Norwegian Sun and Sky to Exit Fleet in 2025—Future Cruises Canceled
Norwegian Cruise Line is phasing out two of its oldest ships—Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Sky—with both vessels scheduled to leave the fleet in 2025. Guests booked on future sailings recently started receiving cancellation notices, and now we know why: the ships are being chartered to Cordelia Cruises, a premium cruise operator based in India.
According to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Norwegian Sky will begin its charter in 2026, followed by Norwegian Sun in 2027. Until then, both ships will wrap up their final seasons with NCL before officially transitioning out of the fleet.
The charter agreements are set for an initial period, with options for long-term extensions. Once the transition happens, both ships will be rebranded and operated by Cordelia Cruises. Norwegian describes the move as part of a “fleet optimization strategy,” as the line continues shifting focus toward newer ships like the Prima Class and the upcoming Norwegian Aqua.
Norwegian Sky first debuted in 1999, and Norwegian Sun followed in 2001. Both went through major refurbishments in recent years—Sky in 2019 and Sun in 2018—so they’re far from obsolete, but they’ve clearly aged out of Norwegian’s future plans.
While this explains the wave of canceled cruises, the rollout has still been frustrating for some guests. Norwegian didn’t issue a formal announcement until after emails had already gone out, and no farewell sailings or celebratory send-offs have been announced so far.
As of now, Norwegian Sun’s final sailing under NCL is set for March 19, 2025, and Norwegian Sky’s for May 29, 2025.
We’ll update this post if NCL shares more about the final sailings or additional details about the Cordelia Cruises handover.
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Kathy Ava
Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.