Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ships are about to get a whole lot bigger. On October 27, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced roughly $5 billion in financing for two future ships. Add last year’s deal, and nearly $10 billion now backs four megaships. Let’s take a look at what this $5 billion dollar investment means for cruisers.
What Norwegian announced
In an October SEC Filing, NCLH documented an investment of roughly $2.5 billion per ship. However, these are not surprise ships; they were already part of Norwegian’s long-term plan. Still, the news shows that plans are moving forward with the two ships due in 2034 and 2036.
But what about the sister ships being delivered in 2030 and 2032? Those first ships in NCL’s new mega-class were financed in July 2025. That deal covered up to $2.44 billion and $2.47 billion, about $4.91 billion combined. That means that these two financing deals total nearly $10 billion for just four ships! A fifth ship is planned for 2037… but its financing is not yet finalized.
How big are the new ships?
At 227,000 gross tons, the new ships are almost 60% larger than Norwegian Prima. They also top Aura and Bella by nearly 60,000 gross tons. Norwegian’s estimate was raised to 227,000 gross tons in February 2026.
| Ship | Gross tonnage | Debut |
|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Prima | ~143,500 | 2022 |
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | 250,000 | 2024 |
| Norwegian Luna | 156,000 | 2026 |
| Norwegian Aura | 170,000 | 2027 |
| Carnival Destiny (ACE Class) | 230,000 | 2029 |
| New megaship class | 227,000 | 2030 |
Norwegian expects about 5,000 guests per ship at double occupancy. That’s more than 50% higher than Prima’s capacity. The new ships still won’t match Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class size, however, it’s a major leap for NCL.
Norwegian’s new ship timeline: 2027 to 2037
Norwegian Cruise Line is launching seven new ships in about a decade, if every delivery stays on schedule. Plus, five of them will be far larger than anything Norwegian sails today. That’s just WILD.
| Year | Ship | Financing |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Norwegian Aura | Not part of this order |
| 2028 | Norwegian Bella | Not part of this order |
| 2030 | Megaship 1 | Financed July 2025 |
| 2032 | Megaship 2 | Financed July 2025 |
| 2034 | Megaship 3 | Financed October 2026 |
| 2036 | Megaship 4 | Financed October 2026 |
| 2037 | Megaship 5 | Financing still to come |
What about Carnival?
Carnival is also going big. Carnival Destiny, the first Ace Class ship, is targeted at about 230,000 gross tons. It is due in 2029. Carnival has ordered three Ace Class ships, due in 2029, 2031 and 2033.
Norwegian’s new class will be about 3,000 gross tons smaller and arrives a year later. Interestingly, Fincantieri is building both Carnival’s and Norwegian’s newest, largest ships!
Carnival, though, has shared more so far. Ace Class will have about 4.5 acres of glass and more ocean-facing spaces than any other Carnival ship. However, Norwegian hasn’t revealed its plans yet. We’ll save that rivalry for another video.
Is bigger better?
A bigger ship isn’t automatically a better one. What matters is how Norwegian uses the extra space. It also matters how the line responds to cruiser feedback. So far, Norwegian hasn’t announced a name, design or features for this class.
Here is what we’re hoping to see:
- A better balance between guest count and venue size, at places like Syd Norman’s and the Improv
- More and larger pools, plus more outdoor space
- Neighborhoods or zones, like Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer
- More dining options, however, we don’t need celebrity chefs to impress us
We also have open questions! What will they name the Class for Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ships? And will the design follow the Breakaway Plus class or the Prima Class styling?
These are questions we can’t answer yet. With Aura and Bella being the focus over the next two years, and the new megaship not arriving until 2030, it’ll be a minute before we have all the details.
What do you think?
Are you excited about ships this big? Or do you prefer the smaller feel of Norwegian Prima at about 143,000 gross tons? If you could ask Norwegian for one feature, what would it be? Tell us in the comments.