Tag Archives: Norwegian Yacht Voyages

Norwegian Yacht Voyages Reveals First Ship Design

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Norwegian Yacht Voyages' M/Y Caroline final design rendering versus old concept (inset)

PHOTO: Norwegian Yacht Voyages’ M/Y Caroline final design rendering versus old concept (inset). (photo courtesy of Norwegian Yacht Voyages, Oslo)
Norwegian Yacht Voyages continues to be an ever-evolving brand, but it is also one that is uniquely including the public in all of its initial designs from phase one through the finished product.

Now, it is unveiling its final design for the line’s ultra-luxury inaugural vessel—the M/Y Caroline, considered by the company to be the “World’s First True Hybrid Expedition Mega-Yacht.”

That means the ship will be capable of operating dual fuel generators powered by diesel and LNG (liquefied natural gas). It will also feature battery banks for peak-shaving over the need for extra energy via diesel at key times like at startup, as well as solar-powered hydrogen fuel cells.

The resulting environmentally-friendly vessel can fully run on LNG for several days at a time but can’t indefinitely due to the fuel’s limited availability in the ship’s global destinations.

Besides what’s under the hood, the ship will sport even sleeker lines than it did originally, as can be seen in the comparison of the old (inset) and new designs in the header image above. It will now measure in at 173.8 meters long with a passenger capacity of 220 accommodated in 110 suites.

A total of 160 crew members will cater to guests onboard.

Individual suites will be sized from 485-square-foot entry-level ones to 1,506-square-foot Penthouses. Each will be equipped with private balconies, and some will even be connecting for even greater configurations.

It may be untraditional, but Norwegian Yacht’s marketing approach has certainly been refreshing.

In a press release, the company humbly admitted, “We have changed our brand three times and we have evolved our design from something more traditional to something dramatically the world has not seen before. While we are not going to reveal everything yet, we promise to introduce news-breaking innovative solutions and amenities not seen on board any other vessels today,

“Secrecy and NDAs might work for the well established players, but we strongly believe that by creating a transparent brand, and already at the earliest stages invite our future potential guests and partners to share their thoughts and comments, we are able to create a brand that will offer exactly what the market wants.”

Let’s take a look at the exterior design a little closer.

From the get-go, the swooping superstructure at the stern to midship has always been in place, but now the lines are even more yacht-like than before as the smokestack is further integrated into the curvature outlined by the rear windows. The stack wonderfully disappears into the design as does the singular satellite sphere on top.

Particularly edgier are the forward elements from the near-vertical bow to the angular windows’ leading edges. Even the UFO-like observation lounge perched on the top deck sits back, nestled closer to the stack, making for a more aerodynamic forecastle. Thankfully, the awesome diamond-patterned atrium side glass remains.

As a concept drawing, the M/Y Caroline is a beauty akin to an aquatic sports car.

The Evolving Norwegian Yacht Voyages Brand

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First, it was Norwegian Cruise Company. Then it was Nordic Cruise Company. And now it’s Norwegian Yacht Voyages. The expedition line has not even launched yet, and it has already gone by three different names.

At first glance, this sort of schizophrenic approach does not bode well for the fledgling operation’s initial reputation. If the company cannot settle on a name, how can potential guests be expected to identify it?

As it turns out, the brand name is not the only thing that has changed since the company’s introduction. Original concept drawings of the fleet’s ships have also dramatically shifted. The schematic once outlined a traditional ice explorer vessel, but the latest drawings call for a far edgier modern design.

One thing that has remained consistent from the start? The company’s logo.

The asymmetrical red gradient banner is still plowed by an abstract rendering of a forward ship’s bow, and the typeface is mostly unchanged. Only the first letters of each word in Norwegian Cruise Company were uppercased before, but now Norwegian Yacht Voyages is universally uppercased, making an even bolder statement.

While it’s certainly understandable for such a changing company to be perceived as flighty, one could also argue that all these things are a sign of a very transparent brand.

It’s surprising but refreshing to see it invite the public into the earliest design stages, especially to those of us who relish any behind-the-scenes nuggets.

For those still left wondering what prompted all the name changes, the brand is even open to discussing the reason. When asked about it on its Facebook page, it responded with, “First [had] issues with NCL and now we have realized more and more that the words ‘cruise’ and ‘cruise line’ have horrible connotations in certain of our demographic target markets. AND, [it’s] better to do this now, before our real marketing efforts [kick] in.”

In a press release, the company further explained: “As our project of building four Expedition Mega Yachts is moving forward we saw the need to update our branding and profile to better identify and reflect on the products and services we intend to provide.”

In other words, the brand first wanted to differentiate from Norwegian Cruise Line and later from cruising altogether.

In fact, Norwegian Yacht Voyages currently carries the secondary tagline “World Wide Mega Yacht Expeditions.” So, by the time the first of its planned ships launch in May 2020, the company will be prepared to set sail internationally.

That the word “cruise” is perhaps passé goes to show that there is an increasing preference for “voyage” instead. This mimics Virgin Voyages decision to change its name from Virgin Cruises, also before launching. Thus, Norwegian is not entirely alone.

Until which time the design is officially locked in and the product is finally realized, the line invites everyone to follow along on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What’s more, the company is very engaging, so you might as well ask questions and share your thoughts too.

It has even recently responded to destination suggestions such as West Point Island in the Falkland Islands.

You never know what kind of impact you may have on a company open to such ideas. Caroline, for example, is set to be the named for the first vessel, but do you have any potential names for two, three and four?

In the meantime, it’s fun to follow along to see the company post graphics like “The Future of ‘Going Green’” that illustrates how its LNG-powered ships fit into the environmentally-friendly landscape.