The original design of the 2 "Project America" ships has been modified and will sail under the NCL brand as the latest addition to the company's revolutionary Freestyle Cruising fleet. The new name of the first ship will be  PRIDE of AMERICA expected delivery end of 2003 in time for the summer season. NCL wanted the orginal 256 m. long hull lengthened by 25 m. to 281 m. Two additional diesel engines would also be installed, for increasing the service speed of the vessel. Raising in total to 6.

What will happen to the second ship was still not clear. It seemed unlikly that materials would be assembled at Lloyd Werft which is not a newbuilding yard. Earlier reports spake of Meyer Werft and an unidentified German yard being interested in some of the work. NCL said once completion of the first ship was under way, it “will explore the feasibility of completing the second vessel based on the word in progress and materials that have been purchased.”

July - 2004 The materials for Project America 2 are being moved from Lloyd Werft to Meyer Werft in Papenburg for use in ongoing Norwegian Cruise Line newbuilds. NCL had purchased the materials from the US Maritime Administration. The materials has been used on the Pride of Hawaii under construction at Meyer Werft.

PRIDE OF AMERICA sinks
January 14-2004: The Norwegian Cruise Lines uncompleted PRIDE OF AMERICA sank at Lloyd Werft shipyard Bremerhaven, Germany this morning. It is believed that storm driven waves poured into an opening in the almost finished vessel and caused her to list enough to fill with water.The vessel settled to the bottom of the harbour with the lower three to six decks flooded including the engine spaces, and is resting at 12 degree list. Delay in delivery will be important.  Reflagging of Norwegian Sky into the U.S. registry and renamed into Pride of Aloha is in response to the Pride of America incident which has delayed her delivery is moved foreward and effected in May 2004

NCL-STATEMENT OF MARCH 3-2004
The first of the Project America vessels, Pride of America, has been delayed. As some of you may know, the vessel listed 15 degrees while docked at her shipyard and took on water up to three decks in a heavy windstorm in January. The ship, which was slated to begin cruising on July 4th in Hawai`i, was recently refloated and we are working with the shipyard to assess damages and determine a new delivery date for that ship.

July 4-2004 - Lloyd Werft confirmed that work on NCL’s Pride of America has already started following an agreement by the insurers to pay the claim. Pride of America will now be delivered by Lloyd Werft on June 6, 2005.

May 23-2005 - The Pride of America returns today to Bremerhaven after her first trials.

June 17-2005 - Pride of America was christened in a festive ceremony in New York on a perfect summery day.  The 80,439-ton vessel is the largest cruise liner ever built for the US passenger fleet and the first new ocean liner carrying the US flag in half a century. POA was christened by US Labor Secretary Elaine Chao who released the traditional bottle against the ship’s hull amid a shower of confetti streamers.