Norwegian’s smallest new “cruise ships” are Incat catamarans

Norwegian Cruise Line has launched three tenders, each 82 feet long, designed by Incat Crowther. These tenders are smaller than the luxury cruise ships being built at Fincantieri and can each carry up to 352 passengers. Due to the exposed location in the sea where the cruise ships anchor, Incat emphasizes that the catamaran design and the deep hull construction (nearly 6 feet) help to offer the passengers maximum comfort during the shuttle trip to and from the island. The tenders are named the GSC 1, GSC 2, and GSC 3 and are now in service on the private island in the Bahamas. Registered in the Bahamas, they offer two levels of passenger accommodation, including seating for 188 on the upper deck with covered outdoor seating. On the lower deck, they introduce a new level of comfort, including air conditioning and seating for 164 passengers.
46 years ago, Norwegian Cruise Line introduced the concept of the private island port of call on Great Stirrup Cay in the Berry Islands in central Bahamas, which has become a popular travel destination. All other major cruise lines later adopted the concept with their private destinations, including several on the neighboring Bahama Islands. The tenders have improved significantly over the years; NCL found two WWII-era landing craft that were rebuilt to the names Bahamarama Mama 1 and 2. Newer vessels followed, and two tenders built specifically for the Norway cruise ship in 1980, Little Norway 1 and 2, were transferred to the island after the cruise ship was retired in 2003.
Each ship’s design has been streamlined with main deck ramps connecting to the existing tender docks on the island. There are also two entry/exit points on the upper deck. Incat emphasizes that each ship has two wheelchair-accessible areas on the main deck, as well as an elevator to allow wheelchair access to the upper deck. Each tender has three toilets, one of which is wheelchair accessible. Accessibility is an important design feature for the new tenders.
The new tenders were built by Singapore’s Penguin Shipyard International. They are two levels with amenities such as air conditioning and covered outdoor seating on the upper deck. On the lower deck, they have seating for 164 passengers and three toilets, one of which is wheelchair accessible. Incat reports that each ship’s design has been streamlined with main deck ramps connecting to the existing tender docks on the island. Passengers board the tenders via two entry/exit points on the upper deck.

Tags: Norwegian,Cruise,Incat,Tender,Bahamas,Katamaran,Norway,Bahamamara


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