That's the word today from top executives at NCL who made the announcement in an online seminar for travel agents.

Executives also say the 4,200-passenger vessel -- already under construction in Europe -- will sail in the Caribbean year-round after it debuts in the summer of 2010
Following a series of inaugural events in Europe and the U.S., the Epic will home port in Miami and will sail alternating seven-day Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages through April 2011, the line says.

The Norwegian Epic's Western Caribbean itinerary will include stops in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship's Eastern Caribbean itinerary will include stops in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

I am sure she could do some epic voyages too.

Brad

[ 01-27-2009: Message edited by: reeves35 ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
The news has made it onto their F3 web site:

Here

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Originally posted by Waynaro:
NCL's Epic.....failure?

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150,000 gt and 4200 passengers (35.71 space ratio). In a word ... jam packed! EPIC will be very high density, especially when compared with OASIS at 222,900 gt and 5400 passengers (41.28 space ratio).

Norwegian Epic is actually quite difficult to get off your tongue - doesn't flow well.

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Originally posted by Waynaro:
NCL's Epic.....failure?

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As for innovation or lack of it, NCL have not revealed all of the details yet. I think we are making judgements far too early. Personally I welcome a third ‘superpower’ in the cruise industry, offering something at least a little different.

[ 01-28-2009: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Undoubtedly the project has proved to be a very expensive one, in part due to NCL's cock-up, but it can hardly be deemed failure before it has set sail.

As for innovation or lack of it, NCL have not revealed all of the details yet. I think we are making judgements far too early. Personally I welcome a third ‘superpower’ in the cruise industry, offering something at least a little different.

I saw a headline on the net about ‘Epics’ UK debut, but a log-in was required to read it all. Does anybody have more information on this?

[ 01-28-2009: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Waynaro:
NCL's Epic.....failure?

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with NCL's talent of getting their hands into their passengers' wallets, I guess you will have to charge, say, ten bucks or so to your cabin door each night through your credit card. Otherwise the door will swing open, the lights will be automatically put on and the PA system will play Bavarian marches. And all of that at 3 a.m.

Best,

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Originally posted by Waynaro:
NCL's Epic.....failure?

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"Norwegian Cruise Line’s 4,200-passenger new ship is to make its debut in the UK before sailing to its Miami base.

Following a series of inaugural events in the UK and the US, the ship will sail year-round on alternating seven-day Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages through April 2011."

The curvy-wurvy cabins are certainly innovative. Maybe in rough seas, I might find some strong right angles to be re-assuring. Whatever. I especially like the dark wood veneers used sparingly, as they remind me of cabin appointments in the good old days.

Judging from the artists renderings on the NCL site, the passengers are all quite chic and slender. They don't at all resemble any cruise I've ever been on. Not that it matters... this is marketing!

Technical question: will that bowling alley be a larger manifestation of the gyro-mounted pool table on RCI's ships?

And lastly, a word on "innovation." NCL has taken a few of the land side gimmicks from the last 10 years and taken them to sea. The innovation is the milieu, not the actual thing. Vegas has been doing the Ultra lounge for some time (read: exorbitant cover charge, expensive drinks, and an inscrutable DJ). Ice bars can be found in several destination cities world wide. Just search "sky bar" for internet images and you'll see the molecular components of POSH Night. (Comparing POSH to Miami's South Beach scene was too easy.)

All in all, I far prefer NCLs aesthetic to yet another Farcas miasma. But by the same token I'd rather spend 3, 4, or 7 days in a state of ELATION, TRIUMPH, or CONQUEST than spend my vacation at home.

The flow of land side entertainment innovations onto ships, where they can be called innovations all over again, is likely an unstoppable tide. Based on the night life and leisure innovations in my area, here's what we can look forward to on ships in the next 10 years:

Bourbon/whiskey bars.
flights of absinthe.
pubs that specialize in Belgian ales, or obscure brews in custom glasses.
high concept unisex bathrooms.
amateur burlesque ensembles (bump & grind, pasties, the works!).
Zumba dancing lessons.
Same-sex weddings.
Indoor (vertical) skydiving.
Laser tag or paintball mazes.
Thematic photo "safaris" with a screening of the results.
Anything green-washed.

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Originally posted by GregD:
so no podded propulsion I see. Also doesnt she seem a little under-complete for her to be floating already?

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Waynaro wrote:
NCL's Epic.....failure?

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Epic eyesore.

Gee, I wonder if they are grabbing any recycled steel from the Norway to build her. Nothing like using recycled history for a marketing gimmick. And it would be just the kind of stunt NCL might pull.

[ 01-30-2009: Message edited by: BigUFan ]