NCL Corporation on April 19th formally took delivery of its newest cruise ship, Pride of Hawaii, from Meyer Werft, which constructed the vessel, in a ceremony in Emeshaven, Holland.

Pride of Hawaii, at 93,500 tons the largest U.S. flagged passenger ship ever built, is the third in a series of U.S. flag cruise ships that will serve the Hawaii market under the brand NCL America.

“We are thrilled to complete our ambitious plan of bringing three
U.S.-flagged ships to Hawaii by 2006,” said NCL President Colin Veitch. “Pride of Hawaii, along with Pride of America and Pride of Aloha, and our one international ship, will bring around half a million passengers a year to the Hawaii Islands."

The delivery of the ship to NCL was delayed for a week after a bearing problem was noticed in the pods of its ABB Azipod
propulsion system. This was the second time this has occurred, and the bearings were once again replaced before NCL took possession.

The ship is now expected to sail shortly for Baltimore, where it will undergo U.S. Coast Guard inspections and augment the skeleton crew currently onboard with some 600 who have been training in Maryland.

It then will sail to the West Coast for a series of inaugural events in Los Angeles and San Francisco before heading to Hawaii.

Pride of Hawaii begins sailing its regular schedule on June 5, departing Monday's from Honolulu and offering a full day in Hilo, two days in Kahului, Maui; a day in Kona; and two days in
Nâwiliwili, Kauai.