2014 in Review

As the year draws to a close, we'll take a look at some of the headlines from the past year.  2013 had been a year marked by disasters and fortunately that wasn't the case in 2014.   The year wasn't completely without mechanical issues, but they were not like the previous year.

The cruise lines added capacity, especially in the Caribbean, driving prices down.  Passengers that took advantage of the low pricing still got the excellent value that cruising offers.

Norwegian Getaway Courtesy MEYER WERFT

 "First New Cruise Ship 

for 2014" 

Honors went to Norwegian Cruise Line as it took delivery of Norwegian Getaway from MEYER WERFT in Bremerhaven, Germany in January.  The 145,655 gross ton cruise ship, second in the Breakaway Class ships, took only 15 months to be built by the German shipbuilder.

"Most Anticipated New Ship for 2014"

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas took to the waters in Cape Liberty for a winter program in the Caribbean.  It will then transition to Europe for Spring before departing for its permanent home in Asia.  The ship has several new innovations including North Star where you can ride 300 feet above the sea, bumper cars, and sky-diving.  New dining experiences were also introduced.  Dynamic Dining is receiving mixed reviews.  Read more about the new concept:  Quantum Leap in Dining.

Quantum Changes for Cruisers
Prepare to be WOWED – The Quantum Class

Regal Princess Kicks off Princess Cruises 50th Anniversary Celebration

When the brand-new Regal Princess began its Caribbean sailings in November, we were onboard to enjoy the introduction of Chocolate Journeys which is part of the 50th Anniversary celebration that will be fleet-wide starting in January.   Princess Cruises teamed up with Norman Love to introduce this new culinary experience. You won't want to miss the anniversary celebration.

Circles of Regal Princess
4 Reasons to Sail the Love Boat in 2015

As these new ships entered service one ship that had been front and center in the industry news for more than 2 years, made its final voyage as it was towed to Genoa, Italy where it will be scrapped.

Costa Concordia Parbuckling (Salvage Operations)

Costa Concordia Parbuckling (read more)

This image extracted from a live video of Costa Concordia's Parbuckling Procedure, which began mid-September, 2013 in Giglio, showed how slow the process was to right the vessel.

The installation of 15 sponsons positioned on the starboard side (land side) and the remaining 4 on the right side (sea side) was completed in order to proceed with the refloating phase and have the wreck ready for towing by the end of June 2014.  The towing to Genoa, Italy actually began July 22, 2014.

As 2014 ends, Captain Schettino is still on trial,  Costa Concordia is being dismantled, and costs of the largest salvage operation in history continue to mount.

Costa Concordia Salvage Begins 
Costa Concordia the Final Journey


 

O'Sheehan's Pub Perfect for Big Game

Where Will You Watch The Big Game Next Sunday?

Home?  Bar?
Friend's House?
Cruise Ship?

Norwegian Cruise Line introduced O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill on Norwegian Epic, about three years ago, and also included it on the new Breakaway-class ships as well.

Coming Soon to Entire Fleet

This central point gathering spot has become so successful that the line will be expanding the option fleet-wide.

Speaking at a news conference onboard the line's newest ship, Norwegian Getaway, in Southampton, U.K., Kevin Sheehan said:

"O'Sheehan's has proved to be such a center point of the ship, for people to gather and socialize, that we have decided to put it on all the ships." 

Big Game Meet Big Screen

With it's two story big screen TV, it is the perfect spot on the ship to gather for the Big Game or any other broadcast entertainment throughout the cruise. No doubt it will be filled to over flowing this coming Sunday as the Broncos and Seahawks meet on the football turf to do battle.

Food and drink will be flowing as fans cheer on their favorite team.  After the game there's plenty of entertainment so no need to head off to another venue if you don't want to.  Of course, since this is centrally located on the ship, you can easily get around.

Comfort Food & Beverages

Select from a menu of comfort food options along with your favorite beverage for the perfect meal any time during your cruise.   Shown here was our selection of Fish 'n Chips and Chicken Pot Pie which were both very good.  The menu might change from time to time, so be sure to find your own favorites and let us know what you ate.

Entertainment

We've included images from both Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Breakaway here.   Common to both are billiards and bowling as well as various video arcade games.   There are tables spread around along with additional TV screens so that you can enjoy some entertainment and not miss the action of your favorite sports team.

The addition of O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill on the entire fleet will be a fantastic improvement.  In addition, the line plans to relocate Moderno Churrascaria,the popular Brazilian Steakhouse, adjacent to Cagney's, the lines popular steakhouse.

Two additional Breakaway Class ships – Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss will be delivered in 2015 and 2017.  They will be similar to the already sailing ships, with some unique features. We will share details once they are unveiled in the months ahead, along with their home ports and itineraries.  Learn more about these new ships on our micro-site:

Click for Norwegian Breakaway

Click for Norwegian Getaway

Norwegian Getaway Delivered

Norwegian Getaway Courtesy MEYER WERFT

 "First New Cruise Ship 

for 2014" 

Honors goes to Norwegian Cruise Line as it took delivery of Norwegian Getaway from MEYER WERFT in Bremerhaven, Germany today.  The 145,655 gross ton cruise ship, second in the Breakaway Class ships, took only 15 months to be built by the German shipbuilder.

Norwegian Getaway Delivery  Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Getaway is now sailing to Rotterdam for the start of inaugural festivities which will continue in Southampton before the ship departs for her transatlantic cruise to New York, where she will meet her sister for the first time. The ship will be christened in Miami, her home port, on February 7.

Dimension	146.600 BRZ
Length overall	325,70 m
Moulded breadth	39,7 m
Number of decks	18
Draught	8,30 m
Engine output	62.400 kW in total
Propulsion power	35.000 kW
Speed	21,5 kn
Number of passengers	4,028
Number of passenger cabins	2,014
Number of outside cabins (including suites)	1,506
Number of inside cabins	508
Crew	ca. 1.640
Number of theatre seats	815
Number of dining options	27
Total weight of applied paint	ca. 300 t
Total length of laid cables	2.154 km
Total length of laid pipes	ca. 400 km
Flag	Bahamas
Classification	DNV

In a joint press release, Norwegian Cruise Line and MEYER WERFT commented on the achievements of this new ship build:

 “The team at MEYER WERFT, along with our new build team, has done an amazing job on Norwegian Getaway and we are thrilled with how spectacular the ship looks,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “Norwegian Breakaway revolutionized cruising with its Waterfront and strong connection to New York. Norwegian Getaway will do the same as Miami’s ultimate ship, offering the only way to cruise the Caribbean from Miami with a plethora of incredible features.” 

“We are more than thrilled to deliver the second Breakaway class vessel to Norwegian Cruise Line ahead of her original schedule,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner with MEYER WERFT. “Norwegian Getaway is the newest and most advanced cruise vessel on the seas and we are proud of the team that worked diligently to design and build her.” 

Congratulations Norwegian Cruise Line and MEYER WERFT on an amazing new vessel.  Having sailed on Norwegian Breakaway last year, we are certain this will be an excellent addition to the fleet.

Norwegian Getaway Conveyance

Norwegian Getaway Conveyance   Courtesy Meyer Werft

Ems Conveyance of Norwegian GETAWAY
Papenburg - Eemshaven | November 14/15, 2013 

A schedule can be found here

On 2 November 2013 the 146,600-gt cruise ship Norwegian GETAWAY, whose construction has taken merely 12 months, floated out of MEYER WERFT's covered building dock II. Weeks prior to that the shipyard was busy conducting extensive tests and machinery trials.  Following the float-out more tests were carried out in the harbour and the ship was berthed alongside the yard's outfitting pier.   

Norwegian Getaway will sail a 10-night Transatlantic in January 2014 from Southampton, England to New York.  Starting in February, the ship will be home-ported in Miami and will be sailing 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries.   For more information about ship and schedules (click here). 

Norwegian Breakaway Class News

Norwegian Breakaway Begins Her Conveyance Along the Ems River (4 photos)

Norwegian Breakaway took another major step towards her highly-anticipated delivery early this morning when she departed Meyer Werft on her conveyance along the Ems River. Leaving Meyer Werft at approximately 6 a.m. Germany time, sailing backwards, Norwegian Breakaway successfully cleared the first set of locks, and then continued along the river to her final destination in Eemshaven, The Netherlands.

Norwegian Breakaway is the largest cruise ship to ever be constructed in Germany; therefore, it required very precise maneuvers in order to pass through the narrow passage of the initial locks. The ship, measuring 1063 feet long and 130 feet wide; only had 1.6 meters clearance on the starboard side when it passed through the locks. A team of two were in control of the maneuvers, one in control of the bow and one in control of the stern, to ensure that the passage took place at minimum speed and only placed minimum pressure on the bumpers that lined the inside of the locks.

It is an interesting sight to see a ship traveling backwards, but the reason for this is due to the strong propulsion in the aft section of the vessel. Therefore, traveling backwards, or stern first, helps with maneuverability which is a key component when navigating the vessel through such narrow passages.

Just Announced: Norwegian Getaway to feature The Illusionarium! (4 photos)

Just announced: Norwegian Getaway will bring the excitement and allure of the Magic City to sea with an all-new entertainment experience, The Illusionarium. A first of its kind, the Illusionarium will envelop guests in the fascinating world of magic, inviting them to experience the astonishing illusions of world-class magicians and supernatural special effects! Also announced, Norwegian Getaway, like her sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, will feature Fireworks at Sea, a five-slide Aqua Park and Three Story Sports Complex! Norwegian Getaway sets sail from Miami in February 2014!

Summary of Getaway's features:

• Illusionarium – Only Norwegian offers meals with amazement, where guests can enjoy an intimate dinner as world-class magicians perform in our unique round top venue
• Aqua Park – Features five multi-story waterslides including the fastest at sea, two thrilling drop slides, two main pools and four hot tubs
• Sports Complex – Like her sister ship, her three-story Sports Court will feature the largest ropes course at sea, basketball, rock wall, mini golf and more
• Fireworks Show – An environmentally-friendly pyrotechnics display will dazzle guests on the second to last night at sea each week
• Spice H20 - An Ibiza-inspired, adults-only beach club by day and outdoor dance club by night with a giant LED screen that projects vibrant visuals   

Photos courtesy of Meyer Werft and Norwegian Cruise Line.  Be sure to visit often as more news about these new ships is unveiled.

Norwegian Breakaway Keel Laying

Photo courtesy Meyer Werft

Norwegian Breakaway

Officially Under Construction

Papenbug, Germany - Meyer Werft Shipyard

The keel laying of the cruise ship with the yard number S.678 was celebrated at the MEYER WERFT shipyard on Friday, May 4. The first of 73 blocks of the 144,000 GT vessel was lifted into the covered building dock II. 

In the dock, Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s CEO, laid the traditional "lucky coin", before the block was put down by the 800-ton crane.

The ship's first block that weighs more than 350 tons marks the start of the ship's construction in the yard's building dock. 

Norwegian Breakaway is scheduled for delivery in spring 2013. It is the first of two new ships to be built for Norwegian Cruise Line.  The ship will accommodate 4000 passengers and more than 1500 crew members. 

The shipyard also cut the first piece of steel for the construction of sister ship Norwegian Getaway, which is set for delivery in spring 2014.

Traditional Keel Laying Ceremony

The maritime industry is one that is filled with traditions that live on today.   One of those traditions is the laying of the keel ceremony, which is marked by a celebration that includes the placement of a ceremonial coin under the new ship's keel for good luck.   In modern times,  laying down of the keel is when the first block, or section of the ship, is lowered into the building dock.  This marks the initial step in construction of a ship, so by shipbuilding tradition, the construction is dated from this event. 

 Related Blog Posts:

Introducing Norwegian Breakaway