Norwegian Cruise Line honoured once again as “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” by the World Travel Awards

Norwegian Escape

Norwegian is named “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” for the fourth consecutive year and recognized for “World’s Leading Cruise Line Website”

Wiesbaden, December 14, 2015 –Norwegian Cruise Line has once again been named the “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” by the World Travel Awards, marking the fourth consecutive year that the company has been honoured with this accolade. In addition, Norwegian won the award for the “World’s Leading Cruise Line Website.”

The awards were presented to Norwegian Cruise Line at the 22st annual World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala, held on December 12, 2015 in El Jadida, Morocco. The annual awards are voted on by thousands of travel and tourism professionals from across the globe and honour travel companies that provide outstanding products and customer service.

In addition to the award for top large ship cruise line worldwide, earlier this year Norwegian Cruise Line was also recognized by the World Travel Awards as “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the eighth consecutive year as well as the “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” for the third consecutive year.

“We are overjoyed to once again be honoured as a worldwide leader in the travel industry, and we thank all of the many travel partners, industry professionals and guests who voted for us,” said Andy Stuart, President and Chief Operating Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We are very proud of this incredible achievement, which is a testament to our commitment to excellence across our fleet and our hard-working crew’s dedication to providing our guests with an outstanding holiday experience.”

Norwegian’s fourteen Freestyle Cruising vessels sail a variety of exciting itineraries, from the Caribbean to Panama Canal, South America and Mexican Riviera. The line’s newest ships, Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Getaway, cruise the Caribbean year-round from Miami. In addition, Norwegian has six vessels sailing the Caribbean and the Bahamas from convenient locations including New York, Tampa, Port Canaveral (Orlando), New Orleans and Houston. Norwegian Sun is currently sailing alternating 14-night itineraries in South America, while Norwegian Jewel is sailing 7-night itineraries to the Mexican Riviera, Norwegian Epic is sailing the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands from Barcelona this winter, and Pride of America sails weekly inter-island Hawai’i cruises that offer 100 hours of port time.

The World Travel Awards has been recognizing and acknowledging excellence amongst companies involved in the global travel and tourism industries since 1993, and has set high standards for all of their participants.

About Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is an internationally operating cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida with three offices in Wiesbaden, Malta and Southampton overseeing operations in Europe.

Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a 49-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the introduction of Freestyle Cruising which revolutionized the industry by giving guests more freedom and flexibility. Today, Norwegian invites guests to explore the world on one of 14 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed, resort style cruise holiday on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea. In September 2015, the line was named “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the eighth consecutive year, as well as in October 2015, for the third consecutive year, “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” by the World Travel Awards. In addition the company has received the World Travel Award as “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” from 2012 to 2015.

The Company recently took delivery of its most innovative ship to date, the 4.200-passenger Norwegian Escape in October 2015 and has three further 4.200-passenger vessels on order at Meyer Werft with delivery in the spring of 2017, 2018 and autumn of 2019.

The Fred Olsen cruise ship Boudicca is carrying 784 passengers and 356 crew

A cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 people was left without power off Morocco after an engine room fire.

Holidaymakers on board the Boudicca were told to don life jackets and gather at emergency muster stations, according to the son of one passenger.

The fire at 04:00 BST left the ship “listing” and “in pitch black”, said Dave Tonkin, whose father is onboard.

Fred Olsen, the company which owns the ship, said it was now fully stable and had five engines running again.

Spokeswoman Rachael Jackson said Boudicca listed for “a short period” but was now stable and travelling again, although more slowly than normal.

“The fire was in the engine room, but has now been extinguished, and no guests or crew have been injured,” she said.

She said two main engines and three auxiliary engines were running, while two other engines were still being mended.

The ship will aim to arrive in Lanzarote, Spain, on Monday as planned, she added.

It currently has 784 passengers and 356 crew on board.

The Boudicca is one of four cruise liners owned by the UK-based, Norwegian-owned company Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

The ship’s online locator currently shows it off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco. It left Cadiz, Spain, on Saturday.

It is not the first time the Boudicca has been in the news. Last year Fred Olsen paid £280,000 in compensation to 130 holidaymakers who suffered gastric illnesses on board between October 2009 and May 2010.

The ship was also hit in 2013 when 98 passengers contracted a vomiting bug.