UPDATE 1-Norwegian Cruise to plead guilty in deadly blast

(Updates to add company comment in paragraphs 3 and 9)

By Jane Sutton

MIAMI, May 2 (Reuters) - Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd. has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge of grossly negligent operation of a ship in connection with an explosion that killed eight crewmen on the S.S. Norway in 2003, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday.

The cruise line will pay a criminal fine, but the amount was not disclosed in a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office announcing the plea.

The company likewise did not disclose the amount of the fine but said it had cooperated fully with government investigators and that the safety of passengers "has been and always will be of the utmost importance."

Norwegian Cruise Line is part of the Star Cruises (SARC.SI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) family.

The S.S. Norway was docked at the Port of Miami when a boiler exploded on May 25, 2003, killing the eight crewmen and seriously injuring 10. Many of the victims were from the Philippines.

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that a weld on a seam of a high-pressure drum ruptured, releasing nearly 20 tonnes of scalding water that turned into steam and swept through the engine room and adjacent crew quarters.

The NTSB said the failed system had a history of fatigue cracking, corrosion and pitting. It blamed the accident on failure to adequately maintain, operate and inspect the ship's boilers.