By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line’s newbuild Norwegian Breakaway was officially launched by The Rockettes during a christening ceremony at her year-round, New York City homeport on 8 May 2013.
More than 4,000 guests attended the launch of the 146,600-gt vessel – which is the largest to homeport in Manhattan – and enjoyed a firework display near the Statue of Liberty.
“Norwegian Breakaway is New York’s ship and we are thrilled to finally have her home,” said Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “From world-class dining to high-calibre entertainment, we’ve definitely encapsulated the best of New York onboard Norwegian Breakaway and are looking forward to welcoming guests on May 12 for her first seven-day cruise to Bermuda.”
Norwegian Breakaway features an open-air boardwalk, the first Aqua Park at sea with five full-size water slides and a three-story sports complex, as well as 27 dining venues including Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian, Carlo’s Bake Shop, The Raw Bar and Ocean Blue. It also has an Ice Bar which features ice sculptures of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty and serves New York-inspired cocktails.
Passengers can enjoy a range of entertainment including three Broadway shows, comedy performances and a firework display.
Norwegian Breakaway will enter service on 12 May when she sails to Bermuda to offer a series of seven-day cruises until the end of October. She will then offer seven-day itineraries from Manhattan to the Bahamas and Florida, as well as two 12-day sailings to the Southern Caribbean.