Norwegian's winter 2015/16 itineraries announced, Escape to homeport Miami year-round

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 12 March 2014 12 March 2014

Norwegian Cruise Line today announced that its newest and largest ship to date, Norwegian Escape, will homeport year-round at PortMiami, the cruise capital of the world, sailing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Along with the previously announced move of Norwegian Epic sailing year-round from Barcelona, the line’s 2015/16 winter deployment includes its return to South America cruises, a larger Jewel-class ship sailing to the Mexican Riviera, as well as the addition of Port Canaveral, Florida as a seasonal homeport.

“Norwegian Escape’s arrival to Miami coincides with Norwegian Epic’s year-round Europe deployment, demonstrating the balanced approach we used to develop our winter 2015/16 deployment and ensuring that we had a varied offering of premium destinations that would be exciting to our guests,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer. “Much of this deployment was designed based on feedback from our guests and travel partners, and we know they will be happy with the changes and enhancements we have made.”

Norwegian Escape

Norwegian’s newest and largest ship to date, at approximately 163,000 gross tons and 4,200 passenger berths, Norwegian Escape will join the fleet in October 2015. Beginning November 14, 2015, Norwegian Escape will offer seven-day Eastern Caribbean sailings from her year-round home port of Miami cruising to Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship will boast all of 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.

“PortMiami looks forward to welcoming Norwegian Escape in 2015—the ship will be a fabulous addition to our fleet,” said PortMiami Director Bill Johnson. “We are thrilled that this impressive vessel will make her debut at PortMiami-- the Cruise Capital of the World—and will be the third Norwegian Cruise Line ship to homeport here year round.”

Europe

As previously announced, the 4,000 passenger Norwegian Epic will offer Europe itineraries from her new year-round homeport of Barcelona, Spain. From November 29, 2015 through April 7, 2016, Norwegian Epic will set sail from Barcelona on 10-day Canary Islands & Morocco itineraries, and 10, 11- or 12-day Western Mediterranean itineraries.

Caribbean

Miami’s Ultimate Ship, Norwegian Getaway, will continue to sail year round from Miami on a new seven-day Western Caribbean itinerary departing every Sunday starting November 15, 2015. Ports of call include Norwegian’s private island Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Guests cruising to the Caribbean from the Big Apple can cruise on board Norwegian Breakaway or Norwegian Gem. Norwegian Breakaway, the ship that brings the best of NYC out to sea, will return to the Southern Caribbean during the fall and winter offering four 12-day Southern Caribbean itineraries: November 29, 2015; and January 3, 17 and 31, 2016. Ports of call on this sun-drenched itinerary include: San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Basseterre, St. Kitts.

Norwegian Gem will offer 10-day Eastern Caribbean cruises from New York from October 10, 2015 through April 11, 2016, cruising to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Tortola, British Virgin Islands. This new itinerary provides a full day in San Juan, Puerto Rico, giving guests more time to explore this flavorful island or experience its world famous El Yunque rainforest.

Cruising from Tampa, Norwegian Star will offer one six-day Western Caribbean Sailing on October 19, 2015 followed by a series of seven-day Western Caribbean cruises through April 10, 2016. Norwegian Star will be the first ship in Norwegian’s fleet to visit the line’s new destination in Belize: Harvest Caye. In addition, Norwegian Star will visit ports of call including Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Cruisers looking to depart from New Orleans can sail on one of Norwegian Dawn’s seven-day Western Caribbean itineraries. Departing every Sunday from November 15, 2015 through April 24, 2016, Norwegian Dawn will visit tropical ports of call including Cozumel, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Norwegian’s all new destination in Belize, Harvest Caye.

Norwegian Jade repositions from Europe to Houston, Texas and will sail seven-day Western Caribbean cruises. From November 14, 2015 through April 9, 2016, guests will have the opportunity to visit Cozumel, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Norwegian’s brand new destination, Harvest Caye, Belize.

Also returning to the Caribbean from Europe, Norwegian Spirit will offer alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral every Saturday from November 21, 2015 through April 16, 2016. Norwegian Spirit’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary visits Nassau, Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The ship’s Western Caribbean itinerary will include stops in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

South America

Norwegian Sun will return to South America for the first time since 2010, sailing 14-day South American voyages between Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 2015 to April 2016. Ports of call include Puerto Montt, Chile; Puerto Chacabuco, Chile; Punta Arenas, Chile; Ushuaia, Argentina; Stanley, Falkland Islands; Puerto Madryn, Argentina; and Montevideo, Uruguay. Guests on board will also enjoy a scenic cruise through the Chilean Fjords, Strait of Magellan and around Cape Horn.

Panama Canal

Guests who would like to experience the Panama Canal without disembarking in a different port will have the opportunity to embark on a round-trip Panama Canal voyage from Miami on board Norwegian Pearl. Offering alternating 10- and 11-day Panama Canal cruises from November 9, 2015 through January 1, 2016 and March 18, 2016 through April 8, 2016, guests will visit Oranjestad, Aruba; Cartagena, Colombia; Colón, Panama; and Puerto Limón, Costa Rica.

Norwegian Pearl will also offer a 17-day Panama Canal voyage from San Francisco to Miami on October 1, 2015. Ports of call include Los Angeles, California; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Cartagena, Colombia.

Norwegian Jewel will offer two 15-day Panama Canal voyages from Los Angeles to Miami on January 3 and January 31, 2016 and two 13-day Panama Canal voyages from Miami to Los Angeles on January 18 and February 16, 2016. Ports of call on the 15-day itinerary include Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; daylight transit of the Panama Canal; Cartagena, Colombia and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Guests cruising on the 13-day itinerary will visit Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; daylight transit of the Panama Canal; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Mexican Riviera

For the first time, Norwegian will base a Jewel-class ship in Los Angeles for the winter season. Norwegian Jewel will sail 22 seven-day Mexican Riviera itineraries from October 4, 2015 through April 24, 2016, visiting ports of call including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Norwegian Sun will also offer three 11-Day Mexican Riviera sailings in October 2015 from San Diego, California. Ports of call include Manzanillo, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico; La Paz (Pichilingue), Mexico; an overnight in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; and Ensenada, Mexico.

Bahamas and Florida

Norwegian Breakaway will offer seven-day Bahamas & Florida itineraries from New York City from October 25 through November 22, 2015, from December 13 through 27, 2015 and from February 14 through April 17, 2015. Ports of call include Orlando & The Beaches (Port Canaveral); Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Repositioning Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Line will also offer a host of repositioning cruises during the 2015/2016 fall and winter seasons.
Norwegian Escape will offer a 10-Day Transatlantic from London (Southampton) to Miami, Florida, on October 29, 2015 giving guests 10 days to explore and discover all of the exciting dining and entertainment that will be found on board the line’s beautiful new vessel.

Norwegian Spirit will offer a 16-day Transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to Orlando and the Beaches (Port Canaveral) on November 5, 2015. Ports of call include Funchal, Madeira; St. John’s, Antigua; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Norwegian Star will sail a 13-Day Transatlantic voyage from London (Dover), England, to Tampa, Florida, on October 6, 2015 visiting Ponta Delgada, Azores and Miami, Florida.

Norwegian Jade’s 16-Day Transatlantic from Barcelona, Spain to Houston will set sail on October 29, 2015 and ports of call include Funchal, Madeira; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Miami, Florida.

Norwegian Dawn will sail a 14-Day Caribbean Adventure from Boston, Massachusetts, to New Orleans on October 30, 2015. Ports of call include San Juan, Puerto Rico; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico.

For a shorter repositioning cruise option, Norwegian Jewel will offer a five-day Pacific Coastal cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia to Los Angeles, California on September 29, 2015 visiting Victoria, British Columbia and Astoria, Oregon.

Norwegian Pearl will also offer a Pacific Coastal cruise, a three-day itinerary from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Francisco, California on September 28, 2015, visiting Astoria, Oregon.

Open for Sale

Norwegian Escape’s itineraries will open for Travel Partners to book groups on March 19, for Latitudes Rewards Members on March 25 and to the general public on March 26, 2014. The remaining winter itineraries will be open for Travel Partners to book groups starting April 8, for Latitudes Rewards Members on April 15 and to the general public on April 16, 2014. To book any of these exciting itineraries, contact a travel professional, call 866-234-7350 or visit www.ncl.com.

Famed artis Guy Harvey unveils his signature hull artwork for Norwegian Escape

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 12 March 2014 12 March 2014

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that Guy Harvey, widely recognized as the world’s finest marine wildlife artist and champion of ocean conservation, has been named to design the signature hull artwork of the line’s largest ship to date, Norwegian Escape, scheduled to debut in October 2015. At an event this morning at Cruise Shipping Miami, the artist revealed his custom design for Norwegian Escape’s hull, 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.

“Guy Harvey is the perfect artist to design Norwegian Escape’s hull artwork because he is so passionate about the sea and his marine artwork is so life-like and well recognized,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “We also appreciate how Guy is focused on ocean conservation and keeping the marine environment pristine, we plan to work with him to help support the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation as that goes hand-in-hand with our company’s strong commitment to the environment.”

Harvey combines his unique artistic talents with his background as a marine biologist, diver, photographer and angler, to create marine wildlife art with an unmatched authenticity and visual appeal.

“I am deeply honored to be asked by Norwegian to paint the hull of the newest and largest ship in their fleet,” said Harvey. “The larger than life paintings of popular but endangered marine creatures in the Caribbean will heighten public awareness about marine life. The large scale mural demonstrates the concern and respect that Norwegian and I have for the marine environment through which this ship will travel over the years.”

Though recognized most recently for his floor-to-ceiling murals at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport and at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, Harvey is best known for his dynamic gamefish T-shirt designs. His original paintings have sold for tens of thousands of dollars and today, reproductions of his art, often seen on magazine and catalog covers, are offered as limited edition prints and can be found on a wide variety of clothing and gift items. Harvey maintains his art studio in Grand Cayman, where he lives with his wife and two children.

The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation funds inspired scientific research and innovative educational programs to encourage conservation and best management practices for sustainable marine environments. The Foundations ensures that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced marine ecosystem where fish and other wildlife flourish. Onboard Norwegian Escape, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation-produced documentaries about endangered marine wildlife will be shown on the guest stateroom televisions so that guests can be more educated on how they can help with ocean conservation.

Also at Cruise Shipping Miami today, Norwegian announced that Norwegian Escape will homeport year-round in Miami and sail a seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary starting November 14, 2015; visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas. At approximately 163,000 gross tons and 4,200 passenger berths, Norwegian Escape will join the fleet in October 2015. The ship’s Eastern Caribbean itineraries will go on sale March 19, 2014. Norwegian Escape will boast all of 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.

Norwegian Escape’s itineraries will open for Travel Partners to book groups on March 19, for Latitudes Rewards Members on March 25 and to the general public on March 26, 2014.

Norwegian Getaway to feature "Norwegian iConcierge" phone application

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 12 March 2014 12 March 2014

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that the company’s revolutionary smart phone application, “Norwegian iConcierge” is now available on board the line’s newest ship, Norwegian Getaway. Norwegian iConcierge has previously been activated on Norwegian Getaway’s sister ship Norwegian Breakaway, as well as on Norwegian Epic, and will roll out to additional vessels in the fleet by the end of 2014.

In partnership with Allin Interactive, Norwegian’s exclusive application allows guests to create a highly-customized vacation experience by providing interactive access to Norwegian Getaway’s onboard guest information and service systems during their cruise, via the guest wifi network onboard, based on Allin’s DigiMobileTM platform.

“Norwegian iConcierge app has been extremely popular among guests on Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Breakaway,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer. “We are excited that those sailing on Miami’s Ultimate Ship can now take advantage of all of the features included in this incredible technology.”

Guests who download the free application are able to conveniently interact with Norwegian Getaway’s systems from anywhere on board using their smart phone to make shore excursion, box office and dining reservations, view the ship’s Freestyle Daily activity guide and review their folio activity all from the palm of their hand. In addition, Norwegian iConcierge offers guests the ability to easily find and communicate with fellow cruisers. Guests who have the application installed on their SIP capable smart phones will be able to make and send unlimited calls and messages to each other while on board for a nominal fee.

“We are very pleased to announce the activation of Norwegian iConcierge on Norwegian Getaway, which shows Norwegian Cruise Line’s continued commitment to aggressively deploy innovative technology across multiple ships,” stated Brian Blair, President of Allin Interactive. “We are happy that our DigiHDTM ITV and DigiMobile solutions are both part of the guest-facing experience on these groundbreaking vessels, and we look forward to further deployments across Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet later this year.”
The Norwegian iConcierge app also features new ship-to-shore and shore-to- ship calling capabilities using a dedicated 1-800-number. For a low per minute rate, guests can now make and receive calls while onboard via the app.

Norwegian iConcierge is a free download and available through Apple, Android and Windows7 smart phone application stores. Norwegian is the first cruise line to implement this innovative technology across multiple ships, continuing the line’s history of innovation and elevating the guest experience.

Norwegian Getaway is currently sailing year-round from Miami. As Miami’s ultimate ship, Norwegian Getaway embodies the essence of her tropical hometown with hull artwork by Miami’s own David “LEBO” Le Batard, which features a whimsical mermaid holding the sun above the waves. On board, Norwegian Getaway dazzles guests with the excitement of 678 Ocean Place and The Waterfront, a variety of interconnected indoor and outdoor venues on three dynamic decks that creates a multiplex of dining, activities and more and enhances guests’ connection with the ocean.

Crystal debuts female Ambassador Hostesses for 2014 & 2015 on select sailings

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 11 March 2014 11 March 2014

Ultra-luxury cruise specialist Crystal Cruises is introducing Ambassador Hostesses on select cruises, expanding its hugely popular onboard dancing program.  Female counterparts to the line’s Ambassador Hosts – professional dance partners for ladies without one – will debut on three Ballroom at Sea Experiences of Discovery voyages in 2014 and 2015.  Along with eight male dance hosts (double the usual number), the Trans-Atlantic sailings will each feature two Ambassador Hostesses to cha cha, swing, and waltz with solo gentlemen during evening dance sets, live orchestra performances and dance classes in the ships’ posh lounges.  The three voyages set to get guests’ tapping this year and next include:

October 5, 2014, Lisbon/Miami, Crystal Symphony (10 days)

June 12, 2015, New York/London, Crystal Symphony (16 days)

December 11, 2015, Lisbon/Miami, Crystal Serenity (11 days)

“Thanks to the suggestion of one of our popular dance instructors, we tested Ambassador Hostesses on a recent cruise and the response was fantastic,” says Bret Bullock, vice president of entertainment.  “Similar to tennis players who play better when they play with a pro, dance enthusiasts are inspired by partnering with experts who really know the steps and the more advanced nuances.”

Crystal Cruises has been featuring Ambassador Hosts on its cruises since the company’s inception, as there are traditionally more women than men seeking dance partners.  While every Crystal cruise boasts at least four Hosts, on select voyages with many more dance sessions, the line adds more when possible.  Hosts also serve as dance partners to guests traveling with spouses or companions who don’t dance, as well as socialize with all guests, join singles dining tables, and accompany group excursions ashore.

Crystal is known for its welcoming atmosphere for solo travelers, with some of the industry’s lowest single supplement fares, assigned seating in the Crystal Dining Room, a singles get-together, and a “Table for Eight” program that joins single cruisers together for dinner in specialty restaurants like Nobu Matsuhisa’s Silk Road and the Sushi Bar.

“A Crystal cruise is so inherently comfortable and luxurious for a single traveler,” adds Bullock. “But no matter how independent one is, one cannot ballroom dance without a partner.”

Until April 30, 2014, all-inclusive “Book Now” fares for the upcoming “Ballroom at Sea” cruises start as low as $2,595 per person.

Crystal Cruises’ award-winning entertainment offerings include a range of venues and performances, from cabaret nightclub to piano bar saloon; acclaimed productions to headline entertainers; and sophisticated enrichment activities to in-room Blu-ray-viewing, for all world travelers.