Norwegian Escape Christening

From 9 Nov 2015

Here I am at the Norwegian Escape Christening.

In November of 2015, I had the great privilege of sailing on the Norwegian Escape's 2-day pre-inaugural cruise.  Before she set sail, she was christened in style with a traditional ceremony and fun party starring Pitbull.  As a self professed ship nerd,  I was delighted to attend my first ship christening.

Norwegian Cruise Line knows how to throw a party!

As we waited for the festivities to begin, the atmosphere was electric with excitement.  The Cruise Director, Julie (yes, Julie), mc'd the event and made sure everyone stayed chipper in the record breaking heat with free cruise giveaways and many reminders of the free drinks to stay cool. Not only were there 3 open bars serving beer and mixed drinks generously, but they had bartenders on segways delivering drinks.  I got the feeling Norwegian Cruise Line knows how to throw a party!

President of Norwegian Cruise Line, Andy Stuart

I was hot waiting in my chair sipping my Landshark beer, despite knowing water would have been much healthier in the stifling heat, but I was too excited to be uncomfortable.  Finally, Froggy, a Miami radio celebrity, got on stage to get the official christening ceremony started. He introduced Norwegian's relatively new CEO, Frank Del Rio, who gave a short speech followed by Andy Stuart, Norwegian's President.  The ship's captain also said a few words and then two blessings were made, one by a Rabbi and one by a priest.  I think there must be a joke in there somewhere!  

Watch Pitbull christen the Norwegian Escape in the video above.

Finally, the big moment had arrived.  CEO Frank Del Rio came back out onto the stage accompanied by the ship's Godfather, Pitbull.  In maritime tradition, the ship's Godfather officially named the Norwegian Escape and christened her with Vodka.  The tradition is to christen a ship with champagne but Norwegian is not afraid to think outside of the box and Pitbull owns Voli Vodka.  The great thing about having Pitbull as the ship's Godfather was the free Pitbull concert!  He put on an amazing show right after the christening and earned himself a new fan with his energetic vibe and positive message.

Pitbull put on a terrific concert after the christening.

After the concert, it was time to get back on the ship and set sail off of the coast of Miami for 2 days.  The Norwegian Escape lived up to all of the hype in my mind.  She is a beautiful ship and a step up from previous Norwegian cruise ships.  She reflects her new CEO's experience in luxury cruising with her luxurious suites and elegant decor. 

The Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony

Living Room

Dining Room

A Bed with a View!

Luxurious Bathtub

Large Balcony is right!

The Haven by Norwegian is a dedicated area for those staying in The Haven Suites and staterooms.  It is a popular "ship within a ship" concept that has some great benefits including a private pool and sundeck, private restaurant and lounge, and the personal service of a certified 24-hour butler.  For the discerning crowd, they can enjoy the private luxurious area of a small ship but also still have access to all of the activities and restaurants of a large ship. It's also great for families who are not in the same income bracket.

The private pool area in The Haven

In addition to the luxurious and beautiful Haven, the Escape has many other attributes.  Among my favorites is the Waterfront, a quarter-mile wraparound oceanfront promenade that allows you to eat al fresco with amazing ocean views.  Sometimes I think the romance of the ocean gets lost in modern day cruising but not so with Norwegian's Waterfront (which is also on the Getaway and Breakaway).

The 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar on the Waterfront

There are a mind-blowing 26 dining options and 22 bars on this ship so taking advantage when Norwegian Cruise Line has the free drink package and specialty dining package is a huge value.  With less than half of the dining options complimentary, it would be easy to spend a small fortune on food and drinks.  My personal favorite of all these choices is the District Brew House with over 50 bottled beers and 24 craft beers on tap.

The District Brew House has great craft beer on tap.

Overall, I was very impressed with the new Norwegian Escape and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants to cruise to the Caribbean on a first class ship with plenty of fun activities, great entertainment and top notch food.  

Click here to see my full album of Norwegian Escape pictures.

There is plenty to do onboard the Norwegian Escape!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels.  I am a travel agent because I am passionate about seeing as much of this big beautiful world as possible and I love helping others to do the same. If you would like to learn more about our travel services, visit us at www.PurplePalmVacations.com.

Happy Travels!