Norwegian Epic inaugural cruise

Norwegian Epic, which is Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest and will be the cruise line’s largest, cruise ship is launching her career from Southampton

Epic will sail on inaugural two-night cruise from the port on 22nd June 2010, taking UK based ‘trade partners’ – that is travel agents and other people involved in the cruising industry, on a whistle stop trip so that they can experience the cruise ship’s amenities for themselves. NCL says that Norwegian Epic will raise the ‘Freestyle Cruising’ standard to a new level, including the creation of three “private-access” stateroom complexes called The Studios which transform standard staterooms into cool, urban spaces with exclusive access to The Living Room – a shared private lounge. Then there are the The Spa Suites and Spa Balconies which provide a complete spa holiday experience at sea. And every ocean-view stateroom also has a balcony.

The programme for Epic’s launch is quite complex. She will leave her France, where she’s being built, in mid-June, then sail to Rotterdam for a similar two-night inaugural cruise there, before a one-night sailing to Southampton and the two-night cruise there. Then she sails for New York where she will also offer a three-night inaugural cruise which will run over the Independence Day weekend. Then she’ll head for Miami, and yet another two-night inaugural cruise, before starting its standard programme of seven-day eastern Caribbean cruises. She will have two captains, Trygve Vorren and Hakan Svedung as the captains of the ship.