By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer
Plans by Norwegian Cruise Line to home-port a newer, bigger ship in Hawai‘i later this year are expected to raise the profile of Hawai‘i’s rapidly growing cruise industry, as well as intensify competition with the only other cruise ship business operating among the Hawaiian Islands.
The cruise line announced yesterday that it will bring the 91,000-ton Norwegian Star, still under construction in Germany, to Hawai‘i in December, replacing a 2-year-old 76,000-ton cruise liner that had been scheduled to be based in Honolulu and provide cruises year-round.
Norwegian’s older SuperStar Leo had a casino aboard and Norwegian faced the prospect of removing the casino in the wake of a new federal law sponsored by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye that bars cruise ships with casinos aboard from beginning and ending voyages in Hawai‘i.
Norwegian said higher-than-expected costs related to removing the casino — as well stronger-than-expected demand for its cruise — caused it to switch plans to the larger, new ship.
"I think it’s great to have NCL (Norwegian) help us promote Hawai‘i as a cruise ship destination," Phil Calian, chief executive of American Classic Voyages, the only cruise company with ships based in Hawai‘i, said yesterday of Norwegian’s move. "It’s a positive reinforcement that the cruise industry believes that the market of cruising in Hawai‘i is underdeveloped."
The Chicago-based parent of American Hawai‘i Cruises and United States Lines introduced its second ship to Hawai‘i last year. The 1,212-passenger Patriot joined the smaller Independence in American Classic’s Hawai‘i fleet. By 2004 the company plans to have four Hawai‘i ships.
"I don’t think (Norwegian’s decision) changes our basic strategy or plan, but it may change some of our tactics," Calian said.
In 1999, American Classic received from Congress a virtual monopoly on Hawaiian interisland cruising for 25 years in exchange for a $1.4 billion deal to build as many as three new ships at Ingalls Shipbuilding, based in Mississippi, home state of Senate Republican leader Trent Lott.
Foreign-flagged ships are barred by federal law from visiting multiple U.S. ports — the backbone of Hawai‘i cruising — unless a foreign destination is on the itinerary. Norwegian plans to meet with this requirement by including a trip to Fanning Island in Kiribati, an island nation about 600 miles south of Hawai‘i.
The Star will be Norwegian’s largest ship, accommodating 2,200 passengers and a crew of 1,100, the company said. It also will be its fastest ship, with a maximum speed of 25 knots, or almost 29 mph.
"In looking at the potential demand for this market, we made the decision to utilize a larger and absolutely brand-new ship," Colin Veitch, Norwegian’s president and chief executive officer, said.
Following calls at Miami and Los Angeles, the Star will begin its Hawai‘i cruises Dec. 16, with a seven-day round trip to ports on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Fanning.
The Leo will remain with Norwegian’s Star Cruises fleet under its current name.
Frank Cho can be reached at 525-8088, or at fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com
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