Panama City, 3 December 2001. – Upon completion of its maiden voyage, Panama Canal authorities confirmed today that the luxurious passenger ship Norwegian Star broke the toll record set earlier this year by the Radiance of the Seas.
The Norwegian Star paid $208,653.16, surpassing the toll record established in March by the Radiance of the Seas with $202,176.76.
This passenger ship’s overall length is 294.13 meters (964.99 feet) and its beam measures 32.31 meters (106 feet), so its volume is greater than that of its predecessor and so is its tonnage.
The Bahamas registered Norwegian Star was built this year in the Meyer Werft shipyard of Papenburg, Germany, and offers numerous attractions, comfort and luxury. For this voyage, the ship departed Miami, Florida, on November 19, and stopped in Cartagena, Colombia, before coming to Panama for its Canal transit. Its final destination is Acapulco, Mexico.
The Norwegian Star has the capability to accommodate up to 2,683 passengers, although during its first voyage it carried 2,226 passengers and 1,053 crewmen.
Every year over 300 of this luxurious floating hotels transit the Panama Canal carrying on board passengers from all over the world. The cruise ship season in the Panama Canal stretches from October to May.
C.B. Fenton & Co. represents the Norwegian Star in the Panama Canal.