While Alaska is expected to be the first seasonal destination for NCL Norwegian Bliss, Miami will be the second. The Breakaway Plus class ship, sister to Norwegian Escape, will sail from PortMiami for the winter season starting November 2018.
The line's last two new builds, Norwegian Escape and Getaway currently sail from Miami, although Escape will be migrating to New York in summer 2018. Another new ship for Norwegian, Norwegian Joy, will debut this year, but is headed for China.
The 167,800-ton, 4,000-guest NCL Bliss ship is the line's 16th vessel. Debuting in spring 2018, it will operate from Seattle on seven-night Alaskan itineraries, followed by Caribbean cruises from Miami (starting November 17).
The highest end suites will be in The Haven including the deluxe owner's suites, two-bedroom family villa, courtyard penthouse,deluxe spa suite, forward and aft-facing penthouses and The Haven Suite that can connect with a balcony stateroom. The rest of the ship features 308 mini suites, 1,088 balcony staterooms, 374 inside staterooms and 82 studio staterooms designed for solo travelers that feature virtual ocean views and its own private lounge. The line has allotted for more connecting staterooms across all of its categories with larger family groups in mind.
Norwegian Joy will also be getting the first race track on board a ship, with two levels and eight turns that can race 10 cars a ta time, 35-40 mph, but del Rio said Bliss will get a race track that is 20 percent longer and have 10 turns, two of which will be banked and cantilevered over the side of the ship.
Between Alaska and Miami, Bliss will sail one five-night Pacific coastal cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles on Sept. 30, some seven- and eight-night Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles and a 14-night Los Angeles-to-Miami cruise on Nov. 3 through the newly expanded Panama Canal that has stops in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Cartagena, Colombia.
Booking for Bliss cruises is open to the public starting January 12.