Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings confirms two more Leonardo-class ships

Posted on 13 July, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has confirmed options to build fifth and sixth Project Leonardo-class ships for Norwegian Cruise Line with Fincantieri.

Frank del Rio, NCLH’s president and chief executive officer, said the decision to build two more 3,300 passenger-capacity ships, due for delivery in 2026 and 2027, showed “strong growth trajectory”.

He said: “Our six-ship Leonardo Class fleet will allow us to broaden our deployment into strong performing and mature unserved and underserved markets and offer new experiences to our guests.”

In a statement, the company said the focus of the new ships’ design was energy efficiency and building a size of vessel that would encourage broad deployment opportunities.

Andy Stuart, NCL’s president and chief executive officer, said: “The highly-anticipated Leonardo Class will fuel future growth with exciting and innovative offerings that will meaningfully drive demand from new and loyal returning guests alike.”

With Thursday’s announcement, NCLH has seven ships on order for Norwegian Cruise Line and one for Regent Seven Seas Cruises for delivery through 2027.

The company will take delivery of its newest ship, Norwegian Encore, in autumn 2019.

Damen Completes Breakaway Refurbishment

Posted on 10 July, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Damen Shiprepair Brest completed an 11-day program of scheduled maintenance and refurbishment on the Norwegian Breakaway in April and May as the 146,000-ton ship drydocked.

Laurent Salou, Project Manager at Damen Shiprepair Brest, commented: “I truly believe that all the personnel at Damen Shiprepair Brest really appreciated the opportunity to work on Norwegian Breakaway as the collaboration with the ship’s staff was more than excellent during the entire dry-docking period. I’m personally really proud of the work which has been achieved by my colleagues and honoured to have worked on such a notable project.

“The client chose us for this project not only because we are capable of handling a ship of this size, but also because we are close to the major cruise terminal at Southampton, which was its last port of call. They were also very satisfied with the works that we performed on the Norwegian Epic in 2015 and I am pleased to be able to report that the client was very happy with the performance of the DSBr workers and the yard on this project as well.”

The primary objective of the visit was mechanical workson the ship’s two ABB azipods, Damen said.

The shipyard’s team worked alongside ABB service engineers on both azipods to repair the shaft bearings and replace the slewing seals. This work required the removal of both propellers and took place in very close coordination with the other teams working on the vessel to ensure that no dust and other contaminants entered the complex systems within the azipods.

At the same time, technicians worked with personnel from Brunvoll on the ship’s bowthrusters, as well as dismantling, maintaining and then refitting the two Fincantieri stabilizers. The hull was also repainted.

While the Norwegian Breakaway was in Damen’s 420-meter drydock, large quantities of the carpets inside the cruise ship were removed and replaced by a specialist contractor as part of a rolling program. The yard managed the 24/7 logistical flow, ensuring that old carpets were removed on time and the new rolls available for fitting.

The Norwegian Breakaway left Damen Shiprepair Brest on May 8 at 12:00 p.m. local time, six hours ahead of schedule.

For $100, Norwegian Bliss guests get unlimited go-kart rides during the cruise

Posted on 10 July, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Cruise Line has introduced a go-kart package on the new Norwegian Bliss.

The go-kart package, which is only available for purchase onboard, allows unlimited riding for a day or week. An unlimited day pass costs $29.95 per guest. An unlimited pass for the week is $99.95 per guest.

Priced individually, an 8-minute ride on the go-kart track costs $9.95 per person.

Guests who buy unlimited passes will wait in a separate line from individual ride purchasers, Norwegian said.

Norwegian Bliss is the only ship in North America that has a go-kart track.