Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has released details on family activities onboard the upcoming Norwegian Escape, which will set sail from Miami in November 2015.
The ship, which will be NCL's largest ever, will feature a large Ropes Course. The course will include two Planks and five Sky Rails, which are zip tracks that allow guests to soar through the air. Norwegian Escape’s Aqua Park will include a new Aqua Racer slide, while the sports complex will have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle miniature golf course.
The ship will also have an expanded Kids’ Aqua Park; entertainment from Nickelodeon; and the line’s first dedicated nursery for young cruisers two and under.
Sports Complex and Aqua Park
The all-ages Ropes Course will have 99 different elements. The three-story elevated Ropes Course will span the entire width of the ship with features on both the port and starboard sides. The course has two Planks, six-inch wide beams that extend eight feet from the side of the ship. The course’s Sky Rails allow guests to glide through the air on zip tracks, with the longest one bringing guests out over the side of the ship, offering a bird’s eye view of the vessel. There are three Sky Rails on the main Ropes Course and two on the Kids’ Ropes Course.
The Aqua Park on Norwegian Escape will have four multi-story water slides, a dedicated Kids’ Aqua Park, two pools and four hot tubs. All-new on Norwegian Escape is the Aqua Racer slide, a tandem waterslide where competitors can race side-by-side on tubes as they twist and turn to the finish line. Back by popular demand, Norwegian Escape will also feature Free Fall, which first debuted on Norwegian Breakaway. These side-by-side slides offer guests the chance to free fall, as the floor drops from underneath, propelling them into a thrilling loop. For those who prefer a more relaxing ride, there is a family-friendly open-flume body slide.
Norwegian Escape will also have an expanded Kid’s Aqua Park, with enhanced attractions, an enclosed tube slide and a two-story climbing structure for kids to explore. Highlights include a selection of interactive wet elements, such as water cannons and elevated buckets that deliver surprise drenching, as well as cranks and spray features, along with a multi-story tower, a rope bridge and lookout platform.
The new nine-hole Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Rooftop 9 miniature golf course, inspired by the hit Nickelodeon animated television series, will give guests the chance to sink a hole in one alongside favorite characters Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.
Norwegian Escape’s sports complex will also include a full-size basketball court and a new bocce ball court, a first for the line.
Nickelodeon Entertainment
Norwegian Escape will be the sixth NCL ship to offer Nickelodeon branded entertainment.
Activities and events will include an opportunity to meet SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star and Dora the Explorer, among other favorite Nickelodeon characters, as well as interactive Nickelodeon experiences. At the popular Nickelodeon Pajama Jam Breakfast, kids will have the opportunity to enjoy an experience with their favorite Nickelodeon characters; and at Dora’s Dance Party, young cruisers will sing and dance to their favorite songs with Dora the Explorer and Team Nick. Additional activities will include Story Time with Dora and Nickelodeon arts and crafts.
Youth Programming
In a first for the line, as part of the Guppies program, Norwegian Escape will offer childcare services for children ages six months to three years. The nursery will include an active area for play time and age-appropriate activities and a separate space for napping. In addition to the nursery services, Norwegian Escape’s Guppies program will offer a dedicated open play area for parents and babies to play together, featuring sensory-based games, interactive media and themed activities hosted by an early years coordinator.
Norwegian Escape will also have a centrally located Splash Academy complex on Deck 5, offering age-appropriate supervised activities for children ages three to 12. It is also adjacent and easily accessible to the ship’s family-friendly oceanview staterooms, accommodating up to five guests. As on all Norwegian vessels, when parents enter they will use Norwegian’s e-Youth tablet-based electronic registration system, which allows them to swipe their keycard to register their children and input a password for additional safety to sign in and pick up their children. Once children sign in at the reception area, a forest-themed play zone offers space for creative games and play time, while an interactive dance space with a corresponding large video screen encourages lots of activity.
Splash Academy, the ship’s youth program, will once again have spaces for specific age groups, along with a Nickelodeon themed night and activities. New on Norwegian Escape, children participating in Splash Academy will enjoy an enhanced version of the popular Circus program, with additional skill options and an innovative grand finale. Children will also have an opportunity to participate in Officer Snook Theme Day, an expansion of Norwegian’s current program that will share an interactive environmental message through games and activities.
Three to five year olds can explore in their own space decorated with vibrant, engaging colors, along with child-sized furniture and open space for active games and an activity center to encourage creativity. Magnetic white board walls will keep little hands busy in between organized programming.
In a separate area decorated with fun graphics, the six to nine year olds will enjoy a “hang out” area for lounging with new friends that also features dedicated gaming stations with the latest video games. An activity zone will have space and supplies to create cool arts and crafts.
Children ages 10 to 12 years old will also have their own hangout, with access to the central multipurpose visual dance space and corresponding large video screen, open space for active activities and comfortable bean bags for lounging. In addition, within this space are dedicated stations for video games for individual or group competition.
Rounding out Splash Academy is a cool and comfortable “open zone” lounge area, with sofas and chairs in vibrant colors creating the perfect atmosphere to chill out, and a separate full-size cinema and bean bags for casual lounging and viewing favorite flicks.
Entourage, located on Deck 17, is Norwegian’s teen zone for ages 13 through 17. This area gives teens their own space that includes lounge furniture and a central gaming station. Complete with sleek, neon lighting, the space also includes favorites like air hockey and foosball. In the evening, Entourage transitions into a teens-only nightclub featuring a nightly teen theme complete with team challenges and giveaways. Entourage is conveniently located adjacent to the ship’s video arcade.
Norwegian Escape will sail weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on November 14, 2015.
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