By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of Norwegian Bliss from Meyer Werft during a ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany on 19 April 2018.
Marking the conclusion of an 18-month building project, the official handover ceremony was attended by Meyer Werft’s managing partners Bernard Meyer and Tim Meyer, as well as executives from Norwegian, including president and CEO Andy Stuart; Harry Sommer, executive vice president of international business development; and Robin Lindsay, executive vice president of vessel operations. The ship’s captain and hotel director were also involved in the ceremony.
“We’re happy to deliver another ship to Norwegian,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft. “We are extremely proud of our partnership of over 15 years and are confident that the first ship custom-built for cruising to Alaska will exceed the expectations of guests.”
Norwegian Bliss is the world’s first cruise ship to be custom-built with features and amenities for the ‘ultimate’ Alaska cruise experience and also the third in Norwegian’s Breakaway Plus class. The vessel offers signature Norwegian amenities, as well as several at-sea firsts.
New onboard highlights include a two-level electric race track (the largest competitive race track at sea), an open-air laser tag course, the Aqua Racer waterslide, and an Aqua Park, which has two multi-storey waterslides, one of which extends over the edge of the ship and loops down to the deck below. The ship also boasts two expansive observation lounges and new exclusive speciality dining and bar concepts, such as the Texas smokehouse – Q, the cruise line’s first full-service Starbucks store at sea, and sweet shop Coco’s.
Guests will also be able to enjoy a new entertainment programme that includes a new theatrical cocktail experience named Happy Hour Prohibition – The Musical, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Jersey Boys and ¡Havana!, an original musical theatre show created and produced specifically for Norwegian Bliss.
Accommodation will include luxurious suites in The Haven by Norwegian, studio staterooms for solo travellers with virtual ocean views, and multiple connecting staterooms for large groups and families.
“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.”
Norwegian Bliss will now sail a two-day European inaugural preview cruise hosted by Stuart and Sommer, before embarking on a journey to Southampton, England on 21 April. From here, the vessel will cross the Atlantic and arrive in the US on 3 May ahead of her inaugural tour. Set to be the most extensive of any Norwegian ship, the tour will involve special preview events in New York City, Miami in Florida, and Los Angeles in California. The maiden tour will conclude with a christening ceremony at the Port of Seattle’s new Pier 66 in Washington State on 30 May.
The ship will start sailing seven-day Alaska cruises from 2 June and continue to do so throughout summer, before repositioning to Los Angeles to offer Mexican Riviera itineraries in the autumn. Norwegian Bliss will then move to Miami to sail winter Caribbean cruises, and then head to the New York City in the 2019 autumn and winter season to sail itineraries to Florida, the Bahamas and Caribbean.