Tag Archives: Norwegian Bliss

Norwegian Unveils Bold New Ship Design

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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.

Where will all the passengers come from?

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Norwegian Escape above, Norwegian Bliss to set sail in April 2018.

Where are all the passengers going to come from?

I have to think this question troubles cruise executives now and then more than they let on.

One of the best answers I have heard in awhile comes from Riccardo Casalino, chief marketing officer at MSC Cruises’ headquarters in Geneva.

Over lunch in at semi-permanent catering tent at the Fincantieri shipyard in Manfalcone, where MSC is building several vessels, Casalino shared some of MSC’s perspective on various cruise issues, including supply and demand.

The question is as critical for MSC as any cruise line out there. It has 11 large ships on order through 2026, having already grown its capacity by 800% since 2003.

Image result for msc meraviglia

Of course, MSC is looking to North America for growth, by devoting its MSC Seaside to year-round Caribbean cruises from Miami. MSC executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago perhaps spilled the beans a bit early by announcing at a shipyard event that MSC would have three ships in Miami during the 2019-2020 winter season.

And there’s further growth afoot in MSC’s European back yard, Casalino said.

But another opportunity is the emerging middle class in countries all over the world that are making the transition from third world to first world.

China, clearly, is everyone’s favorite example. But Casalino cited another country with an intriguing new population of potential cruisers: South Africa.

There, tens of thousands of black residents that were oppressed and kept out of the middle class during the country’s apartheid years are discovering leisure travel for the first time.

“They’re in a country where for most of them, it’s a new thing for society at large to take a packaged vacation,” Casalino said.

The level of education on how to do that is understandably low. In South Africa, MSC gets questions that it would hardly ever field in the U.S. or Europe.

“They call us up and want to know if they should bring bed linens,” Casalino said. “Or whether they should bring food along for us to cook. They want to know how it works.”

The vast potential for growth among the new to cruise has become somewhat of a cliche at conferences where panel discussions debate cruise topics.But MSC is showing that behind the cliche there are real people and real potential customers waiting with new hopes and new dollars to find out how it works.

Norwegian Bliss to sail from Miami in winter

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Norwegian Bliss to Cruise the Caribbean after a Alaskan season.

After spending its inaugural season in Alaska, the Norwegian Bliss will sail weeklong Caribbean cruises from Miami in winter 2017-18.

Beginning on Nov. 17, 2018, the Bliss will depart each Saturday on cruises that will call in St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau.

Norwegian Cruise Line will bridge the Alaska and Miami deployments with a five-day sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles, four round trip Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles, and a 14-day Panama Canal cruise from Los Angeles to Miami.

A rendering of the Haven observation launge on the Norwegian Bliss.
A rendering of the Haven observation launge on the Norwegian Bliss.

The Bliss will journey through the Panama Canal’s new locks, along with calling in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Cartagena, Colombia.

The Bliss is slated to enter service in June 2018, sailing Alaska cruises from Seattle.