This week in the cruise industry a pair of lines took delivery of some major new oceangoing vessels.
In a ceremony at Meyer Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany, Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the new Norwegian Encore. The new ship, which has a guest capacity of nearly 4,000, then embarked on a preview cruise, arriving in Southampton, England, November 2. Now, the ship is in the midst of its first transatlantic crossing to New York City, after which it will sail another preview cruise down to Miami. There, a series of further celebrations will conclude with the ship’s christening ceremony on November 21.
The Norwegian Encore incorporates a number of new features, including the cruise line’s first Onda by Scarpetta restaurant, an expanded race track, an enhanced Galaxy Pavilion entertainment area and the at-sea debut of the Tony Award-winning Kinky Boots. The ship will spend the fall operating a series of seven-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean before repositioning to New York City for spring and summer 2020. After that, the ship will return to Miami for the fall and winter season before making its West Coast debut operating Alaska sailings out of Seattle.
Carnival Cruise Line, meanwhile, officially took delivery of the new Carnival Panorama this week at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. When the ship sets sail from Long Beach, CA, on December 11, it will mark the line’s first new ship homeported on the West Coast in more than 20 years. The ship will now head to Long Beach for its naming ceremony and inaugural sailing in December before beginning year-round service from the port on December 11.
The ship has a number of new amenities, including a Sky Zone trampoline park and a culinary studio where guests can participate in hands-on cooking classes, tastings and other food-related activities hosted by the ship’s chefs.
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