All decks on hand…

Published Nov 24, 2015

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Hamburg - After the curtain rises on the Broadway musical After Midnight in the shipboard theatre, the audience is transported back to Harlem of the 1920s.

That’s fitting for the American-style ship Norwegian Escape, the new cruise vessel of the US company Norwegian Cruise Line.

The vessel is an upgraded copy of the company’s Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway cruise boats.

It is being marketed as a “freestyle cruising resort”, meaning there are no set routines on board – there is no seating order, but there is “freestyle dining”, which means a free choice of restaurants.

“This is about having the freedom to organise one’s own day on board,” Christian Boell, the shipping line’s managing director for Europe, said during the vessel’s maiden visit to the northern German port city of Hamburg.

At 326m in length and with space for 4 266 passengers, the Norwegian Escape is the largest vessel yet in the Breakaway class.

This is what it has to offer:

l Living: The exclusive residential area “The Haven” is one deck larger than on the other boats.

“The concept has been well received,” Boell says.

The exclusive sealed-off complex of suites is accessible by chip card.

Guests may enjoy a butler service, an exclusive restaurant featuring an open-air terrace, and their own swimming pool.

What is new is a retractable glass roof.

Those who really want special luxury will book one of the four 120m² deluxe owner’s suites.

l Dining: To expand the range of eateries, Norwegian called in American chef José Garces, who shows off his talent in the new Bayamo restaurant, with cuisine inspired by Cuba, and in the Pincho Tapas Bar.

A further novelty is the District Brew House, a bar that offers 24 beers on tap and a range of more than 50 bottled beers.

Wine tasting is offered at The Cellars.

A new concept in dining is offered in the restaurant Food Republic, which has dishes from around the world. The “tasting and sharing” of dishes on small plates is an attraction.

The waterfront area on the eighth deck has been expanded once more. Some of the restaurants here have an outdoor area.

There are 28 restaurants on board, and 11 of them are included in the travel price.

l Entertainment: Even from a distance, one notices the water slides and the ropes course, an elaborate three-storey complex of about 99 heart-pounding challenges. The Aqua Racer offers a new tandem slide of two parallel water slides, while the Kids Aqua Park has been expanded.

The climbing garden has two rope slides and – as on the other boats–- two planks that jut out towards the sea.

Besides the 1920s Harlem musical After Midnight, there is also the show Million Dollar Quartet, based on a famous recording session featuring Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

There is also a dinner show called For the Record: The Brat Pack, featuring Hollywood film music.

The ship’s core areas are decks 6, 7, and 8, where the guest finds most of the restaurants and bars and the casino.

l Daycare services: For the first time, small children aged between 6 months and 3 years will be cared for. The rate is a $10 (about R142) an hour for the first child, and $8 for the next sibling.

l Spa: A new attraction in the spa is a room that is cooled to between zero and 6ºC, and which has powdered snow. A bit disorientating, when one considers just where the ship is travelling.

From Miami, the ship will be cruising the eastern Caribbean in trips lasting seven nights. The destinations will be St Thomas in the American Virgin Islands, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Nassau in the Bahamas.

Philipp Laage, dpa

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