Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced with deep regret the passing of one of its founders, Knut Kloster, on September 20, 2020, at the age of 91. In his honor, the company will dedicate a portion of its future terminal at PortMiami in Miami, Florida, to him and will create and present an annual award recognizing company members for their humanitarian, environmental, and innovative spirit.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a visionary who not only founded our company but also brought the modern cruise industry to life,” said Frank del Rio, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “Knut was a pioneer in our industry and always ahead of his time, exploring every opportunity to stay ahead and break down barriers. His passion extended beyond cruising, and he was deeply involved in social, cultural, humanitarian, and environmental causes around the world.”
Kloster's influence on the company and the industry is immense. Starting in 1966, he focused on the growing demand for international travel in the Americas, offering round-trip cruises from the Port of Miami on the M/S Sunward, which had a capacity of 550 passengers. This marked the beginning of the modern cruise industry we know today. His innovations continued when he founded the industry's first private island, Great Stirrup Cay, and launched the first megaship in the Caribbean, the SS Norway.
Born in Oslo, Norway, in 1929, Kloster took the reins of his family's shipping company at a very young age. In his efforts to expand it, he did everything he could to acquire a passenger ship that would travel to Gibraltar and Morocco, a region complicated by the geopolitical events unfolding there. At one point, he received an unexpected message from Ted Arison, inviting him to Miami to inspect the facilities and potentially redirect his M/S Sunward to the Caribbean. Thus, Norwegian Caribbean Lines was born, and in December 1966, the first ship sailed from Miami, Florida, to Nassau in the Bahamas, marking the beginning of a new era for cruise ships.
Despite being an industry giant, he was known for his extraordinary character. He embraced an unwavering belief that lasting commercial success was based as much on social and environmental responsibility as on financial stability.
In addition to her deep concern for the environment, Kloster was involved in humanitarian causes. With multinational crews from diverse backgrounds, she fostered a culture of inclusion and understanding aboard her ships. Thanks to her efforts, she received permission from the United Nations to fly its flag on the mast of the SS Norway.
Del Rio concludes: “Knut Kloster’s legacy will live on in the cruise industry with every new ship built and every innovation introduced. With pride and a great sense of responsibility, we will continue the vision he created many years ago. The design of the Pearl of Miami, our state-of-the-art terminal at PortMiami, is inspired by the ‘white ships’ that defined our company’s growth in the late 1960s, so we felt it fitting to honor him by naming the main hall Kloster Hall in his memory. His greatest contribution to our company and the industry was his hunger for innovation, and I am proud to establish the Knut Kloster Team Member Award for Innovation, a $10,000 prize that will be presented annually to a shore-based member or ship crew member who has consistently demonstrated the company’s ideals of innovation.”
