The highly anticipated NCL Epic cruise ship will feature Nickelodeon-themed family entertainment and programming all year long including character meet and greets; interactive game shows including SlimeTime LIVE! with Nick’s signature slime (yes, someone will get slimed!) and Nick Live! Poolside entertainment; live family shows; Nick-themed dance parties; themed cruises and much more. Nickelodeon entertainment will also be featured on Norwegian Jewel beginning in April.
Archive for the ‘Epic’ Category
NCL Epic To Feature Nickelodeon Themed Entertainment
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Short on Time? Here’s a Recap of Travel in the News
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Virgin America announces bag fee change – the airline has changed its baggage fee to a flat $25 rate (up from $20,) for all checked items (excluding the first and second bag for First Class travelers; and the first bag for Main Cabin Select and Main Cabin Refundable Fare travelers).NCL Epic Headed to Europe
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
In a surprising move, Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that the Epic will sail in the Caribbean in 2010, but rather than sail the Caribbean year round, the ship will head to Europe in May 2011 and spend the season there through October. The ship will sail a seven-day Western Mediterranean itinerary from Barcelona, Spain from May through October 2011. Ports of call include: Florence/Pisa (Livorno); Rome (Civitavecchia); Naples, Italy; and Palma, Majorca, Spain, along with two full days at sea. Fares for Norwegian Epic’s Mediterranean itinerary are from $699 per person. The ship will then return to the Caribbean for 23 seven day cruises from November 5th, 2011 through April 7, 2012.
Bookings for the NCL Epic 2011 and 2012 cruises are open to NCL past passenger on January 27th, 2010, and to the general public the next day.
This is the first time I have scene the trend reverse. With the slower economy, several cruise lines were leaving ships close to home, so this is a good sign that companies are banking on growth in oversees travel. I can report that our company has seen a 45% increase in sales to Europe over past 3 weeks. We attribute much of that to great 2 for 1 airline promotions and aggressive early booking discounts offered by tours operators such as Globus tours, Trafalgar tours and Insight Vacations.
“Epic” Opportunity for Single Cruisers
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Cruises are one of the best ways to meet people, yet up to now cruises for singles were quiet expensive. Prices are often 150 to 200% more than the double occupancy.
Things are about to change! Norwegian Cruise Line just announced a completely new concept to make cruising more attractive to solo travelers on the company’s largest and most exciting Freestyle Cruising ship to date, the Norwegian Epic, launching this July.
Each Studio stateroom, at approximately 100 square feet of living space, features a contemporary design with a full-size bed and separate areas for the bathroom, sink and shower. There is also a flat screen TV and small desk.
These Studios cabins will have private access to the exclusive Studio Lounge. Here, guests can have a cup of coffee, kick back, watch their favorite show or sporting event on the big screen tvs, or have a drink before dinner. Since many of the Studio staterooms are connecting, there is also the opportunity for friends to travel together, while giving each their own private space.
Great concept, but is 100 square feet big enough? Probably not, if your claustrophbic, but if you want to meet people and spend very little time in your cabin, it’s a great option. The cabin will have a window where you can see out to the corridor, but others cannot see in.
Currently no other cruise line sailing in the Caribbean waives the single supplement charge on all sailings. Some do offer it on select sailings, while Holland America Line does offer a cabin “share” program to match single travelers, but then you have to be willing to room with someone you don’t know in order to save money on the cruse fare, leaving these studio cabins as the best option out there for single cruisers.
These specially designed and priced Studio staterooms available on all of Norwegian Epic’s sailings – with no single supplement – go on sale Monday, January 18, 2010.
More information and posts about the NCL Epic
NCL Epic Update – Inaugural Sailings Just Announced
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009Norwegian Cruise Line revealed that it will showcase the new Norwegian Epic to travel partners and media in both Europe and the United States during five inaugural sailings, prior to the ship entering weekly service to the Caribbean in July, 2010 from Miami.
Following delivery in mid-June, 2010, Norwegian Epic will sail to Rotterdam for a two-night inaugural cruise departing on June 19, followed by a one-night cruise from Rotterdam to London (Southampton) on June 21, and then a two-night inaugural cruise from London (Southampton) on June 22. Following her transatlantic crossing from London to New York on June 24, the ship will be christened in New York on July 2, followed by a three-night inaugural cruise over the Fourth of July weekend.
Once in Miami, the ship will sail a two-night inaugural cruise on July 8. The ship’s first seven-day Eastern Caribbean voyage is scheduled for July 10 and is currently on sale, along with the ship’s alternating Western Caribbean sailings. Call 800-942-3301 for the best fares.
Norwegian Epic is currently under construction at STX Europe in France. At 153,000 gross tons, the ship is Norwegian’s largest with 19 decks, spanning 1,068 feet in length and 133 feet in width with a 28.5 foot draft, staffed with approximately 1,730 crew members.
For more information on Norwegian Epic & video on, click here
NCL Epic 2010
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
NCL Epic Update – Press Release from NCL Cruise Line… In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 11, Norwegian Epic made her first journey on water, cruising out of her construction quay at STX Europe in Saint-Nazaire, France where the 153,000-ton ship has been under construction since October 2007. Beginning at approximately 7 am, the massive 4,200 passenger ship was accompanied by a fleet of six tugboats and taken a short distance down the Loire Estuary. Within about one and a half hours, the ship was moored at the outfitting dock. Norwegian Epic’s float out represented a major milestone in the vessel’s construction as it indicates that the ship has now moved into the final phase of construction and work will begin immediately on the vessel’s interiors.
“Watching Norwegian Epic make her first journey on the water was a very moving experience,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “Norwegian Epic epitomizes our continued commitment to innovation and represents the next generation of Freestyle Cruising, so we are thrilled to be celebrating her float out and looking forward to her delivery in less than a year.”
On hand for the occasion were Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of the board of directors for Norwegian Cruise Line and chairman, president and chief executive of the Genting Group; Norwegian Cruise Line executives: Kevin Sheehan, chief executive officer; Roberto Martinoli, president and chief operating officer; and Andy Stuart, executive vice president, global sales and passenger services, as well as Sang-Ho Shin, president and chief executive officer, STX Europe; and Jacques Hardelay, general manager, STX Europe, France.
Norwegian Epic is scheduled to be delivered in late May 2010, and will take part in inaugural events before beginning her Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from her year-round homeport in Miami. The first Eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami is scheduled for July 17, 2010 and the ship’s alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries are scheduled through April 2011.
Norwegian Epic’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes calls in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship’s Western Caribbean itinerary includes calls in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Norwegian Epic’s Innovations & Features
Norwegian Epic is changing the face of cruise line entertainment. In another industry first, Blue Man Group will perform in the ship’s 685-seat Epic Theater. Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The blissful party atmosphere created at their live events has become the trademark of a Blue Man Group experience and will be seen for the first time ever at sea only on Norwegian Epic.
Norwegian Epic will have multiple, specially-designed entertainment venues throughout the ship so that guests can choose from a wide variety of entertainment each evening of their cruise. No longer will entertainment be focused on two nightly shows in one large main theater. Norwegian Epic will offer a number of entertainment options in specially-designed venues, some offered for the first time ever at sea, with choices to appeal to a broad audience.
On this ship, guests will find the only “big top” at sea. In this intimate 265-seat theater-in-the-round, famed producer/director Neil Goldberg will present Cirque Dreams® and Dinner. This one of a kind interactive theatrical dining experience will be performed in the air, while juggling dinner courses, with music, mayhem and acrobatic imagination. During this two-hour show, guests will marvel in amazement and become part of a celebration of spectacle and fantasy. The entire experience will be unlike anything else at sea.
Norwegian Epic will offer the next generation of Freestyle Dining with 14 restaurant choices – the most at sea – and 18 bars and lounges. The ship also boasts unique nightlife options with the first Ice Bar at sea and Spice H20 with non-stop entertainment day and night; an expansive Aqua Park with the only tube slide and largest bowl slide at sea — The Epic Plunge; seven decks of Freestyle Family Fun with highlights including a 33-foot high, 64-foot wide extreme rock climbing wall and the first ever rappelling wall at sea; the most bowling lanes at sea with six in two venues; a mixed-use sports deck with the ability for guests to engage in eight different athletic activities; as well as three separate kids’ and teen activity areas and the first squash court at sea.
Norwegian Epic incorporates several new types of accommodations – the curved New Wave staterooms; the largest ship-within-a-ship suite complex at sea, comprising 60 suites and villas on two private decks at the top of the ship; a new category of inside staterooms for the value-conscious traveler – The Studios and Living Room; and spa and family-friendly accommodations.
For more posts about the NCL Epic, click here.
For more pictures of the NCL Epic, visit our Flickr account
NCL Epic POSH Beach Club
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Adult guests who purchase a POSH pass for the day or the week, will take a private glass elevator to enter this luxurious and exclusive outdoor entertainment complex styled with Mediterranean flare. During the day, guests can lounge on white-cushioned day beds and in private cabanas and cool off in the 35-foot long cascading waterfall while the POSH VIP Host and crew cater to every whim.
At night, things heat up as POSH Beach Club becomes an open air night club, complete with VIP bottle service, while the DJ sets the vibe for the non-stop party. Four POSH experiences a day are delivered:
- Early Morning (6 to 9 am)– POSH Vive
Guests awake to yoga classes and body-and-soul treatments in private cabanas as the sun rises and the day starts anew. - Morning (9 to Noon am) – POSH Rehab
Guests can relax and recover from a night out with Salty Dogs, Bloody Mary’s, and mimosas combined with chill out tunes. - Afternoon (Noon to 6 pm) – POSH Sol
The best nightlife in the daytime with guests lounging on day beds, enjoying funky beach music and spiked POSH snow cones while chilling under a lit waterfall. - Evening (8 pm to whenever) – Pure POSH
A pure, sizzling, sexy, nightlife experience where guests enjoy sparkling drinks and bottle service served on silver trays. Look out Vegas, the vibe here is hot — guests can dance all night under the stars or lounge on a POSH bed.
Click here for more posts on the NCL Epic
Visit our Flickr Account for some great pictures of the NCL Epic
NCL Epic Spice H20
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
The Spice H2O Club, an adults-only complex located at the back of the ship on decks 15 and 16, features a huge LED screen displaying vibrant video images from charging bulls to flamenco dancers, and synchronized swimmers to tap dancing Geishas all combined with dynamic music to create a truly unique and sensory experience. During the day, guests can soak up the sun in lounge beds around the pool while enjoying chill-out Asian tunes and Asian-inspired cuisine in Chinese to-go containers.
As the sun sets, Spice H20 is transformed to an Ibiza-inspired beach club with live entertainment and dinner served tableside or directly on beds. At night, the mood is red-hot with Latin mash-up vibes, dancing and unique entertainment atop the covered pool.
Spice H20 will serve up four spicy vibes per day:
- Morning (8 to 11 am)– Sunny Spice
Spicy Bloody Mary’s and Spicitinis combine with breakfast and relaxing tunes. - Afternoon (11 am to 4 pm) – Aqua Spice
Guests enjoy the energy of the in-crowd as they sun the day away with Asian margaritas, bottle service and beers from around the world. Asian-inspired food is served in Chinese to-go containers. - Late afternoon/early evening (4 to 9 pm) – Sunset Spice
A perfect sunset every day – either live or via the big screen. Live entertainment, flowing champagne and an eclectic menu that isn’t available anywhere else on the ship. As the sun sets, it becomes a more intimate environment with Spanish guitars and red-hot dancers setting the vibe. - Evening (9 pm to whenever) – All Spice
The entertainment is non-stop throughout the evening in this outdoor amphitheater. A visually captivating aerial ballet video comes to life as the pool floor rises and aerial performers mix dance moves with acrobatic choreography inside a metallic sphere to create a mesmerizing experience. Then guests can dance the night away on the covered pool.
Click here for most posts on the NCL Epic
NCL Epic Ice Bar
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
Inspired by the original ice bars and ice hotels in Scandinavia and one of only 14 ice bars in the world, the cruise industry’s first true ice bar is the ultimate chill. This frozen chamber of iced vodka is set in changing hues of blue, green and purple LED lighting that simulates the Northern Lights and creates a distinctive arctic atmosphere. The centerpiece is a giant ice cube that glows and changes colors as the hottest techno beats add to the energy of this unique nightlife attraction.
In addition, NCL’s Ice Bar features a bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and life-size sculptures all made from ice. Located on deck seven, Ice Bar will accommodate 25 guests who will be given fur coats, gloves and hats to keep them warm, since the room’s temperature will not rise above 17 degrees Fahrenheit – creating the ultimate chill. To enter, guests will pay a cover charge with a drink or drinks included.
NCL Epic Video
Thursday, June 11th, 2009The latest in NCL Freestyle Cruising. Booking is now open for 7-day alternating eastern & western Caribbean itineraries starting in summer 2010.
Here’s a great video preview of the NCL Epic.
Visit our Flickr account for pictures of the NCL Epic
To read more posts about the NCL Epic, click here
Click here for the latest NCL Cruise Deals
