LAS VEGAS — New details have emerged about the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Cruise Line’s 16th ship that will sail to Alaska, the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera (select voyages) beginning in June 2018.
Currently being constructed at MEYER WERFT in Germany and scheduled for delivery in Spring 2018, the custom-built ship will boast many firsts at sea, including the largest competitive race track at sea and an open-air laser tag course. These exclusive details were announced earlier this week by Andy Stuart, NCL president and chief executive officer at Virtuoso Travel Week at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
“Norwegian Bliss will no doubt be our most incredible ship to date. We have elevated Norwegian Bliss’s onboard experience to new heights, bringing the best features from across our fleet plus exciting new first-at-sea activities like the largest race track and new dining concepts to create the ultimate cruising experience,” said Stuart.
The two-level electric-car race track – the longest at sea at nearly 1,000 feet – will feature four speed settings to accommodate novice, intermediate and advanced drivers, reaching up to 30 miles per hour with a special ‘turbo boost’ available on each lap. The electric cars will run silent but the sounds of a race car engine will still be piped in through speakers located in the car’s headrest to give racers a more authentic experience.
The laser tag course, available both day and night, will be themed as an abandoned space station. Guests of all ages can go into stealth mode and compete against family and friends with state-of-the-art laser guns.
To wind down, passengers can relax at the ship’s expansive pool and sundeck featuring two pools and six infinity hot tubs that scale the side of the ship. There’ll also be the Aqua Park with two multi-storey waterslides: the high-speed Ocean Loops free fall slide featuring two loops, and the tandem Aqua Racer, which will allow guests to race side-by-side on inner tubes.
2017 Norwegian Joy Architecture Photo Shoot
Norwegian Bliss Architectural Rendering
Norwegian Bliss Architectural Rendering
For younger guests, there’ll be the Kids’ Aqua Park, a watery wonderland of splash pads, water cannons, tipping buckets and slides, as well as the Splash Academy, the fleet’s award-winning complimentary youth program featuring age-appropriate supervised activities for kids aged three to 12. Teens aged 13 through 17 can also enjoy their own space aboard at Entourage, home to gaming stations, foosball, air hockey and a dance floor. Even the youngest of guests – ages six months to under three years old – will have a dedicated space onboard the Bliss at the fleet’s largest Guppies playroom.
Dining will be both vast and varied, with restaurants like Q, the all-new Texas Smokehouse, and Los Lobos, which will serve elevated Mexican cuisine. Also onboard will be Cagney’s Steakhouse, The A-List Bar, Le Bistro for French food, La Cucina for Tuscan cuisine, Ocean Blue for fresh seafood, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville at Sea, Teppanyaki for Japanese, the new Coco’s for à la carte dessert, and much more.
Norwegian Bliss Architectural Rendering
2017 Norwegian Joy Architecture Photo Shoot
Norwegian Bliss Architectural Rendering
For Wellness options the Mandara Spa on deck 16 aft will offer 24 treatment rooms, a full-service salon and barber shop, fitness centre and themal suite. At the fitness centre, guests can use state-of-the-art TechnoGym cardiovascular and strength training equipment, as well as sign up for personal training and group fitness classes like TRX, Norwegian Fight Club and RYDE Cycle. Equally impressive will be the thermal suite where guests can enjoy the vitality pool and heated whirlpool, steam room, sauna, snow room and 17 heated stone loungers. Passes to the thermal suite will be available for purchase for a limited number of guests each sailing.
During her inaugural summer season, Norwegian Bliss will sail weekly seven-day Alaska cruises each Saturday from Pier 66 in Seattle where it will be the largest ship to ever seasonally homeport on the West Coast. A first for any ship on the West coast will be The Waterfront, a popular feature that debuted on Norwegian Breakaway in 2013. This outdoor promenade will be home to al fresco dining, bars and lounge spaces with spectacular views of Alaska’s scenery and wildlife.
As for nightlife, Norwegian Bliss will offer deck parties at Spice H2O and an expansive casino featuring hundreds of slot machines and table games. In a first for Norwegian, the casino will now offer a smoking and non-smoking casino to cater to all guest preferences. There’ll also be the Tony-Award winning Jersey Boys musical production and two observation lounges from where guests can spot whales and watch the sunset.
Accommodations onboard run the gamut, from luxury suites in The Haven by Norwegian, to Studio staterooms for solo travellers and new connecting staterooms for large groups and families.
The ship’s itinerary will feature calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia, along with scenic glacier cruising. Norwegian Bliss will sail her inaugural Winter season beginning in November 2018, sailing seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises each Saturday from PortMiami, featuring calls in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.
