SEATTLE, Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Norwegian Cruise
Line will once again pioneer a new era of Alaska cruising beginning June 2018, as the company announced today that
its next new vessel, named Norwegian Bliss, will be the
first cruise ship custom-built with features and amenities for the
ultimate Alaska cruise experience.
Norwegian Bliss will cruise to America's Last Frontier from
Seattle and will be the
first Norwegian Cruise Line ship to make its debut in the Emerald
City.
At a ceremony held at Port of Seattle's Pier 66, Norwegian President and CEO
Andy Stuart shared the exciting
news, alongside Port of Seattle CEO Ted
Fick and Port of Seattle
Commission President John
Creighton.
"Norwegian was the first cruise line to begin cruising to
Alaska from Seattle in 2000 and it's only fitting that we
bring our newest ship, Norwegian Bliss, directly to this incredible
location," said Andy Stuart,
President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "Alaska is one of the top destinations for our
guests to explore and we are thrilled to be the first cruise line
to offer our guests the opportunity to experience this coveted
destination aboard a brand new, state-of-the-art cruise ship custom
designed for Alaska, the first of
its kind to ever debut in Seattle."
The third ship in the line's Breakaway-Plus class, Norwegian
Bliss is designed with features and amenities to offer guests the
ultimate Alaska cruising
experience. At approximately 167,800 gross tons and
accommodating 4,000 guests, the ship will be constructed at MEYER
WERFT in Papenburg, Germany and
scheduled for delivery in Spring 2018.
After a transatlantic cruise and a Panama Canal transit through
the new locks, the ship will sail north along the West Coast,
reaching Seattle for the start of
the summer cruising season. Norwegian Bliss will sail
weekly seven-day Alaska
cruises each Saturday from Pier 66 in Seattle, offering guests the premier way to
see America's last frontier, while also providing all of the
innovative features, entertainment, signature dining and onboard
experiences that Norwegian Cruise Line is known for around the
globe. The ship's itinerary will feature calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia, along with scenic
glacier cruising.
Continuing Norwegian's tradition of decorating each ship's hull
with signature art, Norwegian has also announced that the world's
premier marine life artist, Wyland, has been commissioned to
design the hull artwork for Norwegian Bliss. Known for his
iconic whale murals, marine life paintings and sculptures, Wyland
has inspired generations to be passionate about the importance of
marine life conservation. The enormous extent of Wyland's public
artworks, his award-winning art galleries and his non-profit
foundation's community service projects have made him one of the
world's most recognized and beloved artists. His engaging and
beautiful design for Norwegian Bliss' hull art will be revealed
later this month.
To further enhance the overall guest experience for cruisers
from Seattle, Norwegian's parent
company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, has entered into a
groundbreaking 15-year agreement with the Port of Seattle to collectively invest $30 million to upgrade the Pier 66 facilities.
From expanding the guest check-in space by 300% to more than
150,000 square feet to a new VIP lounge with expansive views of
Elliott Bay and the addition of two new elevated passenger boarding
bridges to provide easy and comfortable passenger boarding, the new
amenities will provide guests with the perfect send-off to start
their Alaskan adventure.
"The Port of Seattle is proud
to partner with Norwegian Cruise Line as we work to bring people
from around the world to see the great Pacific Northwest from
Seattle to Alaska," said Port of Seattle CEO Ted Fick. "Our long relationship together
is evident in this historic and unprecedented 15-year lease here at
Pier 66."
Norwegian Bliss will feature amenities and interactive
experiences that will excite and inspire, and more details on the
ship's accommodations, dining and onboard offerings will be shared
in the coming months. The ship will be available for reservations
in January 2017.
For more information on Norwegian Bliss, please visit
bliss.ncl.com. To book a cruise aboard one of Norwegian's
newest ships, contact a travel professional, call Norwegian at
888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784), or visit www.ncl.com.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is
the innovator in cruise travel with a 49-year history of breaking
the boundaries of traditional cruising. Most notably,
Norwegian revolutionized the cruise industry by offering guests the
freedom and flexibility to design their ideal cruise vacation on
their schedule. Today, Norwegian invites guests to "Feel Free" to
explore the world on one of 14 ships purpose-built for Norwegian's
style of cruising, 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 ninth
consecutive year, as well as "Caribbean's Leading Cruise Line" for the
fourth time and "World's Leading Large Ship Cruise Line" for the
fourth straight year by the World Travel Awards.
For further information on Norwegian Cruise Line visit
www.ncl.com; contact us in the U.S. and Canada at 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784); or follow
us on the following social channels for the latest company news
& exclusive content: Facebook, Instagram and Youtube:
@NorwegianCruiseLine; Twitter, Periscope and Snapchat:
@CruiseNorwegian; and WeChat: @gonclcn. High resolution,
downloadable images are available at www.ncl.com/media-center.
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SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line