Norwegian Escape Cruise Ship

Norwegian Escape cruise ship was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).

It is the first ship in the Project Breakaway Plus series and the biggest cruise ship in NCL’s fleet. Norwegian Escape is home-ported in Miami, US, and was christened on 8 November 2015.

The cruise ship embarked on its seven-day maiden voyage in the same month to Eastern Caribbean, sailing through Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, and Nassau, Bahamas.

Construction of NCL’s biggest cruise ship

NCL signed a €1.4bn contract with Meyer Werft in October 2012 for the construction of two Breakaway Plus class cruise ships. The vessels were christened Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss in October 2013.

The construction cost of Norwegian Escape was approximately €700m, which was arranged by KfW IPEX-Bank of Germany in the form of export credit financing.

The vessel’s construction began at the Meyer Werft shipyard in March and the keel-laying ceremony was held in September 2014. The vessel was delivered in October 2015.

Technical specifications of the Breakaway Plus cruise ship

The Norwegian Escape has an overall length of 326m, a width of 41.4m and gross tonnage of 164,998t.

Marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey designed the signature hull artwork of NCL’s latest addition, which features underwater scenes of marine wildlife.

Accommodation facilities on-board the Meyer Werft-built ship

The cruise ship is designed to provide accommodation for 4,266 guests, including a crew of 1,733 and features a range of suites, including The Haven by Norwegian, Mini-Suites, Balcony and Oceanview staterooms, as well as Inside and Studio staterooms.

Located on decks 17 and 18, The Haven by Norwegian features 95 luxurious suites. Accommodation options include The Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suite, The Haven Owner’s Suite, The Haven Two-Bedroom Family Villa, The Haven Courtyard Penthouse and The Haven Deluxe Spa Suite.

The four Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suites offer more than 1,300ft² of luxury space housing a living room with dining area, a spacious master bedroom with marble flooring, a bedroom with attached bath, wet bar and two balconies.

Four Owner’s Suites, each measuring 572ft², are furnished with a king-size bed and a large balcony, as well as an option for additional bedding for two.

The 25 two-bedroom 540ft² Family Villas provide accommodation for up to six guests in its two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, with a provision for a single sofa bed and a pullman bed to accommodate two additional guests. The suites have floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies offering panoramic views of the sea.

The Haven Courtyard Penthouses include 22 penthouses in the Haven and 14 aft-facing and 12 forward-facing Penthouses on additional decks for accommodating up to three to four guests.

The 14 Haven Spa suites provide easy access to the Mandara Spa and fitness centre, as well as complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suite during regular spa hours. The Deluxe Spa Suite and the regular spa suite provide accommodation for up to three and two guests respectively.

The 308 Mini-Suites each features a king-size bed with an option for additional accommodation. The 20 Spa Mini-Suites have similar facilities to The Haven Spa Suite. The 40 Family Mini-Suites are located near the kids’ area and each feature a king-size bed, a sofa bed and the option for a pullman bed.

The 1,168 Balcony Staterooms are categorised into Spa Balcony, Aft-Facing Balcony, Family Balcony, Large Balcony, Mid-Ship Balcony and Balcony. The 172 Family Balconies are ideal for guests travelling with children.

The 114 Oceanview staterooms include 48 Family Oceanview staterooms to accommodate up to five guests per room. Each room features large windows offering picturesque ocean views and two convertible lower beds with an option for two pullmans in some suites.

The 407 Inside staterooms are connected to the interior corridor and feature two lower convertible beds, plus an option for two pullman beds.

Solo travellers are accommodated in 82 studios with access to the private Studio Lounge. Each room features private keycard access, a full-size bed and a 100m² area for toilet, sink and shower.

Entertainment and recreational facilities

The most popular features of the ship are The Waterfront and the 678 Ocean Place, which comprise restaurants, bars and entertainment and gaming zones. An exclusive element of the ship is its portrait studio, which allows guests to take professional photographs.

Deck eight features The Waterfront, which offers an ocean-front boardwalk lined with restaurants and bars, as well as shops coupled with three extensive decks featuring dining, bars, entertainment, gaming zones and much more. The 678 Ocean Place atrium connects The Waterfront’s outdoor spaces with dining venues.

At the centre of the three-storey open atrium has an attractive LED chandelier. The atrium is accessible to all three decks and the floating glass staircase that connects all levels of the ship.

The Escape Casino on deck seven features the Skyline Bar, 357 of the latest slot machines and 28 gaming tables for guests to play poker, blackjack, roulette and craps.

Restaurants and bars on board Norwegian Escape

The ship offers a variety of dining options, including the Private Room at Taste, which is located beneath the main Taste restaurant on deck five.

La Cucina offers Italian cuisine, allowing guests to choose to dine al fresco on the outdoor patio at The Waterfront or at the interior terrace venue. The Brazilian-style steakhouse, Moderno Churrascaria, offers indoor and outdoor dining at The Waterfront, while the Cagney’s Steakhouse serves steakhouse favourites.

Located between the two, Prime Meridian offers guests with signature cocktails and a relaxing, serene environment. The Waterfront also houses Dolce Gelato, which serves frozen treats.

Other features include the 24/7 operated, O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill sports bar and restaurant, which serves American favourites and exclusive speciality dishes at night, giving guests an alternative casual and relaxed dining venue featuring a two-storey screen for watching sports and movies.

On deck seven, the Manhattan Room features a two-storey, aft dining room with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows lined with mirrored accents and glamourous lighting. The aft of deck six houses a Mixx Bar, which offers pre-dinner and post-dinner cocktails.

Norwegian Escape also houses Miami’s oldest and legendary bar, Tobacco Road, on-board in 678 Ocean Place. Other options include the Teppanyaki restaurant that showcases exhibition-style Japanese cuisine, and Le Bistro, a French restaurant.

Deck six features a two-storey video wall, as well as the Bar at The Atrium with The Shore Excursion Desk, internet café and an art gallery located near the atrium. Three meeting rooms and a multipurpose room, which can be used as a card room and library, are also located on deck six.

Norwegian Escape cruise ship’s engine and propulsion

Norwegian Escape is powered by five MAN V48/60CR-type engines, which provide a total power output of 76,800kW. The engines feature a common-rail injection system that increases performance by reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

A total of 19 transformers, comprising four propulsion transformers with a capacity of 11,250kVA each and four distribution transformers with an output of 2,500kVA, were supplied by ABB. The remaining 11 550kVA and 2,500kVA transformers are fitted in different parts of the cruise ship.

ABB also supplied azipods, converters, switchgears and motors for the cruise ship.

The vessel is fitted with five scrubbers from Green Tech Marine for cost-effective exhaust gas cleaning.