NCL Orders 2 New Freestyle Ships

Months after launching it biggest and most expensive ship, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line on Monday announced plans to order two new 4,000-passenger ships, due for delivery in April 2013 and 2014.

Norwegian ordered the ships for 1.2 billion euros, or about $1.7 billion at the current exchange rate. CEO Kevin Sheehan said the company's performance, improving economy and good deals from the shipyard made it the right time for the orders.

``I think the industry and the overall environment is going to be a slow growth over the next few years,'' said CEO Kevin Sheehan. ``Most people believe as you get into 2013, things will really start to move in the right direction, so I thing that timing works well for us.''

The company will release its third-quarter earnings report on Tuesday.

Though similar in size, the new ships will feature a sleeker shape than the $1.2 billion, 4,100 passenger Epic, which entered service earlier this year. The Epic's boxy exterior has been the subject of some derision, deemed bulbous by some and even downright ugly by others.

``We did modify the look and feel of the ship to a more traditional ship,'' Sheehan said.

What won't change is the cruise line's emphasis on ``freestyle'' cruising, offering multiple dining and entertainment options.

For the new ships, the company is returning to German shipyard Meyer Werft GmbH after a rocky relationship with the yard that built the Epic, STX Europe in France.

Norwegian's announcement potentially signals an end to a recent recession-fueled lull in new cruise ship ordering. Although several cruise lines are launching major new ships -- including Miami-based Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, and Seabourn's Sojourn coming to Fort Lauderdale in November, and the new Celebrity Eclipse, coming to Miami this fall -- orders for several years out have slowed from previous years, when many lines introduced a new ship 12 months.

Carnival Corporation's German line, AIDA Cruises, recently signed an order with Meyer Weft for a 2,192-passenger vessel to enter service in 2013.

At the beginning of the year, Carnival also ordered two new ships for its Princess Cruises brand to be delivered in 2013 and 2014.