NCL’s FIRST 50 YEARS
Presented by Allan Jordan
January 27, 2017 @ 6:00 pm
In December, 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line marked the 50th anniversary of the arrival in Miami of the MS SUNWARD, originally built as a vehicle ferry with comfortable overnight accommodations. Writer and historian Allan Jordan started our year off by recalling the events leading up to the SUNWARD’s arrival and discussing how its success provided an impetus for building the modern port of Miami. He profiled the famous “White Ships” of NCL—the STARWARD, SKYWARD and SOUTHWARD—and covered NCL’s daring purchase of the liner SS FRANCE for its conversion into the cruise ship SS NORWAY.
The story of NCL is one of triumph and tragedy. Many of the “firsts” introduced by NCL reshaped the cruising experience and later became industry standards. Allan regaled us with tales about the numerous challenges NCL faced that nearly lead to the death of the company before its rebirth in the new millennium under the moniker “Freestyle Cruising.”
Allan Jordan is the author of numerous articles on the history and the future of the cruise industry. He is a frequent contributor to Cruise Travel magazine and Cruise Business Review. He is also the author of the history of NCL and of Saluting the Aloha Spirit, which recalls the history of American Hawaii Cruises and the sister ships INDEPENDENCE and CONSTITUTION. He has lectured aboard the ships of Royal Viking Line, Crystal Cruises, Princess Cruise Lines and Oceania Cruises.