BREMERHAVEN, GERMANY — The much-anticipated Norwegian Bliss has completed construction, making it one step closer to officially setting sail.
At a recent ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany, Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the ship from Meyer Werft following an 18-month building period. It is the third ship in the line’s Breakaway Plus class – the most successful class in NCL’s history – and is also the first cruise ship specifically designed with features and amenities for the ultimate Alaska cruising experience.
Before cruising to Southampton, England to being its transatlantic journey on April 21, Norwegian Bliss will sail a two-day European inaugural preview cruise hosted by Andy Stuart, NCL’s president and chief executive officer, and Harry Sommer, executive vice president of international business development.
Marco Pastorino, Stephan Schmees , Robin Lindsay, Bernard Meyer, Andy Stuart, Dan Farkas, Tim Meyer, Howard Flanders
“Norwegian Bliss is one of our most highly-anticipated ships to date, and today marks another exciting milestone for the newest and most innovative ship of our young and modern fleet,” said Stuart. “The Meyer Werft team, along with our operations teams, ship officers and crew members has done an incredible job bringing Norwegian Bliss to life and we cannot wait for guests to experience all she has to offer.”
Upon its arrival to the U.S. on May 3, the festivities for the U.S inaugural tour will commence with two-night preview events in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, and will conclude with a grand christening ceremony and sailing from its first homeport at Pier 66 in Seattle, Washington on May 30. Following a three-day inaugural voyage with a call into the port of Victoria, British Columbia, the ship will return on June 2 and will then embark on its first seven-day voyage to Alaska.
Onboard guests will enjoy a host of amenities, including the largest competitive race track at sea (a first for any North America-based cruise ship), an open-air laser tag course, the Aqua Racer waterslide at the expansive Aqua Park, the Texas smokehouse – Q, the line’s first full-service Starbucks store at sea, a chocolate and sweet treats shop, and The District Brew House, where guests can sip on craft cocktails and beers.
Bernard Meyer, Andy Stuart
Norwegian Bliss will also feature new programming that includes the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Jersey Boys, as well as !HAVANA!, an original musical theatre show created specifically for the ship.
A variety of accommodations include luxury suites in The Haven by Norwegian, studio staterooms for solo travellers with virtual ocean views, and connecting staterooms for large groups and families. There’ll also be two observation lounges, one exclusively for Haven guests.
Beginning June 2018, Norwegian Bliss will sail seven-day voyages to Alaska, and spend the fall season cruising to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles. In winter 2018, it will sail the Caribbean from Miami before cruising from New York City to Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean for fall/winter 2019.
