NCL Corp. is withdrawing a second cruise ship, Pride of Aloha, from the Hawaiian Island market effective May 11, leaving the cruise line with only one of the three ships sailing the inter-island itinerary that it originally hoped would dominate Hawaiian island cruising.

Pride of Aloha, the oldest of NCL's three Hawaiian Island cruise ships, will be transferred to NCL's half-owner, Star Cruises, for reflagging and redeployment in Asia this summer.

The newest of the cruise ships NCL deployed in Hawaii, Pride of Hawaii, already has been renamed Norwegian Jade and will sail under that name in Europe during the summer of 2008.

NCL said that the third of its Hawaiian cruise ships, Pride of America, would continue sailing inter-island cruises from Honolulu departing every Saturday through 2010.

Andy Stuart, NCL Executive Vice President of Marketing, said withdrawing Pride of Aloha was "an extremely difficult but necessary commercial decision; however we see a strong future for the long-term flagship in Hawaii, Pride of America.

NCL America, which launched its U.S.-flagged Hawaiian cruises in July 2004 using far more American staff than generally found on a cruise ship, has lost money on its Hawaiian operations since Day One.

''Clearly, it's been disappointing versus our original plan,'' said Stuart. He said NCL ultimately hopes to return Norwegian Jade to its original incarnation as Pride of Hawaii.