MIAMI — It was a double celebration for Norwegian Cruise Line this past weekend, with the company commencing voyages from Miami for the first time since the start of the pandemic, and welcoming its first guests into the recently completed NCL Terminal at PortMiami.
The Norwegian Gem became the third of NCL’s 17 ships to resume operations, sailing out of Miami on Aug. 15 for a week-long voyage to the Caribbean with calls to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Roatan and Harvest Cay, the company’s private resort destination in Belize. The sailing follows the departure of Norwegian Jade from Athens on July 25, and Norwegian Encore from Seattle on Aug. 7.
Norwegian Gem at New NCL Terminal in PortMiami
“It has been an exhilarating few weeks as we relaunch our fleet, reunite with our shipboard families and welcome our guests back for their long-awaited cruise vacations,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “I’ve been impressed and proud of how our global team and partners have come together to safely bring back cruising, an over $55 billion-dollar industry that positively impacts communities around the world.”
Sommer continued, “Today is even more special as it is the first time we are relaunching from our hometown and from the new NCL Terminal at PortMiami. After many months, we are ready to deliver a safe and memorable experience for our guests at every step of their cruise journey.”
The new NCL Terminal at PortMiami can accommodate cruise vessels carrying up to 5,000 guests. Designed with sustainability in mind, the 188,000 square-foot building was built to LEED Gold standards for optimizing energy, water efficiency, air quality and utilization of local materials and sources. It also boasts a carefully curated collection of art as part of Miami Dade County Art in Public Places, a program dedicated to enriching the public environment.
Norwegian Gem is scheduled to sail a series of week-long voyages to the Caribbean and four-day cruises to The Bahamas through Oct. 17, 2021 before repositioning to New York for five- to 11-night voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean and Bermuda.
As part of NCL’s SailSAFE health and safety program, all crew and guests must be fully vaccinated to embark for voyages through Oct. 31, 2021. Following a groundbreaking preliminary injunction on Aug. 8 whereby a federal judge temporarily blocked Miami’s controversial ‘vaccine passport ban,’ NCL is now the only cruise line in Miami and the state of Florida to offer 100% fully vaccinated cruises.
