'The big one': David Herrera on NCL's future ship platform

'My newbuild team is running around smiling from ear to ear because this is it. This is the big one,' Herrera said.

200,000gt series

On the sidelines of previewing 2025's Norwegian Aqua at Fincantieri's Marghera yard, the NCL chief spoke to Seatrade Cruise News about 2030's first in a series of four approximately 200,000gt ships with about 5,000 lower berths each. One is planned every other year to 2036.

'These will be our largest ships. Fincantieri is a fantastic partner. We are designing the ship from scratch like we never have before,' Herrera said.

They are part of the blockbuster, eight-vessel order Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings inked with Fincantieri in April.

'Countless people involved'

The new concept consumes 10% to 15% of Herrera's time each week. And that's just his input; his team has 'countless people involved in it.'

Long series are nothing new for NCL. Herrera recounted how the brand ordered the Prima class in 2017 and will be getting the sixth ship in 2028 — an 11-year span. Before that came the Breakaway class, order placed in 2010 and extending to five ships, through 2019's Norwegian Encore.

Close to finalizing GA

'Right now is when the hard work happens,' Herrera said, citing 'a lot of info we have to pin down. We don't have to know the color of the carpet but we have to know how many balcony cabins will be on Deck 9. We're getting to the point where the general arrangement has to be close to final. It's very detailed. We have great people working on it.'

Related:What's new and different about the bigger Norwegian Aqua

A project like this benefits from having as many great minds as possible giving input.

'I'm thrilled, impressed and proud of the team we've created to build, with our partners, what's going to be the next evolution of the NCL brand,' Herrera said.