Cruise Ships

It's fair to say that the design of Norwegian Epic has not met with universal approval, and I was intrigued to receive a comment on my recent item about the ship from someone who is a noted designer. Syd Mead (left) has worked on science fiction films such as Blade Runner and Aliens. He created the light cycle which features in the Disney film Tron, and he worked on the Turn A Gundam anime series made for Japanese TV. What I did not realise was that in his extensive career, he has also been commissioned to design cruise ships. And [...]

A new tower block arrived in New York for the first time today. Stood on end, cruise ship Norwegian Epic would be up there among the tallest skyscrapers in Manhattan, and only 200-ft short of the roof of the 1,250-ft Empire State Building. It's never going to stand on end, of course. It's floating in the Hudson River. But because of its size and design, it had to lower five of its lifeboats into the water before it was brought alongside the pier. My friend Scott, who is lucky enough to live in an apartment across the river in New [...]

It was a busy day for Dover cruise port yesterday, with three ships turning round. Spirit of Adventure, just back from a a seven-night cruise to Norway, was preparing to return on a 14-night voyage as far as North Cape. Saga Ruby, which has just been to North Cape, was setting out for Greenland. Both are regular visitors to the Kent port, and use it as their base throughout the summer. Sandwiched between them was a much rarer visitor. With a name like Regatta, some may have thought she had been blown off course from Henley, but this is an [...]

The most talked-about cabins on board Norwegian Epic are ironically the smallest - the 128 single Studio staterooms which have a mere 100 square-feet of living space - less than half the size of a regular balcony cabin. I must say I prefer to have a sea view, but these cabins are proving popular among single passengers, and together with the luxury suites are among the first to sell out. Tucked away along corridors running the length of decks 11 and 12, the studios each have a full-sized bed, a wall of storage space including a flat-screen TV and hand-basin; [...]

Confused? I was, when I saw the view from Norwegian Epic's bridgecam - which is, naturally enough, directed over the ship's bow - displayed on a big screen at the stern,. The two ends of the 153,000-ton ship, which arrived in Southampton this afternoon, are 1,080 feet apart. The screen is a feature of Spice H2O, a three-level adults-only sundeck which can be converted into a lively club and bar at night, with a small pool which transforms into a dance floor. Meanwhile, adrenaline junkies were getting their fix in the Epic's three giant waterslides, one of which - the [...]

Why has Norwegian Epic been described as the most eagerly-anticipated new cruise ship of 2010? For one thing, it's the only vessel being launched this year which has been built to a completely new design, rather than being a variation on an earlier plan. P&O's Azura is similar to Ventura; Cunard's Queen Elizabeth will almost (but not quite) be identical to Queen Victoria; Celebrity Eclipse was the third of five ships built to the same design, and Allure of the Seas will be a twin for Oasis. But there are lots of other reasons which make Epic special - from [...]