Norwegian Yacht Voyages Reveals First Ship Design

Norwegian Yacht Voyages' M/Y Caroline final design rendering versus old concept (inset)

PHOTO: Norwegian Yacht Voyages’ M/Y Caroline final design rendering versus old concept (inset). (photo courtesy of Norwegian Yacht Voyages, Oslo)
Norwegian Yacht Voyages continues to be an ever-evolving brand, but it is also one that is uniquely including the public in all of its initial designs from phase one through the finished product.

Now, it is unveiling its final design for the line’s ultra-luxury inaugural vessel—the M/Y Caroline, considered by the company to be the “World’s First True Hybrid Expedition Mega-Yacht.”

That means the ship will be capable of operating dual fuel generators powered by diesel and LNG (liquefied natural gas). It will also feature battery banks for peak-shaving over the need for extra energy via diesel at key times like at startup, as well as solar-powered hydrogen fuel cells.

The resulting environmentally-friendly vessel can fully run on LNG for several days at a time but can’t indefinitely due to the fuel’s limited availability in the ship’s global destinations.

Besides what’s under the hood, the ship will sport even sleeker lines than it did originally, as can be seen in the comparison of the old (inset) and new designs in the header image above. It will now measure in at 173.8 meters long with a passenger capacity of 220 accommodated in 110 suites.

A total of 160 crew members will cater to guests onboard.

Individual suites will be sized from 485-square-foot entry-level ones to 1,506-square-foot Penthouses. Each will be equipped with private balconies, and some will even be connecting for even greater configurations.

It may be untraditional, but Norwegian Yacht’s marketing approach has certainly been refreshing.

In a press release, the company humbly admitted, “We have changed our brand three times and we have evolved our design from something more traditional to something dramatically the world has not seen before. While we are not going to reveal everything yet, we promise to introduce news-breaking innovative solutions and amenities not seen on board any other vessels today,

“Secrecy and NDAs might work for the well established players, but we strongly believe that by creating a transparent brand, and already at the earliest stages invite our future potential guests and partners to share their thoughts and comments, we are able to create a brand that will offer exactly what the market wants.”

Let’s take a look at the exterior design a little closer.

From the get-go, the swooping superstructure at the stern to midship has always been in place, but now the lines are even more yacht-like than before as the smokestack is further integrated into the curvature outlined by the rear windows. The stack wonderfully disappears into the design as does the singular satellite sphere on top.

Particularly edgier are the forward elements from the near-vertical bow to the angular windows’ leading edges. Even the UFO-like observation lounge perched on the top deck sits back, nestled closer to the stack, making for a more aerodynamic forecastle. Thankfully, the awesome diamond-patterned atrium side glass remains.

As a concept drawing, the M/Y Caroline is a beauty akin to an aquatic sports car.

Norwegian Unveils Bold New Ship Design

Norwegian Unveils Bold New Ship Design

Norwegian Cruise New Project “Project Leonardo ship class”
 

PHOTO: Rendering of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Project Leonardo ship class. (Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line)

After recapping and detailing a number of current projects at the annual Seatrade Cruise Global conference, Norwegian Cruise Line pulled back the current on the exterior design of its next ship class, dubbed Project Leonardo.

That wasn’t the only notable news on the docket, however.

In between its seasonal deployments in Alaska and the Caribbean, it was announced that California would get some love in between with 7-, 8- and 14-day Mexican Riviera sailings from Los Angeles. On the routes, Mexican ports of call will include Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Ensenada, Manzanillo and Puerto Quetzal, with the longer sailing being a repositioning to Miami through the Panama Canal’s new larger locks.

Also on the itinerary side of things, Cuba was anticipated as Norwegian Sky’s next destination beginning in May, 2017, for a total of 30 weekly 4-day sailings from Miami that will initially last through this December. The other port of call on these voyages will be the cruise line’s Great Stirrup Cay, which is also the focus of renewal, to the tune of $40 million.

The private island has aready received an enhanced beach area, updated cabanas, a refurbished boardwalk, new dining and shaded lounge seating, landscaping and the free Abaco Taco eatery. Next to be added through the end of the year will be a new Landshark Bar & Grill, zip-line, underwater sculpture garden, marina lockers, family beach, shaded benches, private lagoon area and medical center.

Back on board, the next-to-launch Norwegian Bliss was also featured for its connection to the ocean, completing a journey that began with the al fresco Waterfront on the Norwegian Breakaway and coming to full fruition with its multiple decks of sea-view observation lounges. Other new features include virtual views for the ship’s studio cabins bringing outside vistas in. There will also be the same amount of Haven suites on the Bliss as on the preceding Norwegian Escape while providing double the amount of common ship-within-a-ship space.

Entertainment is being added on the current fleet with a complimentary “Escape the Big Top” puzzle room experience on the Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Escape. Plus, “Cirque Dream & Dinner” is to be enhanced on the Breakaway and Epic as well as being added to the Getaway via a format that arranges the new show and main dining elements separately.

Even though the Norwegian Bliss itself will not launch until the summer of 2018, the next aforementioned Project Leonardo is already making waves with its exterior aesthetic. The first ship from the new series will come out in 2022 followed by other ordered sister-ships in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Options exist for two more in 2026 and 2027.

When Frank Del Rio, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. revealed the renderings of the 140,000-gross-ton vessel, he pointed out that it will include broad decks as well as several infinity pools, all in service to his vision of crafting a premium product for the mainstream line.

Each new ship will carry approximately 3,300 guests, building on the amenities found in the line’s latest Breakaway Plus-class ships.

Ulysseas project – the new expedition cruise ship design

In March 2015, the major shipbuilder STX France unveiled a revolutionary new expedition ship design named “Ulysseas”. It represents an innovative idea for a small cruise ship (passenger capacity 200, ice-class hull, length 476 ft / 145 m, cruising speed 17 kn / 20 mph / 31 kmh) aimed at the expedition cruising market.

Ulysseas cruise ship design

The main reason for the Ulysseas project is that currently, the expedition cruise market uses mostly second-hand vessels. Unique for this new ship design is the excessive usage of glass (in all public areas) and the French balconies (false balconies) on all passenger cabins. Every passenger-use facility on the new vessel features floor-ceiling windows. There will be an unique forward-located observation lounge for 360-degree views.

The Ulysseas ship’s aft-section is an STX-patented design for saving energy. This is a movable duck-tail, which position depends on cruising speeds and weather conditions. The vessel will be powered by two 2.5 MWT azipods (rotating at 360° Azimuth thrusters), with four diesel-electric generators and one scrubber. This cruise ship design also features a helipad (helicopter landing pad), a helicopter storage space (inside the ship), zodiac boats for ship-to-shore operations.