By Karen Robes Meeks
The Port of Seattle on Wednesday morning feted the arrival of Norwegian Bliss, the newest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.
Constructed for the Alaskan cruise market, the Bliss weighs more than 168,000 gross tons and has a capacity of 4,004 passengers in double occupancy staterooms.
“The Port of Seattle is thrilled to host the magnificent Norwegian Bliss and her passengers for many Alaska cruise seasons to come,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Courtney Gregoire. “Cruise ships like Norwegian Bliss meet our objectives of increasing economic opportunity in our region while constantly raising the bar on environmental sustainability. We thank Norwegian for their 18 years of partnership with the Port of Seattle and look forward to many more to come.”
Norwegian Cruise Line worked with the port on improving and expanding the Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 to accommodate the Bliss.
“We are proud of our partnership with the Port of Seattle, where we have cruised out of for nearly two decades,” said Andy Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line.
Showing posts with label Norwegian Cruise Line. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norwegian Cruise Line. Show all posts
Friday, June 1, 2018
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Seattle Expects Record Cruisers
By Karen Robes Meeks
The Port of Seattle is on its way to another record cruise season with the recent first ship arrival of Norwegian Cruise Line Sun and the upcoming May 30 arrival of the Norwegian Cruise Line Bliss and its 4,000 passengers.
Port officials anticipate over 1.1 million revenue cruise passengers this year, making it the West Coast’s biggest cruise port for the second straight year. They are attributing the higher passenger counts in part to bigger cruise vessels bound for Alaska.
“The Port of Seattle welcomes the cruise season every year, as it provides more than half a billion in economic value to our region,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Courtney Gregoire. “These dollars reach businesses of all sizes, and we look forward to having more visitors stay and enjoy the beautiful state of Washington.”
Port of Seattle Commission recently approved the Port Valet program, a complimentary cruise luggage program that enables cruise passengers to obtain their airline boarding pass and check their bags before departing the cruise ship, so they can explore Seattle before flying home.
“Port Valet is a wonderful way for visitors to leave their baggage and explore the great things Seattle has to offer,” said Tom Norwalk, CEO of Visit Seattle. “You can visit Pike Place Market, see the Space Needle, or even taste some wine in Woodinville before catching your flight home.”
The Port of Seattle is on its way to another record cruise season with the recent first ship arrival of Norwegian Cruise Line Sun and the upcoming May 30 arrival of the Norwegian Cruise Line Bliss and its 4,000 passengers.
Port officials anticipate over 1.1 million revenue cruise passengers this year, making it the West Coast’s biggest cruise port for the second straight year. They are attributing the higher passenger counts in part to bigger cruise vessels bound for Alaska.
“The Port of Seattle welcomes the cruise season every year, as it provides more than half a billion in economic value to our region,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Courtney Gregoire. “These dollars reach businesses of all sizes, and we look forward to having more visitors stay and enjoy the beautiful state of Washington.”
Port of Seattle Commission recently approved the Port Valet program, a complimentary cruise luggage program that enables cruise passengers to obtain their airline boarding pass and check their bags before departing the cruise ship, so they can explore Seattle before flying home.
“Port Valet is a wonderful way for visitors to leave their baggage and explore the great things Seattle has to offer,” said Tom Norwalk, CEO of Visit Seattle. “You can visit Pike Place Market, see the Space Needle, or even taste some wine in Woodinville before catching your flight home.”
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Seattle Port, Norwegian Cruise Lines Reopen Pier 66 Terminal
By Mark Edward Nero
On May 23, the Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings publicly debuted the renovated Bell Street Cruise Terminal at the port’s pier 66 building. About $30 million dollars in improvements were made to the terminal as part of a joint agreement.The newly refurbished facility features three times the square footage within the same walls, and is custom designed to handle the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Bliss, which will be the largest cruise vessel on the West Coast, arriving in time for the 2018 season.
“Together, we have increased usage capacity by more than 300 percent, created a plush new lounge for suites guests, enlarged the space for all guests awaiting embarkation and much more, allowing for the vacation experience to begin as soon as our guests step foot inside the terminal by providing a seamless, comfortable and stylish ship-to-shore experience,” said Howard Sherman, executive vice-president of Onboard Revenue and Destination Development for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH).
The port signed a 15-year lease with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in August 2015 that secures berth space for NCLH ships in Seattle for the full term of the lease, and provides passenger volume guarantees estimated to bring $73 million dollars of revenue to the port.
Under the lease, Norwegian manages the cruise operations at Pier 66 and has priority rights to the cruise vessel berth throughout the cruise season. The port then operates the facilities the remainder of the year.
“We have a long history with Norwegian from when we first started in the Alaska cruise market over 15 years ago, and we are thrilled with their unprecedented investment,” Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman explained. Terminal improvements include a modified elevated passenger boarding bridge and a new gangway that’s expected to arrive in early 2018. The brand new state-of-the-art 140-foot gangway will feature incredible floor-to-ceiling transparent walls, immediately connecting guests to stunning views of Elliot Bay.
Seattle’s cruise business currently leads all cruise homeports on the US West Coast in passenger volume. Each homeported vessel generates $2.7 million to the local economy, according to the port. More information is available at www.portseattle.org/cruise.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Norwegian Cruise Line Bringing New Ship to Seattle
By Mark Edward Nero
On Oct. 13, the Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line revealed that the newest ship in Norwegian’s fleet, the Norwegian Bliss, will homeport in Seattle beginning in 2018.
“As we cross the one million passenger mark next year, having the largest vessel scheduled on the West Coast for the 2018 cruise season shows real commitment by Norwegian Cruise Line to invest in Seattle,” Port of Seattle Commission President John Creighton said. “Larger cruise vessels like the Norwegian Bliss mean more passengers bringing more revenue and jobs to our region.”
Norwegian Bliss, which is scheduled for delivery in spring 2018, is to be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The 163,000 gross ton ship is designed to accommodate about 4,000 guests.
After a transatlantic cruise and a Panama Canal transit across the new locks, the vessel is to sail north along the West Coast, reaching Seattle for the start of the 2018 summer cruising season. After it’s arrival, Norwegian Bliss is scheduled to sail weekly seven-day Alaskan Adventure cruises from Pier 66 in Seattle.
The ship’s itinerary will feature calls in Ketchikan, Juno, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia, along with scenic glacier cruising.
“Norwegian was the first line to begin cruising to Alaska from Seattle in 2000 and it’s only fitting that we bring our newest ship, Norwegian Bliss, directly to this incredible location,” Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart said in a statement. “Alaska is one of the top destinations for our guests to explore and we are thrilled to be the first cruise line to offer guests the opportunity to experience this coveted destination on a brand new, state-of-the-art cruise ship from Seattle.”
Norwegian Cruise Line has also committed to make tenant improvements to the Bell Street Cruise Terminal estimated at $30 million which could significantly expand the portion of the facilities used for processing cruise passengers. Under the new lease, Norwegian will manage the cruise operations at the terminal and have priority rights to the cruise vessel berth during the cruise season. The port will operate the facilities outside the cruise season.
On Oct. 13, the Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line revealed that the newest ship in Norwegian’s fleet, the Norwegian Bliss, will homeport in Seattle beginning in 2018.
“As we cross the one million passenger mark next year, having the largest vessel scheduled on the West Coast for the 2018 cruise season shows real commitment by Norwegian Cruise Line to invest in Seattle,” Port of Seattle Commission President John Creighton said. “Larger cruise vessels like the Norwegian Bliss mean more passengers bringing more revenue and jobs to our region.”
Norwegian Bliss, which is scheduled for delivery in spring 2018, is to be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The 163,000 gross ton ship is designed to accommodate about 4,000 guests.
After a transatlantic cruise and a Panama Canal transit across the new locks, the vessel is to sail north along the West Coast, reaching Seattle for the start of the 2018 summer cruising season. After it’s arrival, Norwegian Bliss is scheduled to sail weekly seven-day Alaskan Adventure cruises from Pier 66 in Seattle.
The ship’s itinerary will feature calls in Ketchikan, Juno, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia, along with scenic glacier cruising.
“Norwegian was the first line to begin cruising to Alaska from Seattle in 2000 and it’s only fitting that we bring our newest ship, Norwegian Bliss, directly to this incredible location,” Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart said in a statement. “Alaska is one of the top destinations for our guests to explore and we are thrilled to be the first cruise line to offer guests the opportunity to experience this coveted destination on a brand new, state-of-the-art cruise ship from Seattle.”
Norwegian Cruise Line has also committed to make tenant improvements to the Bell Street Cruise Terminal estimated at $30 million which could significantly expand the portion of the facilities used for processing cruise passengers. Under the new lease, Norwegian will manage the cruise operations at the terminal and have priority rights to the cruise vessel berth during the cruise season. The port will operate the facilities outside the cruise season.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Search Suspended for Overboard Cruise Ship Worker
By Mark Edward Nero
The US Coast Guard and the Alaska State Troopers say they’ve suspended the search for a missing 25-year-old woman who went overboard while on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Norwegian Pearl the morning of Sept. 8.
The crew of Norwegian Pearl reported the woman, who was a crewmember aboard the vessel, went into the water while the vessel was transiting the 90-mile Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska.
“We searched extensively with the Alaska State Troopers with multiple aircraft and surface resources for more than 42 hours,” the Coast Guard Sector Juneau command duty officer, Petty Officer 1st Class Blake Fleming, said Sept. 9. “After saturating a search area of 340 square miles in Lynn Canal with 13 different search patterns, we made the difficult decision to suspend the search after our combined efforts were not able to locate her.”
The 17th Coast Guard District command center coordinated the search, which included Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter crews, Coast Guard Station Ketchikan response boat crews, the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Liberty and Alaska State Trooper fixed-wing aircraft and response boat crews.
The search is suspended pending any further developments, according to the USCG. The woman’s identity has not been revealed.
Norwegian Pearl, which has a capacity of 2,394 passengers and 1,099 crew, sails one-week Alaska cruises out of Seattle from early May through late September each year.
The US Coast Guard and the Alaska State Troopers say they’ve suspended the search for a missing 25-year-old woman who went overboard while on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Norwegian Pearl the morning of Sept. 8.
The crew of Norwegian Pearl reported the woman, who was a crewmember aboard the vessel, went into the water while the vessel was transiting the 90-mile Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska.
“We searched extensively with the Alaska State Troopers with multiple aircraft and surface resources for more than 42 hours,” the Coast Guard Sector Juneau command duty officer, Petty Officer 1st Class Blake Fleming, said Sept. 9. “After saturating a search area of 340 square miles in Lynn Canal with 13 different search patterns, we made the difficult decision to suspend the search after our combined efforts were not able to locate her.”
The 17th Coast Guard District command center coordinated the search, which included Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter crews, Coast Guard Station Ketchikan response boat crews, the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Liberty and Alaska State Trooper fixed-wing aircraft and response boat crews.
The search is suspended pending any further developments, according to the USCG. The woman’s identity has not been revealed.
Norwegian Pearl, which has a capacity of 2,394 passengers and 1,099 crew, sails one-week Alaska cruises out of Seattle from early May through late September each year.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Seattle Port Signs Historic Cruise Terminal Contract
By Mark Edward Nero
The Port of Seattle has signed a historic 15-year lease with the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises that provides guarantees estimated to bring $73 million dollars of revenue to the port.
“This is a historic deal for the Port of Seattle,” the port’s CEO, Ted Fick, said. “A 15-year lease for a cruise terminal is unprecedented on the West Coast. Norwegian Cruise Line is showing real vision by investing in the economic growth of this region.”
As part of the deal, which was signed Aug. 11, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will make tenant improvements to the Bell Street Cruise Terminal, estimated at $30 million, to expand the portion of the facilities used for processing cruise passengers.
Under the new lease, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will manage the cruise operations at the terminal and have priority rights to the cruise vessel berth during the cruise season. The port will operate the facilities outside the cruise season.
The capital investment to complete the terminal improvements will be shared between the Port and NCLH. “We thank Norwegian Cruise Line for their commitment to Seattle and the Alaska cruise business,” port commissioner John Creighton said. “Cruise in Seattle means $440 million in annual economic impact for this region. This deal means more growth, which means more jobs.”
According to the port, the 15-year business commitment is estimated to generate more than $2 billion in total business revenue for the region, nearly 900 jobs, and more than $65 million in state and local taxes.
Seattle’s cruise business – currently leading all cruise homeports on the US West Coast in passenger volume – is responsible for more than 3,600 jobs, $441 million in annual business revenue and $17.2 million annually in state and local tax revenues. Each homeport vessel call generates $2.5 million for the local economy, according to the port.
“Seattle, with its incredible culinary offerings, luxurious accommodations and outstanding attractions, makes for an ideal homeport,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio said. “With primary use of the world-class facilities at Pier 66, we can further customize our guests’ pre- and post-cruise experience.”
The Port of Seattle has signed a historic 15-year lease with the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises that provides guarantees estimated to bring $73 million dollars of revenue to the port.
“This is a historic deal for the Port of Seattle,” the port’s CEO, Ted Fick, said. “A 15-year lease for a cruise terminal is unprecedented on the West Coast. Norwegian Cruise Line is showing real vision by investing in the economic growth of this region.”
As part of the deal, which was signed Aug. 11, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will make tenant improvements to the Bell Street Cruise Terminal, estimated at $30 million, to expand the portion of the facilities used for processing cruise passengers.
Under the new lease, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will manage the cruise operations at the terminal and have priority rights to the cruise vessel berth during the cruise season. The port will operate the facilities outside the cruise season.
The capital investment to complete the terminal improvements will be shared between the Port and NCLH. “We thank Norwegian Cruise Line for their commitment to Seattle and the Alaska cruise business,” port commissioner John Creighton said. “Cruise in Seattle means $440 million in annual economic impact for this region. This deal means more growth, which means more jobs.”
According to the port, the 15-year business commitment is estimated to generate more than $2 billion in total business revenue for the region, nearly 900 jobs, and more than $65 million in state and local taxes.
Seattle’s cruise business – currently leading all cruise homeports on the US West Coast in passenger volume – is responsible for more than 3,600 jobs, $441 million in annual business revenue and $17.2 million annually in state and local tax revenues. Each homeport vessel call generates $2.5 million for the local economy, according to the port.
“Seattle, with its incredible culinary offerings, luxurious accommodations and outstanding attractions, makes for an ideal homeport,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio said. “With primary use of the world-class facilities at Pier 66, we can further customize our guests’ pre- and post-cruise experience.”
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Marine Wildlife Artist to Paint Cruise Ship
By Mark Edward Nero
Marine wildlife artist and ocean conservation champion Guy Harvey has been hired by Norwegian Cruise Line to design the signature hull artwork of the line’s largest ship to date, the Norwegian Escape, which is scheduled to debut in October 2015.
On March 12 in Miami, the artist revealed his custom design for Norwegian Escape’s hull, an underwater scene of marine wildlife. The ship, 1,065 feet long, is expected to have Harvey’s artwork span from the hull to the aft, featuring two blended undersea scenes.
“Guy Harvey is the perfect artist to design Norwegian Escape’s hull artwork because he is so passionate about the sea and his marine artwork is so life-like and well recognized,” Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan said. Harvey is not only an artist but also has a background as a marine biologist, diver, photographer and angler.
“I am deeply honored to be asked by Norwegian to paint the hull of the newest and largest ship in their fleet,” Harvey said in a statement. “The large scale mural demonstrates the concern and respect that Norwegian and I have for the marine environment through which this ship will travel over the years.”
The Norwegian Escape, a 4,200-passenger vessel, is expected to homeport in Miami during 2015-16.
Marine wildlife artist and ocean conservation champion Guy Harvey has been hired by Norwegian Cruise Line to design the signature hull artwork of the line’s largest ship to date, the Norwegian Escape, which is scheduled to debut in October 2015.
On March 12 in Miami, the artist revealed his custom design for Norwegian Escape’s hull, an underwater scene of marine wildlife. The ship, 1,065 feet long, is expected to have Harvey’s artwork span from the hull to the aft, featuring two blended undersea scenes.
“Guy Harvey is the perfect artist to design Norwegian Escape’s hull artwork because he is so passionate about the sea and his marine artwork is so life-like and well recognized,” Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan said. Harvey is not only an artist but also has a background as a marine biologist, diver, photographer and angler.
“I am deeply honored to be asked by Norwegian to paint the hull of the newest and largest ship in their fleet,” Harvey said in a statement. “The large scale mural demonstrates the concern and respect that Norwegian and I have for the marine environment through which this ship will travel over the years.”
The Norwegian Escape, a 4,200-passenger vessel, is expected to homeport in Miami during 2015-16.
