MSC Confirms Construction of Second Island in Ocean Cay

MSC Confirms Construction of Second Island in Ocean Cay

MSC Cruises confirmed it is building a second private island destination adjacent to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

According to a recent press release, the development is part of a larger expansion and enhancement project planned for its private destination, which is located near Bimini in the Bahamas.

MSC said that the yet-unnamed island will “stay true to the ethos of Ocean Cay, offering an experience that connects guests to nature, pristine beaches and the beauty of the ocean.”

The company added that the destination, which is known internally as Little Cay, will be equipped with “luxury facilities and water features.”

Further details of the new private island destination, including an opening date, are expected to be announced in the future.

In addition to confirming plans for a second island, MSC announced a series of enhancements to Ocean Cay.

After opening in 2019, the private island will introduce an extended pier in late 2027, allowing it to welcome two vessels at the same time.

Ocean Cay will also undergo updates to its guest areas with the creation of a new adults-only area, Paradise Sands, as well as additional dining venues.

In addition to its first specialty restaurant, the destination will welcome more buffet and food market options.

Guests will also be able to book a greater variety of cabanas, which are said to offer “even more choice and luxury relaxation.”

MSC is also upgrading the Seakers Cove Family Beach with a range of new experiences, including a kids’ playground, a splash pad and a ropes course with water elements.

The area will feature ping-pong and football activities, as well as all-age tournaments and interactive games.

The company will also introduce the new MSC Foundation “Shifting Perspective” Experience, which is described as an invitation for guests to explore marine conservation through immersive experiences.

In related news, MSC is also reportedly investing $450 million to build a new cruise port in Grand Bahama Island.

Norwegian Bliss going big with go-cart track, other features

Norwegian Bliss Go-Cart track

The thrill of electric go-cart racing at sea is coming to North America next year on the Norwegian Bliss, which will take the concept that debuted on the Norwegian Joy in Shanghai to another level.

The widely anticipated adoption of the amusement-park staple on a ship sailing in the U.S. should give the Bliss something to brag about when it sails from the Port of Seattle on its first Alaska voyage next June.

Andy Stuart, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, said the Bliss’ track will be 40% larger than its predecessor.

“We think it’s going to be even a little better than what we’ve delivered so far on Joy,” Stuart said.

At nearly 1,000 feet, the track will be the longest at sea and will occupy the space that is claimed by a ropes course and the Plank on the Norwegian Escape, the most recent delivery to the North American market.


The cars can be geared to advanced, intermediate or beginning-level drivers. Stuart said that because the cars are electric, they are also noiseless, but that a pair of speakers with racing sounds inside the headrest provides audio for the driver.

An outdoor laser tag course will be themed as an abandoned space station.

An outdoor laser tag course will be themed as an abandoned space station.

The new ship will also have an outdoor laser tag course, first offered on the Joy as well, that will be themed as an abandoned space station, and a free-fall slide with a translucent loop that extends 11 feet over the side of the ship.

Norwegian executives revealed many of the public areas of the Bliss at a news conference at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, where Virtuoso is holding its annual Travel Week conference.

Virtuoso members heard firsthand not only about the track, but about the dining and beverage options that will be installed on the Bliss, several of them for the first time on any Norwegian ship.

The Bliss will get Norwegian’s first try at a Texas smokehouse-style venue, to be called Q, which will serve brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage and more, freshly smoked over hickory, oak and pecan woods.

Q will be Norwegian Cruise Line's first try at a Texas smokehouse-style venue.

Texas smokehouse-style venue

Q won’t be decked out with stereotypical country-and-western decor, but rather will sport an edgier, urban design along the lines of the District Brewhouse on the Escape. Q will offer sides such as fresh-cheddar and breadcrumb-crusted mac and cheese and baked sweet potatoes smothered in pecan honey butter and cinnamon.

The restaurant will take the large space occupied by the Supper Club on the Norwegian Escape. Pricing will be a la carte.

Another new flavor on the Bliss will be chocolate, the theme of a Deck 6 a la carte sweets emporium that will feature an entry with an enclosed oversized chocolate fountain gushing with liquid chocolate.

A water thrill ride loops over the side of the ship.
A water thrill ride loops over the side of the ship.

Called Coco’s, it will sell handmade pralines, truffles, crepes and other desserts paired with select teas and coffees.

Also in the coffee category, the Norwegian Bliss will also have the brand’s first full-service Starbucks as it sails weekly from Seattle during the summer.

The upscale Mexican concept that was installed in drydock on the Norwegian Dawn last summer as Los Lobos Cantina will be featured on the Bliss, the first Breakaway-class ship to have one. It will be located on Deck 8 next to Cagney’s, and feature indoor/outdoor seating.

In a tip to the changing of the guard in Norwegian’s corporate suites, the 24-hour casual pub named for former Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan, who departed in 2015, will be called the Local on the Bliss, instead of O’Sheehan’s.

At the same time, the circular Prime Meridian bar that sits on Deck 8 between two complimentary dining rooms will be restyled as the A-List Bar in tribute to Stuart, who has worked for the company since 1988.

Click the Image below for the Latest Norwegian Bliss Video

The Aqua Park will feature a splash area and water slides.
The Aqua Park will feature a splash area and water slides.

Aboard the Escape, tips from Norwegian’s sales pro

Photo’s taken by Dave Jones (flickr photos https://flic.kr/s/aHsknU5bR4 )
My Norwegian escape Review

Norwegian Cruise Line’s ace sales instructor Bob Becker was onboard the Norwegian Escape’s preview cruise in early November. Becker, whose official title is senior vice president of consumer research, gave a well-attended talk to agents in the ship’s main theater.

Becker made many of the points he’s made in past sales presentations, but if you’ve never heard them it can be an inspirational hour or so. Here are a few of the pointers from the Norwegian Escape session:

• Help people buy what they need, not what they want, Becker advised. What they want is availability and a price quote. An agent can do a better job of sniffing out what they need than an OTA.

• “Have I ever been in your bedroom?” is a question Becker said he asks of customers who want an inside cabin. “I bet it has a window. So why go on vacation and stay in a closet?”

• Another bit of advice for agents is to do business on the phone or face to face, not over the Internet.

“There are no relationships in email,” Becker said. When he gets an email inquiry, Becker said he sends back a form letter asking the prospect to call him to discuss his vacation.

“If they don’t call back, bye-bye,” said Becker, adding that long back-and-forth email exchanges can be one of the biggest hidden time-wasters for agents.

• Social media can also fall into that category, Becker said. “Don’t let Facebook screw up your day.”

Becker said that an agent’s information technology time should be reserved first for a customer relationship management system, then email, and only after that for Instagram and Facebook.

“Social media is ‘in addition to,’ not ‘instead of,’” said Becker.

• Another Becker gem is to find the customer’s hot spot, something that can be used to your advantage in crafting a custom solution for that client. “Who will be joining you on this vacation?” is one of his favorite questions.

Knowing whether a cruise is intended to be a multigenerational family trip or a romantic getaway for two is the first step toward picking a line, ship and cabin for that customer.

Follow up with questions about the names and ages of the customer’s travel party, he recommended. “If they tell you their kids’ names and ages, they already trust you enough to give you their credit card.”