On Sunday May 18, the 91,740grt NORWEGIAN DAWN sailed on its first weekly sailing at the start of a new year-round program, something the port of New York has not seen for about two decades. The last true passenger ship year-round service ended in 1981 when Home Lines OCEANIC repositioned to Florida.

Completed in December 2002, the 965-foot, 2224-passenger ship has Norwegian officers and an international crew of 1126, a 25-knot service speed and ten restaurants, for, along with sister NORWEGIAN STAR, an unprecendented choice on the high seas. Seven eateries have no extra charge and three others have a set rate or an a la carte menu.

The weekly itinerary has a Sunday departure and after two nights and a day at sea, calls at Port Canaveral, Miami, Nassau, and NCL’s private island at Great Stirrup Cay, before two final nights and a full sea day en route back to New York. In response to travel agents’ requests, in the dead of winter, the ship will make four 10- or 11-day cruises to the deep Caribbean on Jan 4, 15 and 25 and February 5, 2004.