Fincantieri and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) have marked the delivery of Norwegian Luna, the second ship in the Prima Plus class and a major milestone in NCL’s broader newbuild program. Norwegian Luna is the sister ship to Norwegian Aqua, which entered service in 2025, and is intended to strengthen the brand’s focus on choice, flexibility, and family appeal.
At 156,300 gross tons, Norwegian Luna sits in the mid-range of today’s large cruise ships, even as the market continues to push beyond the 200,000 GT threshold. The new ship is about 10% larger than the first two ships in the class—Norwegian Prima (2022) and Norwegian Viva (2023)—and increases guest capacity to 3,571. Like Aqua, it features roughly 1,800 staterooms, compared with 3,195 guests on Prima and Viva.
Norwegian Luna carries many of NCL’s signature offerings, including 17 dining venues and 18 bars and lounges. NCL highlights several standout attractions introduced across the Aqua/Luna “twin” ships, such as the Aqua Slidecoaster—a hybrid waterslide and rollercoaster concept—and the Glow Court with an LED floor. New on Luna is an expanded open-air entertainment zone called Luna Midway, designed like an amusement-park promenade with carnival-style games. The ship will also feature a stage production celebrating music legend Sir Elton John.
Fincantieri said more than 3,000 people worked on completing the ship’s outfitting and preparing it for entry into service. Norwegian Luna is scheduled to begin operations next week with a transatlantic crossing, before positioning in Miami for cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.
NCL described the ship as a reflection of its “Here it is different” brand philosophy and its long-standing Freestyle Cruising approach—built around greater dining and entertainment choice and a more flexible onboard schedule. The company is looking to reinforce those strengths amid intense competition and a heavy wave of new cruise deliveries across the industry.
Norwegian Luna is also positioned as a stepping stone to a larger follow-on ship. Next year, NCL plans to introduce Norwegian Aura, another Prima Plus-class vessel that is expected to be about 10% larger again, at roughly 172,000 GT with capacity for around 3,840 guests, and designed with additional onboard experiences. It is also expected to be prepared “behind the scenes” for potential methanol use.
In total, Norwegian has seven cruise ships on order, including five even larger vessels of around 227,000 GT, all to be built by Fincantieri. Parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has 16 ships on order across its brands, including ultra-luxury ships for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and premium ships for Oceania Cruises.
