 During construction, however, the demand for cruises on the "Sunward" greatly exceeded, which prompted Kloster to request Wandborg to change the design and exclude the freight capacity for cabins instead.On December 21, 1968, the "Starward" sailed on its first cruise out of Miami.The "Starward" was the first Norwegian-flagged ship to meet American ‘Method 1’ fire-protection standards that specified the use of non-combustible materials throughout passenger and crew accommodations.