First block in the dock for Norwegian’s first Breakaway Plus class ship;
Marks start of construction on line’s largest ship
PAPENBURG, GERMANY – September 19, 2014 –
Norwegian Cruise Line and MEYER WERFT today celebrated the keel laying
of Norwegian Escape at MEYER’s state of the art facility in Papenburg,
Germany.
During the ceremony, block 35/41, the first of 86 blocks that
will comprise the 164,600 gross ton vessel,
was lifted into the covered building dock, officially marking the start
of the ship’s construction. Norwegian Escape will be Norwegian’s
largest ship to date, carrying 4,200 passengers, set for delivery in
October 2015.
Kevin
Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer, was on hand
in the dock and laid the traditional
“lucky coin,” before the first block, weighing 400 tons, was placed by a
massive crane. A special commemorative coin featuring the ship was
created to celebrate the day’s activities.
“Norwegian
Escape will be our largest and most innovative ship to date, building
on the phenomenal success of Norwegian
Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway,” said Sheehan. “We are looking forward
to seeing this ship take shape over the next year and welcoming her to
our fleet in October 2015.”
Norwegian Escape is the first ship in her class, and is being built by MEYER WERFT through a highly-efficient construction
process that will deliver the ship of 164,600 gross tons in just over 19 months from steel cutting to delivery.
“We
are proud to begin the construction of Norwegian Cruise Line’s first
Breakaway Plus vessel and continue our long-standing
partnership,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of MEYER WERFT.
“Norwegian Escape will be a spectacular ship and it is our honor to
bring the dreams and innovations of the Norwegian team to life.”
Norwegian Escape will begin weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean
on November 14, 2015. The ship will
be the largest to home port year-round in Miami, carrying 4,200 guests
to tropical Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.
The
ship’s signature hull artwork is designed by marine wildlife artist and
champion of ocean conservation, Guy Harvey,
which features an underwater scene of marine wildlife. Norwegian’s
newest ship is Harvey’s largest canvas to date, at 1065 feet in length,
with his artwork spanning from the hull to the aft featuring two
undersea scenes that blend seamlessly. Norwegian Escape
will boast all of the exciting and innovative features found on
Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, plus a number of new spaces
and interactive experiences that are yet to be announced.
Accommodations include the company’s signature luxury ship–within-a-ship
complex: The Haven by Norwegian; along with Studios, designed and
priced for solo travelers; and many options for families,
multi-generational groups, spa enthusiasts and more.
To book a cruise on Norwegian Escape, contact a travel professional, call Norwegian at 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784),
or visit www.ncl.com.
About MEYER WERFT GmbH
Founded
in 1795, Papenburg-based MEYER WERFT has been owned by the sixth
generation of the Meyer family. This well-established
company has approximately 3,000 employees. MEYER WERFT’s extensive
production program covers a wide range of ship types, from cruise ships
and gas tankers to car and passenger ferries. In order to stay
successful in worldwide competition, production technology
has been continuously improved and extended. Today, MEYER WERFT has
the most modern production premises in the shipbuilding industry. For
more information, go to
www.meyerwerft.com.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian
Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a 47-year history of
breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the
introduction of Freestyle Cruising which revolutionized the industry by
giving guests more freedom and flexibility. Today, Norwegian invites
guests to “Cruise Like a Norwegian” on one of 13 purpose-built Freestyle
Cruising ships, providing guests the opportunity
to enjoy a relaxed, resort style cruise vacation on some of the newest
and most contemporary ships at sea. Recently, the line was named
“Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the seventh consecutive year, as well
as “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” and “World’s
Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” by the World Travel Awards.
Norwegian
recently took delivery of its most innovative ship to date, the
4,000-passenger Norwegian Getaway in the first quarter 2014. The
largest ship
to homeport year-round in Miami, Norwegian Getaway boasts 28 dining
options, including seafood restaurant Ocean Blue by famed New York Iron
Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and a branch of Carlo’s Bake Shop by Buddy
Valastro, star of the TLC series “Cake Boss.” The
entertainment lineup includes Broadway shows Legally Blonde and Burn
the Floor and a unique magical theatrical experience, the
Illusionarium. Norwegian Getaway’s sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway,
was named “Best New Ship of 2013” by the editors of Cruise
Critic and “Best Rookie Cruise Ship” by the readers of Travel Weekly.
Known as New York’s ship, Norwegian Breakaway is the largest vessel to
homeport year-round in the city. Norwegian currently has four vessels
on order at Meyer Werft for delivery
in fall 2015, spring 2017, spring 2018 and fall 2019.
Norwegian
Cruise Line is the official cruise line of the Miami Dolphins/Sun Life
Stadium, The New York Knicks, Blue Man Group and Legends in Concert; and
the official cruise line partner of The GRAMMY Awards and is an
official partner of the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall.
For further information on Norwegian Cruise Line, visit www.ncl.com, follow us on
Facebook,
Twitter,
and Instagram @Norwegiancruiseline, Pin us on Pinterest, watch us on YouTube,
or contact us in the U.S. and Canada at 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784), or visit www.ncl.com. ;
# # #
People loves to cruising & it is so excited on a beautiful vessels.Everybody interested to see several places in vacation.Keeping these things in mind Norway Cruise Line constructing biggest cruise ship named as "Norwegian Escape".In this they are also including unique entertainment and dining options & try to introduced in all across the board.
ReplyDelete