Wiesbaden, March 04, 2009 – NCL unveiled the first images of its new 153.000-gross ton, 4.200-passenger Norwegian Epic, the company’s largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date. Currently under construction at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, France, the contemporary, balcony-rich, 19-deck ship will be 325 metres long, 40 metres wide, with a draft of 8,5 metres when completed in May 2010.

Following a series of inaugural events in Europe and the U.S., the ship will homeport in Miami and will offer alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages through April 2011. The ship’s Western Caribbean itinerary includes stops in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. Norwegian Epic’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes stops in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

 
NCL will open Norwegian Epic’s sailings for group block bookings exclusively for travel partners later this month. Cruises are scheduled to go on sale to the public this spring.  

NCL plans to unveil additional details about Norwegian Epic, including the line’s signature hull artwork, in the coming months. To view renderings and register for news, visit www.epic.ncl.eu.


About NCL

NCL Corporation Ltd. is an internationally operating cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Wiesbaden Office is the responsible branch office for the Continental European market.

In 2000, NCL introduced Freestyle Cruising – an innovative way of cruising, which offers passengers a maximum of individuality, freedom and flexibility on board. With NCL, set dinner sittings, formal dress codes and other traditional cruise rules are simply left at the pier.

Today, NCL has the youngest fleet among the world’s leading North American cruise lines. Three of its eleven purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships are deployed in Europe in the 2009/10 season. NCL is presently building Norwegian Epic, a new third generation Freestyle Cruising ship, for delivery in 2010.

In October 2008, the cruise line received the World Travel Award as “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line”.

High resolution, downloadable images are available at www.ncl.com/hires.

For information and images of the new F3 generation visit http://www.epic.ncl.eu


Further information and bookings in travel agencies or at:
NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Wiesbaden Office
Continental Europe Branch
Kreuzberger Ring 68, 65205 Wiesbaden, Germany
In Europe toll free: Tel.: 00800 0310 21 21; Fax: 00800 0310 21 22
E-mail: reservations@ncl.com
Internet: www.ncl.eu

Media contact:

Eva Muth    Andrea Elsner
Manager Marketing & PR    Senior Coordinator Marketing & PR
Tel.: +49 611 36 07 123    Tel.: +49 611 36 07 130
Fax: +49 611 36 07 095    Fax: +49 611 36 07 095
E-Mail: emuth@ncl.com    E-Mail: aelsner@ncl.com