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| Photo by Susan J. Young |
PortMiami and Norwegian Cruise Line (www.ncl.com) announced today that Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 4,000-passenger ship, Norwegian Getaway, will make Miami her year-round home port starting in spring 2014. The ship is the largest to ever home port year-round in the city.
Miami-Dade County officials joined Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's CEO, at PortMiami to make the announcement onboard Norwegian Spirit, which was docked at the port.
Norwegian Cruise Line was the first cruise brand to sail from Miami. “Miami has been the home of this Company since our beginning in 1966," said Sheehan. "Therefore, we are so excited to bring one of our two new Breakaway-class ships here to Miami to homeport year-round."
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and members of the Miami-Dade County Commission also welcomed the decision as did PortMiami Director Bill Johnson who addressed the economic impact: “Norwegian vessels will generate more than one million passenger moves annually through the Port once Norwegian Getaway arrives, contributing an estimated $500,000,000 each year to Florida's economy.
"Norwegian Getaway alone is expected to generate 450,000 passenger moves each year," Johnson said. Norwegian currently has three ships sailing seasonally from Miami, including Norwegian Epic, the line’s largest vessel carrying more than 4,100 guests. Norwegian Sky has been sailing three and four-day itineraries to the Bahamas year-round from Miami since 2007.
Now under construction at Meyer Werft in Germany, Norwegian Getaway will be 144,000 gross tons and is scheduled for delivery in spring 2014.
Norwegian will announce the ship’s inaugural itineraries and on-sale dates later this year. Norwegian Getaway’s sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, will begin sailing from her year-round home port of New York City in May 2013.