On the same day NASA’s Artemis II astronauts arrived in Florida for their moonshot mission, Norwegian Cruise Line kept the theme going farther down the coast officially christening its newest ship, the Norwegian Luna.
The line brought the vessel, a sister ship to 2025’s Aqua, for the traditional champagne bottle smashing event at PortMiami on Friday.
The godmother for the ship is an artist who gained fame creating New York graffiti by the name ELLE. She was also tapped to design the moon-and-stars themed hull art.
Video of a champagne bottle smashing into the hull of the Norwegian Luna plays in the background during its christening ceremony while on state, from left to right, are Norwegian Luna Captain Robert Lundberg, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd President and CEO John Chidsey, Luna godmother and hull artist ELLE, and NCL President Marc Kazlauskas at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026 ahead of its christening event. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026 ahead of its christening event. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026 ahead of its christening event. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Norwegian Luna Captain Robert Lundberg shares the stage with an actor playing the character Captain Frederick Archibald Seaworthy, who stars in new Norwegian Cruise Line commercials, during the ship’s christening ceremony at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Norwegian Cruise Line President Marc Kazlauskas speaks ahead of the Norwegian Luna christening ceremony at PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
New York graffiti artist ELLE, the godmother and designer of the hull art of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna, speaks ahead of its christening at PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026 ahead of its christening event. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026 ahead of its christening event. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
From left to right, Norwegian Luna Captain Robert Lundberg, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd President and CEO John Chidsey, Luna godmother and hull artist ELLE, and NCL President Marc Kazlauskas gather to perform the christening ceremony for the new ship docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
New York graffiti artist ELLE, the godmother and designer of the hull art of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna, speaks ahead of its christening at PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026 ahead of its christening event. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The Miami skyline is seen in the background as Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna is docked at PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
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Video of a champagne bottle smashing into the hull of the Norwegian Luna plays in the background during its christening ceremony while on state, from left to right, are Norwegian Luna Captain Robert Lundberg, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd President and CEO John Chidsey, Luna godmother and hull artist ELLE, and NCL President Marc Kazlauskas at PortMiami’s Terminal B on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
“When Norwegian invited me to design the hull I never imagined I’d be helping to send it out to sea,” she said. “To design the hull art, which I later named ‘La Luna,’ I spent months studying every curve of the ship, imagining all of the adventures that lay ahead for her.”
It’s a little out of the norm for a cruise line, which often will pick a celebrity actor or singer as godparent without a close relationship to the vessel. ELLE is known for large-scale murals in major cities around the world, and her artwork for Luna’s hull is 1,056 feet long.
“You’ll see egrets, graceful guides of air and water. And if you look closely, you’ll discover the 12 zodiac constellations,” she said. “And on the bow, the focal point, you’ll find the moon, which along with the stars have guided travelers for millennia.”
Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna was christened in PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026 to begin its inaugural season of Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. (Courtesy/NCL)
Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna was christened in PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026 to begin its inaugural season of Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. (Courtesy/NCL)
Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna was christened in PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026 to begin its inaugural season of Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. (Courtesy/NCL)
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Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna was christened in PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026 to begin its inaugural season of Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. (Courtesy/NCL)
She was joined by Norwegian Cruise Line executives to press a ceremonial button after a digital Times Square-esque countdown clock hit 0, unleashing the massive bottle of bubbly shown on video smashing into part of the 1,056-foot-long, 156,000-gross-ton, 3,565-passenger vessel.
“May God bless her and everyone who sails upon her. May the winds be kind, may the seas be calm, and her journeys bring adventure and wonder to all who sail upon her,” ELLE said.
It’s the 21st ship in NCL’s fleet, and is nearly identical to Norwegian Aqua, including the most prominent feature, the Aqua Slidecoaster, a hybrid rollercoaster and water slide touted as the fastest and longest such ride at sea.
Know as the Prima Plus class, Luna and Aqua follow a design similar to that seen on Norwegian Prima and Viva, but are larger with 1,809 staterooms, 17 dining options and 18 bars and lounges. All four ships feature a wrap-around deck anchored by the Indulge Food Hall, which is a popular, free alternative to the buffet that lets diners order from among nine global cuisines including barbecue, Indian, noodles and plant-based options.
Luna also has an outdoor, amusement-park style area with carnival-inspired games called the Luna Midway, a unique-to-the-ship, multilevel obstacle course called Moon Climber, the Luna Game Zone interactive play space and the Glow Court, a high-tech sports and club activity venue with an interactive LED floor. It also offers a 10-deck free-fall slide called The Drop.
An impressive choreography accompanied Elton John’s “Rocketman” during a stage show titled “Elton: A Celebration of Elton John” on board Norwegian Luna performed on Friday, March 27, 2026 in Miami. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
The entertainment offerings on board give it even more personality, including a show appropriately styled on the singer of “Rocket Man.” The main stage theater production is titled “Elton: A Celebration of Elton John,” but that’s just one of several new productions on board.
Norwegian Cruise Line President Marc Kazlauskas speaks ahead of the Norwegian Luna christening ceremony at PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
After the recent departures of both NCL President David Herrera last August and NCL Holdings CEO Harry Sommer in February, new NCL President Marc Kazlauskas and NCL Holdings CEO John Chidsey took the reins for the cruise line recently.
“She’s the first ship I get to take delivery of, and she’s magnificent,” Kazlauskas said.
On Friday, that parent company, which also presides over Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises, announced five new people would be joining its board of directors as of March 31 while four existing board directors resigned.
This comes after Elliott Investment Management recently took a major stake in the line. The move placed Chidsey as the new chairman on top of his existing roles, but elevated new director Alex Cruz, former Chairman and CEO of British Airways, as the lead independent director.
Other new directors include Kevin A. Lansberry, a former EVP and CFO of Disney Experiences, Steve Pagliuca, former Managing Partner and Co-Chairman of Bain Capital, Brian P. MacDonald, President and CEO of CDK Global, and Jonathan Z. Cohen, Founder, CEO and President of Hepco Capital Management LLC.
Resigning are board directors Stella David, David M. Abrams, Harry C. Curtis and Mary E. Landry.
Blue lights illuminate the top decks of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship Norwegian Luna after its arrival to PortMiami on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
But while the business of Norwegian Cruise Line was being shaken up, it was a party atmosphere on the new ship in Miami.
The ship is tapped to sail three- and four-night Bahamas voyages as well as seven-night Caribbean itineraries through April 2027 before it moves to New York.