Norwegian Bliss will include go-karts, laser tag

Racing at sea isn’t just for the Chinese anymore. Norwegian Cruise Line revealed its new Florida-bound Norwegian Bliss will include a go-kart race track. And, although its sister ship China-based Norwegian Joy may have been the first, this one will be bigger.

It was among several features — including a laser-tag course, a high-end barbecue venue, a water slide that sends riders out over the ocean and more — on the ship due in 2018 that were revealed by the line at an event Sunday in Las Vegas.

The centerpiece, though, is the top-deck track that lets riders scoot along at up to 30 mph on electric vehicles around 15 turns on two levels of nearly 1,000 feet of track.

“It’s 40 percent longer than the track on Joy, and we just had the opportunity to refine it a little bit,” said Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart. “With these electric cars that are very fast but run silent, it’s been a great combination ... you can crank it up and make them really fast and competitive.”

The 167,800-ton, 4,000-guest vessel is the line’s 16th ship currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The ship, which is the third Breakaway-Plus class ship, is set to debut spring 2018 and make its way to Seattle for seven-night Alaska summer sailings and then make its way to begin Caribbean sailings from Miami starting Nov. 17.

Stuart got to ride on the Joy’s track this year and said the cars have various settings for different driver-experience levels, but expects most of the North American cruisers will be going at its fastest level. In that mode, drivers still get to push a button that gives them a burst of speed much in the same way the characters in “The Fast and the Furious” get a boost from nitrous oxide.

“It’s noticeable when you hit that button. You really feel it,” Stuart said. “Your head goes back to the head rest.”

The laser-tag course, which is themed like an abandoned space station, will have players feeling like they’re in the middle of a movie like “Aliens,” Stuart said.

There are two water slides, including the 360-foot tandem tube slide called the Aqua Racer just like Escape, but the Ocean Loops slide is a drop slide that will send riders out over the side of the ship in a more extreme manner than ever before on a Norwegian ship.

Also revealed were many of the ship’s dining venues, including a first for line: the Q-Texas Smokehouse, which will serve barbecue in a high-end setting, and Los Lobos, an elevated Mexican cuisine option.

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 and that feature virtual ocean views and its own private lounge.