Norwegian Cruise Line boasts 20 ships in its ever-growing fleet, spread across seven major classes: Sun, Dawn, Jewel, Breakaway, Breakaway Plus, Prima and Prima Plus class. (Technically, Norwegian Epic, Pride of America and Norwegian Spirit stand apart in their own, independent classes.)

Each class is unique in its own way, with ships that may cater best to different kinds of cruisers. Here’s everything cruisers need to know about the different Norwegian Cruise Line ship classes, before they book.

Overview of NCL’s Ship Classes

While Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships may not be as large as those owned by Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line still holds its own when it comes to big, fun-filled ships. Over the line’s various classes, though, the individual 20 ships really do run the gamut. 

You have smaller size, older ships that offer more low-key cruising experiences, and that can visit smaller destinations. Then, you have big, resort-style ships that offer the latest and greatest amenities.

Typically, these ships are grouped together in various classes, or families, of ships, with three or four ships that all share similar characteristics (if you’re not up on your cruising lingo and are wondering what all this talk of ship classes is about). 

Today, Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships and classes stretch back to the 1990s, with the oldest ship in the fleet being Norwegian Spirit and then the newest ship being 2025’s Norwegian Aqua in the Prima Plus Class — and there are still more ships to come in the next few years.

Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Ships By Size (Biggest to Smallest)

This wide variation allows for lots of flexibility when booking your cruise. Whether you want to sail on world class vessels packed with amenities, or you’re content with standard amenities like an onboard spa and sports courts, there’s a Norwegian Cruise Line ship for you.

Prima Plus Class

The Prima Plus class is Norwegian’s newest cruise ship class, home to its most modern and flashy cruise ships yet.

However, whereas some cruise lines like to continually introduce cruise ships that are bigger than all the rest it’s ever produced (I’m looking at you, Royal Caribbean), the Prima Plus class, while by no means filled with small ships, doesn’t boast the largest-ever ships for the cruise line — at least not for now.

The one currently sailing ship in the class, Norwegian Aqua, and the next-to-launch ship in the class, Norwegian Luna, are both 156,300 GT — smaller than ships in the line’s prior Breakaway Plus class.

However, future Prima Plus class ships are planned that should exceed 172,000 GT. These yet-to-be-named ships, when they launch in a few years, will officially become Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ships ever.

It’s worth noting that the Prima Plus class is an off-shoot of the original Prima class (Norwegian Cruise Line has done this before, with its Breakaway and Breakaway Plus classes, creating a solid parent class and then enhancing and sizing up later class ships into a new “plus” class).

Read Also: I Tried Out the First Prima Plus Class Cruise Ship, Norwegian Aqua

As such, while the Prima Plus class ships are somewhat similar to those ships in the Prima class, they also offer more to do, over a larger footprint (about 10% larger), with brand-new features.

For example, Norwegian Aqua claims to be both the most spacious new cruise ship at sea, with expanded outdoor deck space, and the new cruise ship at sea with the highest staff levels.

The ship counts a first-of-its-kind Aqua Slidecoaster among its brand-new features, which is a hybrid waterslide and rollercoaster. The ship’s VIP Haven area features new suite styles, too, and the ship overall offers more accommodation options than ever before.

The must-anticipated Norwegian Luna will be a twin ship to Norwegian Aqua, for all of the same to love and enjoy. 

Prima Class

As explained, the Prima class is the predecessor of the Prima Plus class and includes Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. The two NCL ships are 10% smaller than those in the Prima Plus class, as well smaller than the ships in the older Breakaway Plus class. 

That said, they still offer lots to enjoy, with notable features including the largest go-kart tracks at sea, as well as a 10-story dry slide.

With more than a dozen suite categories, these ships also offer more suite options than any other large ocean liner, and some of the largest suites and cabins not just for the brand, but for the industry as a whole.

When the ships debuted, they likewise offered the largest Haven area yet to appear on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, and more outdoor deck space than any other new cruise ship at the time.

In other words, the Prima class pushed the boundaries of both Norwegian Cruise Line and the cruising industry, and the following Prima Plus class will do the same. 

Breakaway Plus Class

Currently, the Breakaway Plus class is home to Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ships. The Breakaway Plus class features four ships, debuting between 2015 and 2019, so they’re all still pretty new.

The largest of them all is Norwegian Encore, though this ship isn’t the largest in the class in terms of guest capacity. That honor belongs to Norwegian Escape.

All of the ships in this class offer the big resort feel that you’ll find on many of the largest, newest cruise ships out there today.

There’s plenty of entertainment, everywhere you look, and in huge entertainment venues, too, that go way beyond your standard cruise ship theater. There are tons of restaurants, lounges and bars.

If you’re deciding between cruise ships in this class, though, it’s worth noting that Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Joy, being the two older ships in the class, are closer to the original Breakaway class in terms of style and amenities than Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore. For example, Norwegian Escape doesn’t have go-karts or laser tag, while the other ships do.

All in all, this class is an excellent option for those who want the big, mega-ship feel with lots and lots to do, every day of your cruise, with no need to ever set foot off the ship — but who also don’t necessarily need to sail on the newest ships in the industry.

Breakaway Class

The Breakaway class features just two ships, which are both quite similar to the Breakaway Plus class ships in many ways, but without the massive size and wealth of attractions. These ships have just barely passed their 10^th birthdays, so they have received some refurbishments since launch, in 2018 and 2019. 

Neither ship has a go-kart track or laser tag, but both ships do still have waterparks and pool areas, plenty of restaurants and bars. They also still feature the Haven VIP ship-within-a-ship area. Additionally, these ships were the first in the industry to offer full-size ropes courses on their top decks. 

Epic Class

The Epic class is one of a handful of Norwegian Cruise Line’s different classes that are home to just a single ship — typically because the ship in question was acquired separately from a planned, carefully mapped out class of ships. 

In Norwegian Epic’s case, it was actually intended to be a part of a new class of ships, but the other planned ships never came to fruition and so the cruise line left the ship on its own, turning attention to future endeavors. 

Norwegian Epic offers a few fun features, like the only tube-and-bowl waterslide on a cruise ship, as well as a bowling alley and ice bar. 

As it’s still on the larger side (at least for Norwegian Cruise Line), Norwegian Epic is a good fit for those who are also fans of the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus classes.

If you’re worried about the ship’s age, don’t be — she was refurbished in 2015, keeping her comparable with the other Norwegian Cruise Line ships that debuted around the same time.

Jewel Class

When you drop into the Jewel class, you really start to see a noticeable size difference between this class, with its mid-2000s ships, and the newer ships in the fleet. While they’re not quite half the size of some of Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ships, they’re definitely significantly smaller. 

Still, for those who like to cruise on a firmly mid-size ship, they’ll find plenty to enjoy on the Jewel class ships.

While there aren’t 20-plus food outlets on these ships, you’ll still have 10-plus eateries to dine at during a vacation, and entertainment like pools and theaters. Just don’t expect anything super-flashy or any big thrills for the adventurers out there. 

Pride of America Class

Pride of America is, like Norwegian Epic, a cruise ship all on its lonesome, in a class of its own creation. 

Debuted in 2005 and refurbished in 2016, Pride of America was originally intended to lead a class that would be dedicated to U.S.-flagged cruise ships. At its very beginning, it wasn’t even owned by Norwegian Cruise Line.

However, the original parent company, American Classic Voyages, which wanted to boost the American shipyard business, declared bankruptcy when the ship was still under construction, and Norwegian Cruise Line swooped in to acquire the half-built ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line did still honor some of the original plans for the ship. The ship is still US-flagged and has a mostly American crew.

It also primarily operates Hawaiian islands itineraries and, as such, it has no casino on-board (gambling is illegal in the state, so ship casinos have to close up when the ships are in Hawaiian waters — since the ship primarily sails to and from Hawaii, it just makes sense to have no casino at all).

This ship has undergone multiple dry docks throughout its life, including in 2013 and 2016, updating the ship to modern standards and adding extra staterooms and suites, as well as dining and entertainment venues.

Dawn Class

Both ships in the Dawn class were originally ordered by Star Cruises. However, before the ships could be delivered to the cruise line, the ships were redirected to Norwegian Cruise Line, which was, at the time, a Star Cruises subsidiary. 

Norwegian Dawn is notable as the first Norwegian Cruise Line ship to feature hull art, a highlight that’s become synonymous with the brand. 

Both of these ships are pretty comparable to the ships in the Jewel class. They’re on the small side and don’t have a ton of amenities. Of those amenities it does have, none are over the top. Still, the ships have been refurbished in recent years (2016 for Norwegian Dawn and 2018 for Norwegian Star). 

As such, if you don’t mind a smaller, older ship, and don’t need any fancy bells or whistles during your cruise, you’ll likely have a fine time sailing on either of these ships. 

Sun Class

The Sun class is the oldest “traditional” class in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet. I say “traditional,” because, while there is one ship older than the two ships in the Sun class, it’s another one of those outliers that has a class to itself.

The Sun class features the smallest ships in the fleet by guest capacity, with each of the two ships carrying only around 2,000 passengers.

Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Ships by Age – Newest to Oldest 

Norwegian Sky was originally Costa Cruises’ Costa Olympia, but, before the ship could be delivered, Costa Cruises suspended the ship’s construction, citing financial woes. Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the ship, finished her up and debuted her as Norwegian Sky.

After sailing as Norwegian Sky for four years, though, Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shift the ship to the same class as Pride of America, renaming her Pride of Aloha. Pride of Aloha sailed for another four years, before becoming Norwegian Sky once again. 

Norwegian Sun, meanwhile, does not have quite the dramatic backstory. Still, you won’t notice much difference between the two ships. Both have been renovated in recent years to keep them in as fine a working order as possible given their age. 

It’s also important to know that NCL actually announced in early April 2025 that both vessels are being offloaded to the Indian-based cruise line Cordelia Cruises. The good news is that they aren’t being scrapped and will continue to sail.

These ships are best for those who really enjoy a more laid-back mood of cruising, who’re on board for relaxation, to lie by the pool, and get off for a full day in each port.

The dining, drinking and entertainment options are few and far between, and the staterooms are nothing to write home about. Still, for those who aren’t looking for a luxury cruise, or a resort experience, the ships more than deliver an enjoyable, intimate setting.

Spirit Class

Last, but certainly not least, there’s Norwegian Spirit, the one and only ship of the Spirit class. Originally entering service in 1998 (don’t worry — there was a refurbishment that took place as recently as 2020), the ship is the smallest in the fleet in terms of gross tonnage. 

Like some of the other oldest vessels in the fleet, Norwegian Spirit was originally a different ship by a different name, sailing for a different cruise line. It was a Star Cruises ship, where it operated under the name SuperStar Leo. 

However, in 2004, Star Cruises turned the ship over to Norwegian Cruise Line, in order to meet Norwegian Cruise Line’s greater demand (due, in part, to delays launching Pride of America) at which point the ship was rebranded. 

The 2020 refurbishment was extensive, costing more than $100 million and encompassing the addition of multiple new restaurants, new bars, new staterooms and more. 

Future Ships

Beyond the upcoming Prima Plus-class ships that are set to debut in the latter half of this decade, Norwegian Cruise Line has even bigger and better ships on order, for 2030 and beyond. 

These ships will be part of an unnamed class that will include four ships, all debuting between 2030 and 2036, and that will be 225,000 gross tons and capable of accommodating 5,100 passengers each.

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The ships are currently just on order from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, but it’s expected that they’ll be not just the biggest cruise ships in the company’s history, but also the most energy efficient and the most overall innovative.