After 27 years with Norwegian and 2.5m passengers, Norwegian Sky to say goodbye in Dubai

After 27 years sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line and carrying an estimated 2.5 million passengers, Norwegian Sky is set to leave the fleet later this year, with its final voyage scheduled to conclude in Dubai.

The 2,000-passenger vessel, which entered service in 1999, has operated across multiple regions during its career, becoming one of the line’s longest-serving ships.

Over nearly three decades, it has seen sustained deployment across the Caribbean, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

Norwegian Sky also played a role in the development of the company’s Freestyle Cruising concept in its early years, contributing to a shift away from fixed dining and rigid onboard schedules.

Its longevity has seen it transition through different operational phases, including a period between 2004 and 2008 when it operated in Hawaii under the name Pride of Aloha.

The redeployment was implemented at short notice following delays to the then-newbuild Pride of America, requiring the vessel to be reflagged under the US registry before later returning to its original name and international service.

As of April 2026, the ship is operating a transatlantic repositioning voyage from La Romana in the Dominican Republic to Le Havre, France, with a scheduled call in the Azores. This is followed by a series of seven-night itineraries across Northern Europe, including ports such as Copenhagen, Hamburg, Amsterdam (IJmuiden), Dover, and Zeebrugge, before further sailings in the British Isles and the Mediterranean during the summer season.

The vessel’s final sailing for Norwegian Cruise Line is scheduled to depart Athens on September 9th, 2026, on a 21-day itinerary transiting the Suez Canal en route to Dubai.

However, the route remains subject to uncertainty, with geopolitical developments in the Middle East raising the possibility that the voyage could be altered, including a potential rerouting directly to Mumbai instead of entering the Arabian Gulf.

Following its final call in Dubai, Norwegian Sky is expected to transfer to Cordelia Cruises, an India-based operator, where it will be renamed and deployed on itineraries from ports including Mumbai and Goa.

If geopolitical developments allow, the ship will likely undergo an extensive refit and refurbishment at Dry Docks World in Dubai, just as her future fleetmate Empress did in in 2021.

After nearly three decades in service, Norwegian Sky’s departure marks the end of one of the older vessels in the fleet, even as it continues operations under a new operator rather than being withdrawn from service.