Video: Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea

Posted on 27 September, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Escape, soon to be the largest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, departed Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany on Friday, September 18, for her approximately 24-hour long conveyance along the Ems River.

Measuring 1,069 feet in length and 136 feet in width, the ship is the first in the line’s Breakaway Plus class, with three additional Breakaways on order at Meyer Werft.

Sailing backwards, Norwegian Escape left Meyer Werft at approximately 2:00 pm local time, and made a narrow passage through the shipyard’s locks, with only 1.2 meters of clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially installed along the starboard side of the locks. This maneuver took approximately 2 hours at a maximum speed of 0.2 knots.After passing through the locks, Norwegian Escape continued along the river, stern first. Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Netherlands at approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 19, Norwegian Escape navigated through additional narrow passages including the Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.Following her arrival in Eemshaven, she will head to the North Sea for sea trials later this month.

Norwegian Escape will sail weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on November 14, 2015.

The 164,600 gross ton ship will be the largest ever to home port year-round in Miami, carrying 4,200 guests to Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

Watch below the Video of the Conveyance, this was filmed by HD1080ide in fantastic HD.

Latest Escape News

Norwegian latest Mega-ship berthed for 5 days at Eemshaven to take onboard her life boats, provisions and the final materials required to finish her fit out. Friday 25th September 2015 she steamed out of the port Eemshaven on her own power for her sea trials. Below is the the exact location and mapping of the sea trial which ended on Saturday night, after the trials she made for the port of Bremerhaven, she docked at 22:19 hours for a well earned rest.

Norwegian Escape cruisers are learning the ropes

Posted on 24 September, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Escape ropes adventure course.

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line has developed its own signature top deck attraction, one that will emerge in a spectacular way in the coming weeks on the Norwegian Escape.

Just as Carnival Cruise Line has made the water slide its own, and Royal Caribbean International adopted the rock climbing wall as its emblem for top deck adventure, Norwegian has become the cruise line with the ropes course that leaves all others behind.

Norwegian started its love affair with the ropes course on the Norwegian Epic, and has continued it with the Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway. The 4,200-passenger Norwegian Escape, due in Miami next month, will take everything one shaky, scary, thrill-inducing step further.

The ropes course on the Escape is a dizzying construction of beams, platforms, tracks, ladders and lines. It will have three levels, up from two on the Getaway and Breakaway, and 99 individual elements, nearly double its predecessors.

An element unique to Norwegian is the Plank, a 6-inch steel beam extending eight feet out over the side of the ship, daring harnessed plank-walkers to venture out to the end.

There will be two planks on the Escape, one on either side of the ropes course, up from a single one on earlier ships.

Another over the edge element will be a bowed zip-track, one of five “Sky Rails” that are included in the course.

The challenge of the ropes course is tailor-made for teens but also a good family activity. It provides an exhilarating view from the very top of the 20-deck ship.

The only drawback to the ropes course is its vulnerability to bad weather, including high winds on a sunny day.

Other cruise lines have ropes courses, too, including four of Carnival Cruise Lines’ most recent vessels. The MSC Seaside from MSC Cruises is expected to have a unique take on ropes when it is delivered in 2017.

But for now, when the Norwegian Escape arrives in Miami in late October, spectators won’t be able to mistake her profile for any other ship, partly because of the most elaborate ropes course at sea.

Bolidt celebrates ten years of Bolideck Future Teak

Posted on 17 September, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Bolidt has won contracts to supply its Bolideck Future Teak lightweight synthetic decking system onboard three of its long-term customers’ new cruise ships.

Norwegian Cruise Line has ordered 15,000 sqm of Bolideck 525, Bolideck Select Soft and Bolideck Future Teak for the exterior decking onboard its latest newbuild Norwegian Escape. Bolidt will also supply 4,500 sqm of flooring for balconies and interior public areas onboard the 4,200-guest newbuild, which will be delivered this October.

“Norwegian uses Bolideck products on all of its cruise ships and we have known each other a long time,” said Van Overbeek. “The company places contracts with us due to our focus on solving problems, our nice designs and our flexibility. Collaboration with its designers is great and if the they have a new idea, we create samples until they get what they are looking for.”

Bolidt will also supply Bolideck Future Teak for the outer decks of Royal Caribbean International’s new 5,479-passenger Harmony of the Seas, which will debut in April 2016. The 226,000gt ship will also feature Bolideck Select Soft in the inside public areas, Bolideck Select Hard in the swimming pools and Bolideck Helideck on the helicopter landing platform.

Holland America Line’s latest newbuild Koningsdam will also feature 4,700 sqm of Bolideck Future Teak on the outer decks. Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard in Italy, the 2,650-gues ship will be the largest in Holland america’s fleet when she is delivered in 2016.

Meanwhile, AIDA Cruises’ AIDAdiva, Holland America Line’s Amsterdam and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Victory were all outfitted with Bolidt flooring during recent refits at Blohm + Voss and Grand Bahama Shipyard respectively.

Bolideck Future Teak, which was launched a decade ago, is a durable and has been designed to look and feel like real teak flooring.

“Bolideck Future Teak remains the product of choice for cruise ship operators and shipbuilding yards, as well as specialist designers,” said Jacco van Overbeek, director of Bolidt’s maritime division. “This reflects the fact that it is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to natural teak.”