During the 1960’s NCL started operating their first vessel on the so-called milk-run, from Florida to the Caribbean. The company started out as Norwegian Caribbean Line and was led by Knut Kloster. In the beginning Kloster had teamed up with Ted Arison, an Israeli business man who would later build a huge cruise ship empire Carnival Corporation. Kloster had a new vessel, a cruise ferry, the Sunward but he didn’t have passengers for his newbuilding which had been intended for cruise service between England and Spain. Operating Sunward as intended became a problem because of political tension between the UK and Spain as Spain claimed the British enclave Gibraltar to be Spanish soil. Arison on the other hand had started operating two chartered Israeli cruise ferries, Bilu and Nili for Caribbean cruising, but they had to be returned to their owners when these ran into financial difficulties. So Arison had (potential) passengers but no ship. Both business men founded NCL, starting with Sunward which instantly became successful and soon the fleet grew to 4 ships, Sunward, Southward, Starward and Skyward. Later in 1984 NCL introduced the first mega cruise ship, ss Norway, the former transatlantic liner France which had been withdrawn by the French because of high operating costs. But, some years later, during the 1990’s, NCL badly needed additional financing to upgrade its fleet. Then, in 2000 Star Cruises, owned by the Genting Group of Malaysia, stepped in and took control of the company. Nowadays also Apollo Management and TPG Capital are co-owners of NCL.
NCL currently owns 17 ships and serves around 9% of the market.
The company has always been very innovative, for example when it intoruduced the before mentioned Norway as the world’s first mega-cruise ship, and later when it started its Freestyle Cruising-program, offering passengers maximum flexibility in dining, they could do so when they wanted, in the restaurant of their chice and with whom they preferred. Gradually exisiting vessels were adapted to this Freestyle Cruising concept and it is of course also implemented on board new tonnage.
Also innovative was Norwegian Epic which at the time was the largest cruise ship built by STX France at a cost of $735 mio. A second vessel was planned originally even with an option for a third, but as Norwegian Epic’s building costs started to rise (one of the reasons was new NCL co-owner Apollo Management wanted some modifications during construction of the Norwegian Epic) resulting in the cancellation of both the option for the third vessel as well as the second vessel, making Norwegian Epic the sole vessel of the so-called F3-class. F3 meaning this was the third class of Freestyle-ships in the NCL-fleet. Also, she was NCL’s first ship not (partly) having been built in Germany. Not everyone was pleasantly surprised with the apartment-block on top of the bridge deck, where the most luxurious Courtyard Villa’s and suites are situated, giving her a bit of an awkward profile. However, apart from this, she has a rather normal profile, except for the somewhat strange position of her lifeboats placed far outside the ship, freeing up space for passenger use which is more often done nowadays on mass market ships where every inch of space needs to be put to use.
During construction three fires on board were reported by the yard, which were investigated because this looked like arson, but this was never proven. Damage was minor in all cases, not resulting in any delays for delivery. In July 2009 yard number C33 was floated out, and fitting out could begin. Finally, after two periods of sea-trials in February and June 2010, she was delivered to NCL on June 17. She immediately left for Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She departed Rotterdam on June 19 for a showcase cruise to Southampton. However, when on her way to Southampton Norwegian Epic suffered a mechanical problem with her propeller shaft resulting in her sailing only at half speed, reaching Southampton half a day late. I was on board during this trip, and passengers from the Netherlands which should have returned by coach now were flown back to Rotterdam with chartered planes, a massive operation which was smoothly carried out nevertheless.
After problems were rectified she sailed for New York (she was the largest passenger ship to deock there at the time) where she was christened July 2 by Reba McEntire, a famous American country singer. After a two-day introductory cruise to nowhere she was back in New York again, just in time for the July 4 Independence Day celebrations. The Macy’s fireworks display was hosted onboard Norwegian Epic which was broadcast by NBC. Famous artsists like LeAnn Rimes, Justin Bieber and Enrique Iglesias performed on this occaision.
Her 4,100 passengers (double occupancy) have a wide range of accommodation to choose from. The exclusive courtyard Villa’s with their own The Haven lounge, pool and sundeck on top of the vessel (decks 16-18). Lower category staterooms are to be found on decks 8 -13. Mini-suites are constructed following the Feng Shui principle (which is the art of arranging space to achieve harmony and balance. It works on the assumption that the world is driven by unseen forces. If thes are “unblocked”, the forces may flow freely and create balance in a space). This is reflected in the curved walls of these staterooms. Never seen before in a cruise ship is the separation of shower/ toilet in the bath room as usual, but the wash basin is now located in the living-quarters of the stateroom. This is not appreciated by everyone, as it is not always convenient to have a “wet zone” in ones living quarters.
For single travelers, Studios were created, inside cabins for single use, having a large porthole through which it is possible to look into the corridor, but not vice versa. Of the 2100 cabins, 1425 have balconies.
Public area’s are on decks 5 to 7 and 14 to 19. A huge number of 20 dining venues are available , monitors in the hallways show which ones still have empty tables, to direct passengers more efficiently. With 4100 souls onboard, be prepared for some crowded areas when it comes to (specialty) restaurants, shows and buffets ( like on every mega cruise ship introduced nowadays….). Speaking of specialty restaurants, there are six options: Moderno Churrascaria, an authentic Brazilian churrascaria with “an impresssive 43-item salad bar and 12 slow-roasted meats carved tableside” as NCL puts it, Wasabi, a sushi and yakitori bar serving traditional Japanese food, La Cucina Italian Restaurant, Cagney’s Steakhouse, an American Steakhouse, Le Bistro French Restaurant, the Epic’s signature French restaurant, and finally Teppanyaki, another authentic Japanese restaurant where the chef prepares your food on a large steel grill right before your eyes. All these restaurants come at a surcharge.
Today it’s almost business as usual, as companies are in competition introducing even more spectacular facilities when new tonnage is introduced, but when taken into service Norwegian Epic was a stunning vessel as never before had so many options been available to passengers be it dining options, bars or entertainment. Just like the specialty restaurants just mentioned, there is almost an endeliees array of additional dining options, here is an overview….: O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, an Irish pub open 24 hours a day, The Garden Café, the indoor buffet restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Great Outdoors buffet restaurant, Shanghai’s Chinese Restaurant, a complimentary Asian Fusion dining venue, Shanghai’s and Shanghai’s Noodle Bar, a second complimentary Asian restaurant, Spice H2O, which is something quite new, being an adults-only Ibiza-inspired beach club at the stern of the ship. The pool floor rises to become a dance floor and it features a giant movie screen. There is Taste Restaurant, The Haven Restaurant Enjoy a private fine dining experience for guests of the Courtyard Villa’s in The Haven on the ship’s top decks. And finally the Manhattan Room, one of three Main Dining Rooms.
Bars and lounges, there are 16 of them, some examples: Bliss Ultra Lounge, situated between two bowling alleys, with a club-like atmosphere, Headliners Comedy Club, for stand-up comedy or participating in Howl at the Moon, a rock ‘n’ roll dueling piano show, Maltings Whiskey Bar, O’Sheehan’s Irish pub, Posh Beach Club, the first beach club on a cruise ship out on deck, Shaker’s Martini Bar, Skyy Vodka Ice Bar, inspired by the original ice hotels in Scandinavia, the Skyy Vodka Ice Bar is a unique arctic-like frozen chamber where the bar, seating and glasses are made entirely from ice. The bar is kept at 17 degrees Fahrenheit and features speciality drinks made from Skyy Vodka and The Cavern Club, copy of the legendary Liverpool club where the Beatles performed.
Entertainment finally (as offered at the time of writing, 2019, as it changes very season). In the Spiegel Tent aft on deck 6, a lounge with the ceiling of a circus tent, the Cirque Dreams Epicurean show awaits you. Dining while acrobats fly over your head! Alternatively, watch Burn the Floor, ballroom dancing at its best, waltz, tango, rumba what have you, or experience Escape the Big Top where according to NCL: “A carnival takes an unfortunate turn when a circus act goes awry. A magician puts a curse on everyone, and it’s up to you so solve the clues break the spell. Do you have what it takes to be the first to lift the curse? “Escape the Big Top” is fast-paced and full of excitement and intrigue – a not-to-be-missed activity for the whole family” and finally Howl at the Moon, already mentioned above, sing along with the World’s Greatest Rock N’ Roll Dueling Piano Show. Finally Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical based on the hit movie, Priscilla is the adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship.
70 crew nationalities take care of the Norwegian Epic‘s passengers, and although she is surpassed in many aspects by her newer fleetmates, it was Norwegian Epic that set the bar high for today’s mega cruise ships….
