NORWEGIAN SPIRIT
April 24–May 3, 2023 | Fire & Ice Cruise – Hawaii & Pacific Crossing – Days 1–10
The first half of our 16-night Fire & Ice cruise aboard Norwegian Spirit (Norwegian Cruise Line) began in Honolulu on April 24, 2023. After visiting Kona, Kauai, Maui and Hilo, the voyage continued with five days across the Pacific toward Alaska, creating a dramatic transition from the Hawaiian Islands to the northern portion of the cruise.
On April 24, 2023, we boarded Norwegian Spirit in Honolulu for a 16-night Fire & Ice cruise that would take us from the tropical Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific to Alaska before ending in Vancouver, British Columbia. This gallery covers Days 1–10 of the voyage, beginning with four Hawaiian ports and continuing through the five-day Pacific crossing toward Alaska.
Norwegian Spirit entered service in 1998 as SuperStar Leo for Star Cruises. Built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, the ship was transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line in 2004 and renamed Norwegian Spirit. Her design retains characteristics of her original Asian cruise-market origins while later renovations adapted the ship to Norwegian's international fleet.
A major refurbishment completed in 2020 transformed many of the ship's public spaces, accommodations and dining areas. The extensive project gave Norwegian Spirit a more contemporary appearance while retaining the smaller scale that distinguishes her from many of Norwegian Cruise Line's newer ships.
Our 2023 voyage brought together two dramatically different cruising regions. The first portion began among the volcanic landscapes and warm waters of Hawaii before Norwegian Spirit turned north for five consecutive days at sea. Alaska began on Day 11 at Icy Strait Point, followed by Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan before the cruise concluded in Vancouver on May 10. The Alaska portion of the voyage is presented in a separate Ocean Liner Photography gallery.
Information List
Name: Norwegian Spirit
Operator: Norwegian Cruise Line
Original Name: SuperStar Leo
Original Operator: Star Cruises
Builder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany
Entered Service: 1998
Joined Norwegian Cruise Line: 2004
Gross Tonnage: Approximately 75,900 GT
Length: Approximately 879 feet / 268 meters
Beam: Approximately 106 feet / 32.2 meters
Major Refurbishment: 2020
Voyage: Fire & Ice Cruise
Cruise Dates: April 24–May 10, 2023
Gallery Coverage: April 24–May 3, 2023
Embarkation: Honolulu, Hawaii
Final Destination: Vancouver, British Columbia
Personal Voyage: Traveled aboard Norwegian Spirit
History and Features
SuperStar Leo:
The ship entered service in 1998 as SuperStar Leo for Star Cruises.
She was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.
Her original design reflected Star Cruises' focus on the Asian cruise market.
She later became part of Norwegian Cruise Line and was renamed Norwegian Spirit in 2004.
Norwegian Cruise Line Service:
As Norwegian Spirit, the ship has operated a wide variety of itineraries for Norwegian Cruise Line.
Her deployments have included Alaska, Hawaii, Asia, Australia, the South Pacific and other international destinations.
At approximately 75,900 gross tons, she is considerably smaller than many of Norwegian's newer ships.
Her size allows her to offer a different onboard experience from the line's much larger contemporary vessels.
2020 Refurbishment:
Norwegian Spirit underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2020.
Norwegian Cruise Line described the project as one of the most extensive revitalizations undertaken in its fleet.
Guest accommodations, dining venues and public spaces were redesigned and modernized.
The work significantly changed the ship's interior appearance while extending the useful life of a vessel originally built more than two decades earlier.
Our 2023 Fire & Ice Cruise:
We boarded Norwegian Spirit in Honolulu on April 24, 2023.
The 16-night voyage combined Hawaii, a Pacific Ocean crossing and Alaska in a single itinerary.
Norwegian Cruise Line uses the Fire & Ice name for voyages connecting the warm Hawaiian Islands with Alaska's dramatically different northern landscapes.
This gallery covers the first ten days, from embarkation in Honolulu through the final day of the Pacific crossing.
A separate Ocean Liner Photography gallery continues the voyage beginning with Icy Strait Point on May 4.
Days 1–5 – Hawaii:
Day 1 – April 24: Honolulu, Oahu – Embarkation
Day 2 – April 25: Kona, Hawaii
Day 3 – April 26: Kauai
Day 4 – April 27: Maui
Day 5 – April 28: Hilo, Hawaii
The opening portion of the cruise provided four consecutive Hawaiian port calls before the ship began the long crossing toward Alaska.
Days 6–10 – Pacific Ocean Crossing:
Day 6 – April 29: At Sea
Day 7 – April 30: At Sea
Day 8 – May 1: At Sea
Day 9 – May 2: At Sea
Day 10 – May 3: At Sea
Five consecutive sea days separated Hawaii from the first Alaskan destination, emphasizing the considerable distance between the two regions.
The extended crossing also made the changing climate an important part of the Fire & Ice experience as the voyage progressed north.
Complete Fire & Ice Itinerary:
April 24 – Day 1: Honolulu, Hawaii – Embarkation
April 25 – Day 2: Kona, Hawaii
April 26 – Day 3: Kauai, Hawaii
April 27 – Day 4: Maui, Hawaii
April 28 – Day 5: Hilo, Hawaii
April 29 – Day 6: At Sea
April 30 – Day 7: At Sea
May 1 – Day 8: At Sea
May 2 – Day 9: At Sea
May 3 – Day 10: At Sea
May 4 – Day 11: Icy Strait Point, Alaska
May 5 – Day 12: Glacier Bay, Alaska
May 6 – Day 13: Skagway, Alaska
May 7 – Day 14: Juneau, Alaska
May 8 – Day 15: Ketchikan, Alaska
May 9 – Day 16: At Sea
May 10 – Day 17: Vancouver, British Columbia – Disembarkation
From Hawaii to Alaska:
The itinerary's defining feature was the contrast between its two principal regions.
Hawaii provided volcanic landscapes, tropical weather and four consecutive island calls at the beginning of the cruise.
The five-day Pacific crossing then formed a natural dividing point between the Hawaii and Alaska portions.
Beginning at Icy Strait Point on May 4, the second half shifted to the mountains, glaciers and coastal communities of Southeast Alaska.
The complete voyage ended in Vancouver on May 10 after traveling from one of the warmest cruise regions in the Pacific to one of the coolest.
Legacy:
Norwegian Spirit represents an earlier generation of modern cruise-ship design and remains distinctive within the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet because of her origins as SuperStar Leo.
Her 2020 transformation allowed the ship to continue operating long and varied international itineraries.
The 2023 Fire & Ice voyage demonstrated that versatility particularly well, combining Hawaii, an extended ocean passage and Alaska within a single 16-night cruise.
For the Ocean Liner Photography collection, this gallery documents the Hawaii and Pacific-crossing portion of one of our longer and more geographically varied cruises aboard Norwegian Spirit.
OLP Social: Our 16-night Fire & Ice voyage began with calls at Kona, Kauai, Maui and Hilo, followed by five consecutive days at sea as we crossed the Pacific toward Alaska.
