Tag Archives: Norwegian Bliss

Norwegian Bliss to debut in Seattle for 2018 Alaska season

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At 167,800gt, Norwegian Bliss will become the largest cruise ship in Alaska
 

It’s official: Norwegian Cruise Line is calling its 2018 newbuild Norwegian Bliss and will base the ship in Seattle for its inaugural Alaska season after a positioning voyage through the Panama Canal’s new locks.

Bliss will sail from Pier 66 where a $30m upgrade is going to vastly expand check-in space, add a VIP lounge and two new passenger boarding bridges.

‘Norwegian was the first cruise line to begin cruising to Alaska from Seattle in 2000 and it’s only fitting that we bring our newest ship, Norwegian Bliss, directly to this incredible location,’ said Norwegian president and ceo Andy Stuart.

The long-rumored deployment was confirmed Thursday in a ceremony at Pier 66 by Stuart, alongside Port of Seattle ceo Ted Fick and Port of Seattle Commission president John Creighton.

The third ship in the line’s Breakaway-Plus class, Norwegian Bliss will have undisclosed features that optimize it for Alaska. The 167,800gt ship will also become the largest passenger vessel in the region, outsizing Royal Caribbean International’s 138,000gt Explorer of the Seas which sailed to the Great Land this year.

Under construction at Meyer Werft, Norwegian Bliss is scheduled for delivery in spring 2018. After a trans-Atlantic cruise and a Panama Canal transit through the new locks, the ship will sail north along the US West Coast, reaching Seattle for the start of the summer season.

Weekly Inside Passage cruises will call at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, BC, along with scenic glacier cruising.

Marine life artist Wyland has been commissioned to design the hull artwork for Norwegian Bliss. Known for his iconic whale murals, marine life paintings and sculptures, Wyland raises awareness about the importance of conservation. His design for the hull of Norwegian Bliss will be revealed later this month.

The expansion and upgrades of Pier 66 spring from 2015’s historic 15-year agreement between Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Port of Seattle. Collectively they will invest $30m to expand the check-in space by 300% to more than 150,000 square feet and add a VIP lounge with expansive views of Elliott Bay. Two new elevated passenger boarding bridges will be installed, too.

The 15-year lease gives priority to NCLH ships, including those of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and provides passenger volume guarantees estimated to bring $73m to the port.

‘As we cross the one million passenger [movements] mark next year, having the largest vessel scheduled on the West Coast for the 2018 cruise season shows real commitment by Norwegian Cruise Line to invest in Seattle,’ Port Commission president Creighton said. ‘Larger cruise vessels like the Norwegian Blissmean more passengers, bringing more revenue and jobs to our region.’

Norwegian to target China market with second Breakaway Plus-class ship

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By Phil Davies

Norwegian Cruise Line’s second Breakaway Plus-class ship will be used to mark the line’s entry into China in 2017.

The new vessel is being designed specifically for the China market with accommodation, cuisine and onboard experiences that cater to the holiday preferences of Chinese passengers.

The 4,000-passenger ship will be the second in the new class to be introduced by the line following Norwegian Escape which is Duse for delivery next week.

Chief executive Frank Del Rio said: “Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility.

With this new ship, Norwegian will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into the marketplace, with an unrivaled level of customisation for the Chinese consumer. It will perfectly suit what modern Chinese travellers value from an upscale cruise experience.”

The company says it is is working with partners in China and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture.

Further details, including the ship’s name, home port, accommodations, dining and entertainment will be disclosed in the coming months.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has opened offices in Beijing and Hong Kong in addition to Shanghai.

The offices will support all three brands in the company’s portfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“Our China offices house a dedicated leadership team uniquely focused on ensuring the success of our local travel agent partners, which is crucial to the success of our expansion in what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market,” said Del Rio.

“These offices will provide sales and marketing support to our travel partners whose customers not only wish to sail on our new China-based ship, but also on any of the incredible voyages around the world offered across our portfolio of brands.”

Two additional ships in the Breakaway Plus class are on order for delivery in 2018 and 2019.

The Escape a step forward for Norwegian Cruise Line

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Part of the Guy Harvey hull painting on the Norwegian Escape. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

PAPENBURG, Germany — The Norwegian Escape will be a bigger, and improved, version of the two ships that preceded it in the Norwegian fleet.

On a tour here, Norwegian executives showed off the line’s 14th ship, which is about six weeks away from its debut in Miami in early November.

Although it is based on the same platform as Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway, the Escape will be notably different in its details and carry more passengers.

Escape, designated Breakaway Plus in early discussions, will have one more deck of cabins, giving it a capacity of 4,270 at double occupancy, up from 3,969 for its predecessors.

The extra deck also allowed for a two-story design in the deluxe Haven area, which now has an elegant glass-enclosed curving staircase connecting the two levels. The Haven also has an indoor-outdoor restaurant, a feature from Norwegian Epic that was skipped on Breakaway and Getaway but is being resurrected.

The pool area of Norwegian Escape. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
The pool area of Norwegian Escape. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

On almost every deck, Escape has something that distinguishes it as new. On the top deck, the ropes course has been expanded to three levels and has 99 elements, including five zip tracks. The Plank, a balance beam that extends out over the side of the ship, is now on either side of the ship, doubling the opportunity for passengers to try it.

The Aqua Racer water slide has been given a bigger diameter and can accommodate 1,000 riders an hour, up from less than 500 previously.

Breakaway/Getaway’s ice bar has been deep-sixed in favor of The Cellars, Norwegian’s first wine bar. Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville replaces the more generic Flamingo bar near the Spice H2O entertainment area, and his 5 O’Clock Somewhere bar will use the space occupied by the Fat Cats jazz and blues club on preceding ships.

At the new Food Republic, guests will order dinner on iPads. “These ships come out with ever-more innovative features with every ship we build,” said Norwegian President Andy Stuart.

Stuart said that the outdoor dining area in The Haven and the ropes course are among his favorite additions on Escape. “The ropes course is going to blow people away,” he said.