Norwegian Cruise Line, an innovator in global cruise travel for over 52 years, debuted its newest ship, the Norwegian Encore, at its New York inaugural preview earlier this week. TravelPulse Canada was amongst the small selected group of media invited to stay aboard the ship and experience the company's elevated offerings including their largest and most exciting Speedway Race Track, an enhanced Galaxy Pavilion, and an upgraded, larger than life, open-air laser tag attraction!
The fun didn't stop there though as Norwegian Cruise Line continued to surprise guests with the unveiling of Onda by Scarpetta, Norwegian's Breakaway Plus Class' newest Italian dining experience. "Onda is our newest addition under the brand of Scarpetta.
It's had some great reviews and feedback so far - really spectacular! So we are really happy about that partnership and we are planning to do more things with them in the future," Wes Cort, VP of Food and Beverage Operations said to the press at an intimate gathering.
Classic specialty dining favorites like Cagney's Steakhouse, Tappanyaki, Le Bistro French Restaurant, Food Republic, Ocean Blue, and Los Labos are also still available onboard the Norwegian Encore as well as 12 Bars and Lounges. Also enhanced this year is the adult-only Vibe Beach Club that now expands two stories and features hot tubs that extend over the side of the ship, a full-service bar, chaise loungers, and chilled towels!
In terms of entertainment, new to Norwegian Cruise Line is the Tony Award-winning musical, "Kinky Boots" which will headline Norwegian Encore's world-class entertainment on board, along with returning passenger favorites like 'The Choir of Man', and 'Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical'.
Further, guests will be able to find live music throughout the ship including a rocking Beatles cover band at The Cavern Club, a venue modeled after the legendary Liverpool club known as 'the birthplace of The Beatles'. In addition, to live music, passengers can also choose to kick off their evenings with a comedy show at The Social, Norwegian Cruise Line's comedy venue and nightclub. Each night The Social host two comedy shows before transforming the space into a club with a dance floor and a DJ that spins the hottest music late into the night.
Norwegian Encore continues to offer all the amazing activities for kids you associate with Norwegian Cruise Line including the Kid's Aqua Park with tandem waterslides that extend 11 feet over the side of the boat; 'Splash Academy', a complimentary youth program where kids can enjoy arts and crafts, themed activities and sports; and 'Entourage Teen Club', a retreat for teens where they can enjoy movies, music, and video games.
In addition to these activities the beloved Speedway Race is back, but this time it's bigger and better than ever, extending two levels with even faster carts than ever before.
The Galaxy Pavilion also returns - an immersive virtual reality world with numerous simulator rides, an Escape Room, and interactive video walls. Laser Tag is also still available on the boat as well except this time it features an even bigger battleground.
Norwegian Encore offers a wider range of contemporary accommodations to ensure passengers get the most out of their stay. Guests can enjoy modern, lavish Staterooms at The Haven, Norwegians' ship-within-a-ship concept that features luxurious accommodations paired with the personal service of a concierge and a 24-hour butler service they can utilize throughout their entire stay.
Further, guests of Haven have access to private venues like the Haven Courtyard which features an indoor pool with a retractable roof; The Haven Restaurant, a private fine dining experience; The Haven Lounge, where guests can enjoy bespoke cocktails; and the Horizon Lounge, an exclusive observation deck that offers stunning panoramic views of the ocean.
In addition to The Haven, there are also numerous Stateroom options to choose from that range from mini-suites (249-429 sqf) that can hold up to four people, to single occupancy Studio Staterooms (99sqf).
As part of Norwegian Cruise Line's ongoing mission to become more eco-friendly, the brand has partnered with JUST Goods, Inc. - a sustainable packaging company founded by American recording artist and environmental activist Jaden Smith, to remove millions of single-use plastic water bottles from its fleet.
The Norwegian Encore was the first ship in the company's history to be introduced as a 'plastic bottle free' ship - a sustainable practice that Norwegian Cruise Line is planning to roll out to the entire fleet in 2020.
"We have started with bottled water, so this ship has zero plastic water bottles. It will go somewhere in 2020 with that fleet-wide. This will help us eliminate 6 million bottles a year," highlighted Cort. "We just completed a full research over the last couple of months of all those products and we will eventually eliminating a bunch of them, whether they are small cups or trays."
This is just one part of Norwegian Cruise Line's 'Sail & Sustain' Environmental Program, which aims to reduce its carbon footprint and contribution to landfill waste. "We do believe it's the right thing to do for the environment, for our company, and for future generations. We make our living on the ocean and a lot of this plastic ends up in the ocean, so we do think it's the right way to go," continued Mark Kansley, Senior Vice President of Fleet Hotel Operations.
Beginning in November 2019, the Norwegian Encore will be offering seven-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean from Miami. Bermuda, Canada, and New England itineraries will follow from New York City commencing in April 2020 before the ship returns to Miami in Dec 2020 for a series of itineraries to the Western Caribbean. The Norwegian Encore is set to make her west coast debut in the spring of 2021 when she sails from Seattle to Alaska. For additional information on Norwegian Encores' upcoming itineraries visit www.ncl.com.
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