By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line’s latest newbuild Norwegian Getaway was christened by South Florida’s international ambassadors the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders at PortMiami on 7 February.
Hosted by Dancing with the Stars’ Brooke Burke-Charvet, the ceremony took place in three, Miami-themed venues across the ship, opening with performances by Tito Puente Junior and the cast of Broadway show Burn the Floor in Getaway’s outdoor theatre Spice H20, which was transformed into the Magic City lounge with a Miami skyline backdrop. The event also featured performances from DJ Tracey Young and Tara Gilani in the ship’s atrium, while TV personality Louis Aguirre hosted Miami Splash! on the ship’s Pool Deck, featuring a salsa performance from D’Angelo & Amanda of America’s Got Talent fame. After a performance by the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders and the official bottle breaking ceremony, popular music artist Pitbull took to the stage.
“Miami’s ship is home and we couldn’t be more proud to bring this spectacular vessel to this electric city,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s CEO. “We thank Miami-Dade County for this warm welcome and the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders for christening this beautiful ship and are looking forward to a very successful inaugural season.”
The 4,000-passenger ship offers a mix of stateroom options, including The Haven by Norwegian, comprised of 42 Suites at the top of the ship in an exclusive, private key-card enclave and 22 additional Suites located throughout the ship; the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travellers; a wide range of Oceanview staterooms, Balcony and Mini-Suites; along with Spa Balcony and Mini-Suites.
“We are very proud of the studios, which were developed by UK designer Paul Priestman,” said Sheehan, speaking at an inaugural event in Southampton, UK in January. “The industry has ignored single people for 40 years and you had to pay double if you wanted to travel alone. Our studios sell out very quickly as they offer a place to feel comfortable when you travel.”
Norwegian Getaway is the largest vessel to be based year-round in Miami and began her weekly, seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises on 8 February. Departing Miami every Saturday, the ship’s itinerary will circle the Caribbean, where Norwegian has recently invested in a second private cay.
“PortMiami is pleased to welcome the Norwegian Getaway, the first Miami-themed cruise vessel, to our fleet,” said PortMiami director Bill Johnson. “Our port is proud to be known worldwide as the ‘Cruise Capital of the World’ and Norwegian Getaway is without question a world class addition to our roster of cruise ships.”