blog post

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that the first piece of steel has been cut for the construction of their newest ship. Scheduled for completion in April 2013, the  ship is being constructed at the Myer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The ship, the first of two, is a new design and will be in the 144,000 ton range and will feature approximately 4000 berths. The ship will be called NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY, a name submitted in a national contest to name the ship. The sister ship will be called NORWEGIAN GETAWAY. In a press release, the cruise line states that "the ships represent an opportunity for guests to 'break away' from the routine of work, school and daily stress, and find a true respite at sea".

According to NCL, this design will incorporate features from previous Freestyle cruise ships. Freestyle is very popular among a very wide range of guests. Families will appreciate the flexibility it offers in regard to dining options. It allows one to have dinner wherever they like, whenever, and with whomever they want. Traditionally, dining on cruise ships have been at assigned tables and times. While I like that method personally because it allows me to get to know the servers and waitstaff over the course of a cruise, and they in turn get to know my tastes and expectations. Regardless, it's all about choice and everyone wins.

For detailed information, this link will take you to Project Breakaway Overview.