Marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey to paint Norwegian Escape hull

Posted on 26 March, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

MIAMI BEACH — Norwegian Cruise Line’s next ship will feature a giant sailfish, stingray and other marine creatures on its hull, painted by conservation artist Guy Harvey.

Harvey unveiled his design in at a news conference Wednesday at the Cruise Shipping Miami event, saying he was “honored indeed” to be chosen for the job.

Norwegian’s detailed and colorful hull paintings have become a defining feature of the brand. The two most recent vessels, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, have stylized representations of New York and Miami, respectively.

Escape will be based out of Miami when it debuts in November 2015. The port agreed to provide Norwegian with marketing support in exchange for a commitment to homeport the ship there.

Harvey is a marine wildlife artist and fisherman who has in recent years turned his efforts to preservation of the ocean and sea creatures. He has licensed many of his images for apparel and other uses and his name is used to co-brand resorts in Florida, the Bahamas and the Galapagos.

He lives in the Cayman Islands and is most closely linked to the Caribbean and Bahamas. “The maintenance of the ecology and aesthetics of the region are of the highest importance,” Harvey said.

Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan said fees from apparel and other licensed goods to be sold on Norwegian ships will be channeled back to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which supports scientific research and education.

Sheehan said the 4,200-passenger Escape will sail seven-day eastern Caribbean itineraries that include Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Bookings open March 19 for agents with groups and March 26 to the general public.

Accommodations details unveiled for Norwegian Escape

Posted on 20 February, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship yet, Norwegian Escape, will include something for a variety of passenger types, including solo travelers, the disabled, families and spa enthusiasts.

Escape will continue the Norwegian Cruise Line practice of designing a separate ship within the ship area for high-paying guests.

The Haven on Escape will include 95 suites, including 22 penthouse suites, 25 family villas and 14 spa suites. The solo traveler complex on Escape will include 82 studios.

The two-story Haven on Decks 17 and 18 will include a private restaurant with outdoor terrace, a lounge and a courtyard area with retractable roof. All suites will feature pillow-top mattresses and linens from the Bliss Collection by Norwegian.

Benefits for the Haven’s guests include priority embarkation and disembarkation; the personal service of a butler and concierge; in-suite espresso/cappuccino machines; and plush bathrobes, slippers and oversized towels.

The 4,200-passenger ship, due in the fall of 2015, will feature 1,168 balcony cabins, 114 oceanview staterooms and 407 inside cabins.

The balcony offerings include 172 cabins designed for families, and the oceanview category has 48 cabins that accommodate five guests. There will be 47 wheelchair-accessible cabins.

Accommodations also include 308 mini-suites, including 40 family mini-suites and 20 spa mini-suites.

Norwegian said it will unveil the home port and itineraries for Escape in mid-March.

Sheehan: NCL pricing has softened

Posted on 19 February, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Kevin Sheehan told Wall Street analysts on Tuesday that pricing has softened some since the late fourth quarter, when it was selling 2014 inventory at double-digit increases from the year before.

At the time, Sheehan said load factors were higher for the second, third and fourth quarters and lower for the first quarter, when Norwegian has 72% of its capacity in the Caribbean.

Sheehan said he had hoped to continue pricing unchanged.

“Unfortunately, that didn’t play out. As that period progressed, we needed to adjust our pricing somewhat to get to the finish line,” he said.

In a conference call, one analyst wondered when Norwegian’s newest ships, the Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway, would be recognized as so good as to be above the competitive scrum of promotional competition.

“We are obviously waiting for that moment in time,” Sheehan said.

He said that keeping ships in Europe rather than bringing them back to the U.S. has proven to be the correct strategy for 2014.

“We’re feeling a little bit better about the Wave season as we get through each week,” Sheehan said.