Victoria-bound ship will have race track
These days, nothing is off the table when it comes to what can be put on a cruise ship and floated out at sea.
Just ask Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line, which recently revealed the latest in cruise ship innovation for its upcoming vessel, the Norwegian Bliss.
The star feature of the 4,000-passenger ship will be a 300-metre-long, two-level openair race-car track that will zoom riders across the ship’s upper decks. The go-karts accelerate up to 50 kilometres an hour, but also offer four speed settings for those who want to cruise a little slower — and a turbo boost for riders who want to go full Fast and the Furious.
The track will be similar — but much longer — than the one Norwegian put on its latest ship, the Norwegian Joy, which sails out of China. The go-karts will be electric and silent, so as not to add a NASCAR soundtrack to the cruising experience, but with race car engine sounds piped through the speakers on the cars’ headrests.
Norwegian Bliss will sail its debut season in the summer of 2018 to Alaska, Victoria and Vancouver from Seattle. Travellers will get a chance to try out the track and Bliss’s other features beginning November 2018 on seven-day Caribbean sailings from PortMiami, with stops in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.
Rounding out Norwegian Bliss’ roster of adrenalin-pumping activities is an outdoor laser tag course on its top deck themed to look like an abandoned space station, a free fall water slide that extends over the side of the ship and then to the deck below, and tandem racing slides with inner tubes. While the water slides are included in the price of the cruise ticket, guests have to pay an extra fee to race go-karts or play laser tag. Norwegian has not yet disclosed prices for either activity. On the culinary side, the line is also debuting a new Texas barbecue restaurant called Q. Dishes include brisket, ribs, chicken and sausages with sides including breadcrumb-crusted mac-n-cheese, deviled eggs with natural air-cured ham and baked sweet potatoes in pecan honey butter and cinnamon.
For dessert, Norwegian is adding the chocolate-themed Coco’s, an à la carte venue with an oversized chocolate fountain centrepiece and a menu that includes handmade pralines, truffles and crepes.
Both additions will be for an extra cost, but the line is also adding The Local, which will offer pub fare 24 hours a day.
Bliss will get a slight Miami touch in honour of its seasonal home port. Bar District Brew House will serve local beer from Wynwood Brewery and M.I.A. Beer Company, and the ship’s beverage program will include cocktails developed by Miami-based Gabe Orta, co-founder of BarLab, the Broken Shaker and 27 Restaurant.
In terms of accommodation, the Bliss will feature Norwegian’s ship-within-a-ship concept, with its luxury Haven staterooms, plus a first for the line — connecting staterooms for large groups travelling together.
“Norwegian Bliss will, no doubt, be our most incredible ship to date,” Andy Stuart, NCL’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We have elevated Norwegian Bliss’ onboard experience to new heights, bringing the best features from across our fleet plus exciting new firstat-sea activities.”