrance;
  
• Tsar’s Palace – This main restaurant is inspired by the grandeur of the palaces of St. Petersburg and the era of Russian Tsars. White and gold ceilings, green marbled pillars and 24-carat gold-coated chandeliers adorn this very detailed room. The balustrades around the restaurant are inspired by Faberge eggs;
  
• Azura – This main restaurant is inspired by today’s modern boutique hotel designs. The clean-lined, rich timber room combines blues and purples with orange accents. The signature of this room is the interpretations of pop art rendered in backlit glass that glow and set the mood for intimate dining;
  
• Mama’s Italian Kitchen - This dedicated Italian restaurant resembles a village Trattoria with a long wooden table running through the center of the room to create the feel of a traditional farmhouse kitchen.

The ship also includes a new concept for NCL – a “Bar Central” -- featuring a martini bar, a champagne and wine bar, and a beer and whisky pub all connected but with three distinct personalities.

• Shakers Martini and Cocktail Bar is a 1960’s-inspired lounge decorated with silhouettes and artwork reflecting the jet set dressed for the cocktail hour.
  
• Magnum’s Champagne and Wine Bar, a French art deco inspired bar, exudes the feeling of 1920’s Paris and the grand old cruise liner, the Normandie, while the back bar has a champagne-like bubbling, backlit water display.
  
• Maltings Beer and Whiskey Pub, a contemporary bar with low seating and tables along with mood lighting that compliments the backlit artwork themed around whiskey and beer production.
  
• In addition to Bar Central, Norwegian Jewel features the Sky High Bar, a beer garden designed to resemble a hot air balloon with sandbags, ropes and a rattan front, and “Fyzz” Cabaret Lounge, inspired by all things spherical and out of space, featuring three private Karaoke rooms.
  

Gold-Standard Accommodations
Norwegian Jewel offers an extensive choice of cabins. In fact, while Norwegian Jewel is modeled after Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn, NCL has increased the number of cabins from 1,112 on Norwegian Dawn to 1,188 on Norwegian Jewel, including the addition of 10 Courtyard Villas sharing a private courtyard, complete with swimming pool, Jacuzzi and a small gym. These villas also share a private sundeck with large two-person sun beds and hammocks. Positioned high atop the vessel, the villas have sweeping views of the ocean and an impressive assortment of amenities typically found at five-star land-based resorts.

Like Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Jewel is one of NCL’s largest ships, accommodating 2,400 guests (double capacity) and more than 1,000 crew. The ship is fitted with pod drives, which substantially improve maneuverability, and cruises at a maximum speed of 25 knots.

Norwegian Jewel also features NCL’s latest standards in cabins, with rich cherry wood finishing, refrigerators, tea and coffee makers in every room, and a much larger bathroom unit than other ships, containing separate WC, shower, and washstand compartments separated by sliding doors in the outside, balcony and suite cabins.

The ship also offers a large number of cabins (including suites and junior-suites) that can interconnect to create a two, three, four or five bedroom area suitable for small or large families.

Amenities That Sparkle

Norwegian Jewel boasts the latest in relaxation and fitness at the contemporary South Pacific-themed Bora Bora Health Spa and Beauty Salon. Mandara Spa, the world’s leading operator of landside resort spas, operates the spa, pampering NCL guests with an exotic menu of spa and beauty treatments combining the best of East and West.

Norwegian Jewel offers a new, advanced Internet Café and Photo Gallery with kiosks to print photos from digital cameras as well as the latest laptops, which guests can rent to use around the ship. Passengers can also take advantage of NCL’s signature WiFi capabilities.

The Sports Deck contains a basketball, volleyball and tennis court, while the Body Waves Fitness Center boasts state-of-the-art cardiovascular workout equipment – each with its own TV -- aerobic and yoga area with a sprung wooden floor, steam and sauna rooms, a jet-current exercise pool, an indoor lap pool, whirlpool and hydrotherapy pool.

The ship is particularly family-friendly and features the Splashdown Kid’s Club and Sapphire Kid’s Pool, a brightly colored facility for children designed with a cute and friendly tropical sea creature theme as well as the Underground Teen’s Club.

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