History
Norwegian Star was originally intended to operate with Star Cruises under the name SuperStar Libra. The plans for SuperStar Libra were unveiled on 7 June 1999, with the vessel costing US$400 million.[8] She was to be the first of two Libra-class vessels constructed by the German shipyard Meyer Werft.[9] The first of 60 prefabricated "blocks" of SuperStar Libra was laid on 23 June 2000.[10] When the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) was bought by Star Cruises, SuperStar Libra and the second Libra-class cruise ship, SuperStar Scorpio, were transferred to NCL in March 2001.[11]
Under NCL, SuperStar Libra was renamed Norwegian Star and SuperStar Scorpio became Norwegian Dawn; subsequently Libra class became referred to as Dawn class.[12][11] On 30 September 2001, Norwegian Star was floated-out from the shipyard's building dock to its fitting-out pier.[13] Two days later, she departed Papenburg and transited the Ems. The vessel was christened on 17 November 2001 at the Miami, Florida in a dual ceremony with another NCL ship, Norwegian Sun. Originally, the ship was built in the smaller building hall ("Baudock 1), but transferred in the new, bigger hall ("Baudock 2") in June 2001.[14]
Norwegian Star entered regular service on 16 December with cruises around the Hawaiian Islands.[15] In 2004, she was moved to the West Coast for cruises to Alaska in the summer and to the Mexican Riviera in the winter. Norwegian Star gained the addition of hull art, a new steakhouse and a casino as part of the transfer. The ship was replaced in Hawaii with the newly refurbished Pride of Aloha.
Norwegian Star was chartered to serve as a floating hotel for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, however the deal was cancelled because of financial costs and lack of demand.[16] The cancellation allowed NCL the extra two weeks to move up a refurbishment planned for late 2011.[17] Norwegian Star entered drydock at the Victoria Shipyards in nearby Victoria on 16 February. The majority of the renovations consisted of the relocation of the gift shops and lounge, as well as the addition of 58 new suites and staterooms; a similar project was carried out on Norwegian Dawn a year later.[18] Norwegian Star left Victoria on 2 March and returned to service four days later.[17]
Norwegian Star was repositioned in October 2011 to Tampa, Florida and the western Caribbean Sea instead of returning to the Mexican Riviera.[19] In summer 2012, she was moved from Alaska to New York City. Norwegian Star replaced Norwegian Gem in cruises to Bermuda from April to October. In return for coming to New York, the slightly larger Norwegian Jewel replaced Norwegian Star in Alaska.[20] She wintered in New Orleans, Louisiana where she replaced Norwegian Spirit.[21] Starting 2013, Norwegian Star alternates between northern Europe and the Baltic Sea in the summer, and the Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal cruises in winter.[22]
In March 2015, the ship was brought to Vigor Industrial's dry dock in Portland, Oregon for maintenance, including repairs to the Azipod units.[23][24] During the refit, maintenance was performed on its bow thrusters and stabilizers, as well as the Azipod units, ballast and bilge piping were replaced, a low-resistance silicone paint aimed at increasing fuel efficiency was applied to the hull, and the release mechanisms for the lifeboat tenders were upgraded. The Norwegian Star dining and entertainment spaces were also renovated and digital signage, first introduced on the Norwegian Breakaway, was installed.[25]
Norwegian Star underwent a refurbishment in summer 2018 during which it received the Sky High Bar (which replaced the Bier Garten), the Bliss Ultra Lounge (replaced Spinnaker Lounge, which moved to the former Observation Lounge) and the adults-only Spice H2O. Additionally, all cabins and suites were outfitted with USB charging ports.
The Norwegian Star was refurbished again in 2021. The Spinnaker Lounge was replaced with additional cabins. In 2024, it received Starlink high-speed internet.
