Norwegian Jade makes history as the first NCL ship to resume sailing and the first to homeport in Piraeus
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has returned to cruising for the first time in 500 days, welcoming guests onboard Norwegian Jade in Piraeus near Athens, Greece.
Marking the first time one of NCL’s ships has homeported in Piraeus, Norwegian Jade embarked on an itinerary taking guests to destinations such as Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes and Santorini. The ship will continue offering these cruises until November 2021.
“Welcoming our guests and crew onboard has been one of the most memorable moments of my over 30-year career,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We are excited to embark on the ‘Great Cruise Comeback’ with a brand-new itinerary and homeport for our brand, offering our guests an even greater selection of unique vacations at sea.”
Norwegian Jade’s deployment in Athens is part of a long-term strategy to further increase NCL’s presence in Europe, one of its most popular destinations. Between 2021 and 2023, the brand will offer cruises in Greece onboard nine vessels including Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Star.
“Norwegian Jade’s first Greek Isles voyages sold out shortly after we made the announcement that we were on our way back,” said Sommer. “With such strong demand, we are glad to expand our offering in Greece with seven ships through 2023, providing our guests with a range of innovative vessels and itineraries to choose from.”
Harry Theoharis, Greek Minister of Tourism, said: “We are overjoyed to welcome Norwegian Jade and her guests to Greece. The planned itineraries will offer unique experiences that combine our rich history, bustling culture and famous gastronomy.”
Norwegian Encore will be the second ship to resume service when she embarks on her inaugural season of Alaska cruises from Seattle, Washington on 7 August. NCL will continue to work in partnership with local governments to plan the resumption of cruising in other ports and regions, with each sailing being operated in accordance with the company’s Sail Safe health and safety protocols.