NORWEGIAN SPIRIT
May 7, 2023 | Day 14 — Juneau, Alaska
Norwegian Spirit was in Juneau, Alaska, on May 7, 2023, during Day 14 of our 16-night Fire and Ice cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver. Alaska’s capital followed Skagway on our itinerary, with Ketchikan ahead as our final Alaska port before the cruise concluded on May 10.
Norwegian Spirit was photographed in Juneau, Alaska, on May 7, 2023, during Day 14 of our 16-night Fire and Ice cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver. After beginning in Hawaii and crossing the Pacific, our cruise continued through Southeast Alaska with Icy Strait Point, Glacier Bay and Skagway before reaching Juneau. Ketchikan followed the next day, with the cruise concluding in Vancouver on May 10.
Built by Meyer Werft in Germany, the ship entered service in 1998 as SuperStar Leo for Star Cruises. Designed for the Asian cruise market, she transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line in 2004 and became Norwegian Spirit. A major renovation in 2020 renewed her accommodation and public spaces, giving a ship from the late 1990s a substantially updated interior before our Hawaii and Alaska cruise.
Juneau provided a setting shaped by mountains, maritime connections and Alaska’s political history. Located on Gastineau Channel, the city grew around an 1880 gold discovery and became Alaska’s capital in 1906. Its history extends much further through the Tlingit people, whose connections to the area long predate the mining settlement. These photographs show Norwegian Spirit during the Juneau portion of our cruise, between the separate Skagway and Ketchikan galleries.
Information List
Name: Norwegian Spirit
Former Name: SuperStar Leo
Operator: Norwegian Cruise Line
Original Operator: Star Cruises
Type: Cruise ship
Class: Leo class
Builder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany
Delivered: September 25, 1998
Entered Service: 1998
Joined Norwegian Cruise Line: 2004
Major Renovation: 2020
Gross Tonnage: 75,904 GT
Length Overall: 880 feet / 268 meters
Moulded Beam: 106 feet / 32.2 meters
Passenger Capacity: 2,032 at double occupancy
Cruise Dates: April 24–May 10, 2023
Cruise Length: 16 nights
Cruise Day: Day 14
Gallery Date: May 7, 2023
Gallery Location: Juneau, Alaska
History and Features
Construction as SuperStar Leo:
Meyer Werft built the ship in Germany for Star Cruises, delivering her on September 25, 1998, one week ahead of the agreed delivery date.
Originally named SuperStar Leo, she was the first ship in the Leo class, followed by sister ship SuperStar Virgo.
Her original design was developed for the Asian market, combining extensive public rooms with accommodation for overnight cruising.
The handover took place in Southampton, marking the completion of construction before the ship began her operating career.
Transfer to Norwegian Cruise Line:
In 2004, SuperStar Leo transferred from Star Cruises to Norwegian Cruise Line and was renamed Norwegian Spirit.
The change introduced a new operator and identity while retaining the underlying Leo-class ship design.
Her earlier Star Cruises service remains an important distinction from Norwegian ships originally delivered under their present names.
By the time of our May 2023 cruise, she had sailed under the name Norwegian Spirit for nearly nineteen years.
Design and Technical Background:
At 75,904 gross tons and about 880 feet long, Norwegian Spirit represents a smaller generation of cruise ship than many later Norwegian newbuildings.
Meyer Werft’s original design incorporated diesel-electric propulsion, with generating machinery supplying power for propulsion and shipboard services.
The shipyard lists a moulded breadth of 32.2 meters, a hull measurement distinct from the maximum beam quoted in cruise line marketing.
A tall central atrium formed an important part of the original Leo-class arrangement, connecting public areas across several decks.
The 2020 Renovation:
Norwegian Spirit underwent a renovation costing more than $100 million during a 43-day dry dock in Marseille, France.
Completed in February 2020, the project included updated staterooms, redesigned public areas and new hull artwork.
Norwegian Cruise Line introduced fourteen new venues as part of the work, substantially changing the passenger experience aboard the ship.
The renovation took place three years before our Fire and Ice cruise, separating her appearance during this gallery from her earlier Norwegian service.
Public Rooms and Dining:
Windows remained a principal dining room, with its name reflecting the broad windows around the room.
Taste and The Local Bar & Grill were among the dining additions associated with the 2020 renovation.
Spinnaker Lounge provided a panoramic public room, while Stardust Theater accommodated staged entertainment in a theater extending over two decks.
The ship’s combination of dining rooms, lounges and outdoor areas supported both port days and the extended Pacific crossing on our itinerary.
Juneau and Gastineau Channel:
Juneau lies on Gastineau Channel within Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage, with Douglas Island across the water from the mainland city.
Mountains and coastal waters shape the city’s setting, placing maritime activity close to the developed downtown area.
Government, tourism, fishing and mining are important parts of Juneau’s economy, giving the destination a role beyond its seasonal cruise traffic.
For Norwegian Spirit, Juneau formed one of the Alaska calls on a cruise that had begun in the much warmer waters of Hawaii.
Gold Mining and Alaska’s Capital:
The Juneau area was a Tlingit fishing ground long before the establishment of the later mining town.
In 1880, Tlingit Chief Kowee guided prospectors Richard Harris and Joe Juneau to gold at Gold Creek, helping initiate the settlement’s mining growth.
Juneau became Alaska’s capital in 1906 when the seat of government transferred from Sitka, decades before Alaska achieved statehood.
The city’s present identity brings together Alaska Native heritage, mining history and its continuing role as the state’s center of government.
May 7, 2023 — Day 14 in Juneau:
This gallery features Norwegian Spirit during our Juneau call on May 7, 2023, fourteen days into the cruise when counting embarkation as Day 1.
Juneau followed Skagway on May 6 and preceded Ketchikan on May 8, continuing our route through Southeast Alaska.
After Ketchikan, the itinerary included a day at sea before our arrival in Vancouver on May 10.
The Juneau photographs form a separate gallery within our Fire and Ice cruise, complementing the other port galleries from Hawaii and Alaska.
OLP Social: Juneau brought Alaska’s capital into our Fire and Ice cruise on day fourteen, following Skagway and ahead of our final Alaska call at Ketchikan.
OLP Social 2: Built by Meyer Werft in Germany in 1998, she began her career with Star Cruises before joining Norwegian Cruise Line under a new name in 2004.
OLP Social 3: With 75,904 gross tons and room for just over 2,000 guests at double occupancy, she brings a smaller ship setting to a cruise through Southeast Alaska.
OLP Social 4: A renovation costing over $100 million in 2020 refreshed her staterooms and public spaces, three years before our cruise from Hawaii through Alaska.
