Norwegian Cruise Line takes delivery of Getaway

By Tom Stieghorst

KevinSheehanBernardMeyer-GetawayDeliveryNorwegian Cruise Line has taken delivery of its newest ship, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Getaway.

The Miami-themed ship will head across the Atlantic for initial duty as the Bud Light Super Bowl hotel, before sailing to Miami where it will start year-round Caribbean cruises in early February.

Getaway, which is being delivered nine months after its predecessor, Norwegian Breakaway, took Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard 15 months to build.

From Bremerhaven, the ship is sailing to Rotterdam, Netherlands, for the start of inaugural festivities, which will continue in Southampton, England, before the ship departs for a transatlantic cruise to New York.

Norwegian has two more ships on order, Norwegian Escape, due in the fall of 2015, and Norwegian Biiss, coming in 2017.

Escape and Bliss will be new Norwegian ship names

Escape and Bliss will be new Norwegian ship names

By Tom Stieghorst
Breakaway Plus_namesNo longer will Norwegian Cruise Line have to refer to its Breakaway Plus ships.

In a Facebook vote, fans have named the ships Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Escape. The two 163,000-ton, 4,200-passenger ships are scheduled for delivery in 2015 and 2017. It isn’t clear which one will carry which name.

More than 100,000 votes from five countries were received in the contest, a response praised by Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan.

“It affirms that we have a very engaged and passionate community of Norwegians,” he said.

Anyone entering a name was entered in a drawing for a inaugural cruise on the first Breakaway Plus ship. Winners will be announced on the line’s Facebook page on Oct. 8.