Archive for Cruise Lines
Celebrity Solstice, A Formidable Competitor To The Luxury Lines?
Posted by: | CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
How do Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels compare to luxury cruise lines where the price point is at least twice as much? Read the Avid Cruiser’s report this week during a Caribbean voyage on Celebrity Solstice.
Previously, I wrote Celebrity’s Newest Ship Breaks The Mold. Clearly, Celebrity Solstice left a good impression on me and many others.
This week, I’m back on Celebrity Solstice, taking a second look at what a friend of mine calls, “Crystal Light.” She’s referring not to the powdered sugar-free beverage but rather to Celebrity’s competitive positioning against luxury operator Crystal Cruises.
She posits that Celebrity is a formidable contender to Crystal in some areas, namely staterooms, cuisine and other ship-board offerings. That’s quite a claim, especially considering that Celebrity’s price point is about half of Crystal’s.
Are Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels nipping at the heels of their luxury competitors? I don’t plan to a blow-by-blow comparison, but this week, I will take a look at some of the good — and not-so-good, if warranted — on Celebrity Solstice.
Bathrooms are well-designed with one small, but well-publicized feature: a shower bar to assist women in shaving their legs. Such small touches characterize the well-thought-out design on Solstice-class vessels.
First impressions are the same as last time I was on board: Solstice is an exceptionally tasteful ship in both design and on-board offerings.
Public areas are gorgeous, restaurants are both numerous (with as many as 10 dining venues, depending on how you count – five have cover charges) and impressive. Staterooms are comfortable and well-designed. Mine, 8253, has a deep balcony, thanks to its positioning in the mid-ship curve.
How will Celebrity Solstice shake out by the end of the week? Of course, purists know that Celebrity can’t compete in several areas against the luxury players:
- With a capacity of more than 2,800 guests, a single Solstice-class vessel has more capacity than the entire fleets of most, if not all, of the luxury players.
- On the smaller luxury lines, staff frequently address guests by their names. Not so on larger vessels, such as those in the Solstice class.
- With the exception of Crystal, luxury lines are all-inclusive, meaning that a check will not be shoved under your nose to sign for soft drinks, specialty coffees and alcoholic beverages. On Celebrity, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice your penmanship. Crystal skirts the all-inclusive issue by providing an As You Wish Credit.
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Why You Should Cruise Azamara Now
Posted by: | CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
Given the skewed valuation between the U.S. dollar and the Euro, it’s unusual to hear the words “Europe” and “good value” mentioned in the same sentence. But those words were in frequent use on a recent 14-night Mediterranean cruise on Azamara Quest.
The reason was twofold: First, a cruise represents a bargain proposition when compared to other modes of travel and accommodations within Europe. The cruise lines’ oft-repeated mantra is that paying in U.S. dollars for goods and services onboard isolates travelers from the higher costs in Euros ashore.
Second, passengers on Azamara Quest paid considerably less than they would have paid for similar sailings on other cruise lines. The reason: As a relative newcomer in the business, Azamara Cruises faces the challenge of establishing its brand. Though under the corporate umbrella of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Azamara does not yet have the name recognition of its sister companies, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. One way to build the brand: Get people on board and send them home as ambassadors who will spread the word. How to get people on board? Give them a deal.
For now at least, Azamara provides exceptional value when compared to its competitors. And Azamara compares favorably to its most formidable competitor, Oceania Cruises. The two cruise lines operate nearly identical hardware: Oceania Cruises sails five vessels, once operated by now-defunct Renaissance Cruises; Azamara sails two, Quest and Journey. Essentially, Azamara is an Oceania wannabe, and although Azamara got off to a shaky start, the newcomer is proving to be quite adept at replicating Oceania’s successful model.
Four-time Azamara cruisers Steve Henderson and his wife Kate say they’ve cruised so often on Azamara because the deals have simply been too good to pass up. The Texas couple had only disembarked Quest a month before I met them in the Mediterranean. They had returned to Europe because of “irresistible offers.”
“When comparing us to Oceania, we are way lower price-wise,” says Niyazi Korkmaz, hotel director on Azamara Quest. “What we’re charging for the ticket price, it’s fantastic. The guests notice the value.”
Quest For Perfection
All staterooms on each of the 694-passenger ships feature butler service and upgraded amenities such as European bedding with duvet and pillow-top mattress; 100 percent Egyptian-cotton bathrobes; umbrella; binoculars; bottled Evian water; welcome fruit basket; fresh-cut flowers; pillow menu and more.
The cruise line spent $40 million modernizing the fleet. As part of the upgrade, some blocks of staterooms were reconfigured to suites. Azamara’s ships feature ten Penthouse Suites, four Royal Suites and 32 Sky Suites.
At 266 square feet, Sky Suites on deck 8 occupy the equivalent of a standard stateroom and a half (three staterooms were reconfigured into two suites).
Suites come with all that standard staterooms offer and more: priority check-in and departure; priority luggage delivery; complimentary garment pressing (two items); priority tender service; fragrant drawer liners upon request; silk-wrapped hangers; Hansgrohe showerhead; welcome bottle of champagne; daily fruit basket; daily hors d’oeuvres served in-suite between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and complimentary espresso/cappuccino, but oddly only when ordered in-suite. Soft drinks are also free of charge when taken from the suite mini-bar.
Like Oceania, Azamara features multiple dining venues: the main open-seating dining room Discoveries; the reservations-only Prime C and Aqualina; and Windows Cafe. The latter is remarkable in that during dinner, diners will often find sushi, sashimi, whole lobster and a carving station in what is essentially the lido buffet on other ships.
When in port, the aft section of Windows Cafe transforms into Brisas, an outdoor floating cafe overlooking exotic ports of call.
Breakfast in Windows Cafe features a juice bar, with complimentary fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies. For those who appreciate healthy dining options, the Pool Grill serves up turkey and veggie burgers, baked potatoes and kebabs in addition to the usual burgers and hot dogs.
Deluxe Cruise Line
Azamara defines itself as deluxe, positioned between premium cruise lines (like sister brand Celebrity) and luxury cruise lines (such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises). The smaller size of Azamara’s vessels, when compared to Celebrity, allows the two-ship fleet to visit small, unexplored ports. In 2008, Azamara charted 68 ports that were new to the Royal Caribbean family of cruise lines.
Quest and Journey sail in different directions: Journey crosses the Atlantic to operate a series of Panama Canal and Caribbean sailings through March, then returns to Europe; Quest heads east to sail a series of Asia voyages, with extended cruisetour packages available, before returning to Europe in the spring.
Few, however, expect Azamara’s competitive advantage to last for long. Fares will increase as Azamara gains name recognition. That’s only one good reason to cruise Azamara now. The other is that this is an up-and-coming cruise line that is sure to please, just as its competitor does.
Azamara’s Bumpy Journey
When launched in spring 2007, Azamara Cruises got off to a shaky start, largely because of logistical issues that delayed the refurbishment of the its first ship, Azamara Journey. The new cruise line was hammered, particularly in the online cruise chat rooms and forums. Azamara Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan admitted that his company made mistakes during its inaugural period, but he says that some of the harsh criticism seemed unfair.
Four-time Azamara cruiser Steve Henderson agrees. Scanning the boards on popular web sites, he noted many remarks that he says “simply were not true.” Henderson responded with posts that essentially said, “I was on that cruise, and what you wrote did not happen.”
What’s The Beef
Still, Azamara had plenty of kinks to iron out, and when Quest was introduced in October, the company was beginning to see improved comments from both cruise passengers and travel agents. Moreover, the company committed to responding quickly to passenger complaints. A $20 charge for dining in specialty restaurants Aqualina and Prime C was replaced with a $5 suggested gratuity.
In Prime C, one menu item that featured “Kobe-style beef” was removed, because it caused confusion among guests. The restaurant featured beef raised “Kobe style” in Idaho at a cost to the company of $30 to $40 a pound, compared to more than $100 a pound for true Kobe beef.
On Journey, open-seating dining also proved challenging for staff, many who came from sister company Celebrity Cruises, where staff was accustomed to two-seating dining. Service in Journey’s main dining room was often slow and not as personal as it was on Celebrity. But those challenges too have been ironed out.
There are still minor irritations and quirks. Specialty coffees, free on Azamara’s competitors, cost nearly $5 ($4 plus 18 percent gratuity) in the Mosaic Cafe. Sure, guests in suites receive complimentary specialty coffees, but only if ordered in their suites. And a can of Coke costs $4 from the stateroom fridge, and only $2 at food and beverage outlets outside the room.
And even with the significant investment in Quest and Journey, some things are not up to the Celebrity standard. Standard stateroom bathrooms, for example, are small. With the added room to stretch out, a large balcony and bathroom, Sky Suites represent perhaps the best value.
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Life Aquatic: Oasis of the Seas
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In the battle to boast the biggest and best, Royal Caribbean International debuted Oasis of the Seas in 2009, which, along with sister ship Allure of the Seas, holds the title as the world’s largest cruise ship.
But Oasis of the Seas boasts much more than size. Making a huge media splash, the world’s largest cruise ship took the industry a step closer to fulfilling aspirations among lead designers: to incorporate theme park elements on the top decks of ships.
Clearly, the upper decks of cruise ships are getting more interesting, and while that may not please everyone, expect the innovations to continue.
“Yes,” chuckles Harri Kulovaara, Royal Caribbean’s executive vice president, maritime, “maybe we do like building big ships. The purpose, however, is not just to build the biggest ships. The purpose is to build outstanding vessels that provide great facilities for our guests. And we need a lot of real estate for that. That’s the reason we’ve constantly been growing the size of our ships. We have a lot of good ideas that we want to incorporate in the ships.”
Capable of carrying more than 6,000 passengers, Oasis of the Seas is 40 percent larger than the company’s Freedom-class vessels, which previously reigned as the world’s largest cruise ships.
A Thrill A Minute
With more than 30 ships under his belt, Carnival’s chief designer Joe Farcus has expressed interest in the past to put a steel-structure roller coaster on a ship. “It would be a very sculptural thing,” he explains, noting that the roller coaster would be designed in a way so as not to disturb sunbathers.
If a roller coaster requires a leap of imagination, consider what Designteam wants to put on a cruise ship: an 825-foot ski slope wrapping around the ship’s funnel and sloping to the back of the top deck.
An “inflatable roof” would keep the manmade snow from melting in the Caribbean,” Designteam’s Frank Symeou says with the conviction of a man who expects to be taken seriously.
The roof would be removed when cruising cold-water destinations such as Alaska. “It’s perfectly feasible,” chimes in Symeou’s partner, Eric Mouzourides, “although the weight of the snow was one concern.” Not a safety hazard, he explains: The additional weight adds to fuel costs.
Whether these designs will see the light of day — or the upper decks of ships — remains to be seen, but what is certain is that cruise lines will continue to build ever-larger ships with features previously unthinkable. “There’s no question that big ships have a great public relations value,” says Carnival’s Farcus.
And while Oasis of the Seas may be the best indication of what to expect on big ships of the future, there is still much more on the drawing boards and in the minds of designers who increasingly are looking at successful entertainment venues outside the cruise industry for inspiration.
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Constellation; Alesund, Norway
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Alesund is on the NW coast of Norway and doesn’t sound the way it looks. Try ew-le-sund. It was good old Rollo the Viking boss that built a castle here. Around the castle came a fishing village, then a township, then, in 1904 in the middle of winter, a fire. When the fire ebbed, 10,000 were homeless and in the dark. Kaiser Wihelm was furious. He had lost his vacation spot. Well, not entirely, the spot was still there, but no house. Not to worry, he led a rebuilding, melding Nordic styles with a bit of Art Nouveau. He was, after all, the Kaiser.
As I walked the streets of Alesund, my expectations were way off base; little traffic only one bike and only one blonde. She was on the bike. Actually, my favorites were an accordion player and a guy on a cornet; both playing jazz. Alesund is pleasant enough, but except for these two, it doesn’t swing.
This is the only city in all my travels that I was unable to elicit a smile; not even a slight grin. In the midst of all the space and beauty, the expressions of the passing people reminded me of commute time subway riders in NY.
Back on board Constellation, I realized that I was walking far more on this trip than at home. Beside the port perambulations, it’s about a 20 mile hike from my cabin to the San Marco restaurant. But…….well worth it.
Bye bye Alesund, the Arctic Circle is next.
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The Dining Pleasures Of Oceania’s Toscana Restaurant
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Welcome to Toscana, one of two specialty restaurants on Oceania’s ships. There’s no additional charge to dine here, although there is a limit to the number of times you can dine at Toscana on a single cruise, not always rigidly enforced, depending on which category cabin you booked.
The show begins with the bread basket, a work of art in itself, with, for those who like it, roasted garlic. Beautiful Versace dishes and plates adorn the tabletops (there are plenty of tables for two). A waiter pushing a cart comes tableside with a wide selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
The carpaccio is a good starter. But so is the Insalata Caprese. You don’t have to choose. Have both.
The risotto comes without calories, until your fork moves it from the plate to your mouth, that is. Also in the “let’s not think about calories” category, the desserts are delicious works of art.
Toscana represents dining in the best of Italian traditions.
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Northern European Adventures offered by Crystal Cruises
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Glacier trekking, flight-seeing and snowmobiling are just some of the adventures awaiting Crystal Symphony passengers this summer in Northern Europe. In addition to the fascinating cultural sightseeing at museums and historic places that one normally associates with a Northern European cruise, Crystal Cruises has 300 Crystal Adventures on its menu of shore activities for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to explore the region’s natural attractions.
Of course, you can still find your way to the historic treasures or even the ballet theater, but the excursions offered through Crystal Adventures also allow you to do and see things that visitors to Europe frequently miss. From May through August, the Crystal Symphony will offer eleven- to 15-day Baltic and Northern European itineraries, with calls at ports throughout Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Germany, Iceland and the British Isles. Experiences ashore run the gamut, including:
- A spelunking cave expedition through Trollkirka Caves in Norway
- Private car and helicopter explorations of Helsinki’s Neo-Classical architecture, Olympic Stadium, opera house and other highlights in Finland
- Special opera or ballet performance at the famed Mariinsky Theatre in Russia
- High-speed sailing on an adrenaline-filled adventure in a state-of-the-art V.O.60 Volvo professional ocean racer
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Dream Thanksgiving
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Last night rack of lamb was on the menu and looked so tempting I overlooked it was braised in garlic. I am allergic to garlic. (I know, I’m on an Italian hit list somewhere). But how bad could braising be?
It was quite a night for me. First, the “family” comedy night with Marvin Bell. He was at once charming and very funny. The neat thing is, when I went up to chat with him after the show, he recognized me as “The Game Show Guy.” Actually that was better than my female tablemate who said, “I swear you have a twin brother.” Yes, and he’s on TV, I thought.
“He,” she said, “is a Roman Catholic Priest.”
I did stop by the hypnotist’s show and stayed for a bit until I had this urge to jump up because my seat was hot. From there to the “adult” comedy. The great thing about Marvin is he is funny! He doesn’t try to get laughs out of raunchy. If you have a chance, don’t miss this guy.
Next the heralded laser show on the main pool deck. Nothing stops the dancers on this ship. It was pouring rain!
We docked at Port Canaveral Thanksgiving morning; I slept. Thanksgiving afternoon, I slept. So I now list “braising with garlic” right after “oysters in August” on my “It’s Going to Get You List.”
I did manage to do some laundry. Dream has three launderettes, but bring quarters; 12 will get you a washer, 12 more a dryer, and 5, soap. Altogether one load will cost $7.25. It probably would have been more expedient to bring extra underwear.
All the major Thanksgiving football games made it to Dream on the huge screen with booming sound.
I couldn’t face mass made turkey, so the Chef’s Steak House got the nod. This is a $30 alternate dining site high on the top deck. It is lovely. To start, I had the best ahi tartar I’ve ever tasted. I asked the chef to send five pounds of it to my cabin. He didn’t. The steaks looked incredible, but, remembering my rack of lamb, I chose lobster. The Steak House is well worth the asking price.
From there, tryptophan deprived, to the lonely cabin. By the way, the thing about traveling alone is I can have any combination of anything without someone going “arrrrrgh.” For instance, for breakfast I’ve had eggs over-easy with two slices of cheese on top, and, on top of the cheese, a dollop of peanut butter.
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River Cruising 2012: Bigger & Better Ships, New Destinations
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Few industries have experienced the kind of growth that has characterized river cruising. There’s good reason: River cruising is a great way to see interior Europe.
Companies like AmaWaterways and Uniworld are moving along with their newbuilds.
Part of the reason for the success of river cruising lies in its ability to transport guests to areas that would be inaccessible to ordinary deep-ocean cruise ships. And unlike land-based tours, which often involve multiple motorcoach rides and hotel changes, river cruising allows passengers to unpack once, yet enjoy a multitude of fascinating ports. Every night, you return to the same ship, mingle with the same friends, and sleep in the same bed. River cruising is like a land tour coupled with the convenience of a traditional cruise.
European river cruises are by far the most popular. The rich mix of culture and history resonates strongly with passengers, who find themselves returning to “The Old World” year after year.
For those unsure about where to begin, theme cruises help to highlight some of the most fascinating times and places to visit, from spring Tulip Time cruises that explore the natural beauty of the Netherlands to the popular Christmas Markets voyages.
For many, a Europe under snow is a breathtaking way to spend the holidays with friends and family. A European river cruise also offers an astonishing array of river cruise ships.
Operating the line’s Imperial Jewels of China, Roof of the World and China’s Cultural Delights itineraries, these 12-to-17-day cruisetours offer guests the best of both worlds: a six-day river cruise along the famed Yangtze coupled with a land-based tour of Asia. Days are filled with the exploration of some of China’s most impressive sights, including a visit to the legendary Terra Cotta Army; a stop at a local night market in Xian; a fully guided monastery tour in Lhasa; a trip to Shanghai’s famous Bund, and of course, visits to the Great Wall of China and Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Guests will also be able to visit the school in Jingzhou, China that was set up expressly by Viking as a way to give back to the community. Enjoy a performance by the schoolchildren before returning to your ship and continuing your Yangtze adventure.
River cruising is also quickly gaining popularity in Russia, where ships ply the legendary Volga River. A true departure from the ordinary, these itineraries sail to places like Moscow, Uglich, Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg and offer passengers a tantalizing glimpse behind the former Iron Curtain into modern-day Russia. River cruises through Egypt have remained popular despite that country’s recent political unrest, with passengers drawn by the continuing allure of the Valley of the Kings. River cruising is also taking hold in Portugal, where smaller ships are uniquely suited to exploring the country’s Douro River, which winds through the legendary port wine-producing region known as the Douro River Valley.
With an unprecedented amount of ships, destinations and itineraries to choose from, travellers should ask themselves not why they should take a river cruise, but why they have waited so long to do so.
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Awesome Oasis of the Seas
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In December 2009, Royal Caribbean International introduced the world’s largest cruise ship: the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas.
Let’s start by getting the size factor out of the way. Yes, the ship is mammoth. It spans 16 decks, encompasses 220,000 gross registered tons, and if full, holds 6,200 guests. But as the bigwigs at Royal Caribbean tell us, the company has been here before – twice in fact.
No modern cruiser would bat an eye at a 3,114-passenger vessel, but that is the size of the Voyager of the Seas, which was the world’s largest cruise ship when it debuted in 1999, roused the same questions the Oasis did: Will it float? Will it fit into ports? Will it take half a day to get on and off?
It is natural to focus on Oasis’ size. We did so with Voyager and also when Royal introduced the 4,300-passenger Freedom of the Seas in 2006. But with the Oasis, its size is not the story behind this ship.
The Oasis has amenities never seen afloat before, such as a zip-line and a carousel, as well as the first moving bar at sea, which ascends from the ship’s Promenade area of indoor stores and cafes, to its Central Park, an open-air outdoor “park” with pathways, flower gardens and canopy trees that span the length of a football field.
A pool situated at the very back of the ship, the deepest at sea, is by night an outdoor amphitheater, hosting synchronized swimming and diving shows featuring Olympic athletes that jump from as high as 72 feet up. During the day guests can swim or take SCUBA lessons in the pool, or relax on loungers located on tiered platforms surrounding it. Speaking of pools, the Oasis has four of them. Two are made to feel like a beach with sloped entries you can walk into just as you would the ocean.
The Oasis revolutionized cruise ship accommodations, offering 37 different accommodation categories, and unique offerings such as duplex “loft suites” that have 18-foot windows looking on to the ocean. Other cabins have views of the line’s seven “neighborhoods” such as the aforementioned Central Park and also the Boardwalk, home to the Carousel and venues like a (fake) tattoo parlor.
In addition to Central Park, the “neighborhoods” include the Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone: 28,700-square-feet just for kids and teens with Kids Avenue, a central boulevard connecting various themed play areas; a nursery for infants and toddlers; a theater just for children.
All this give parents time to enjoy the adults-only retreat, the open-air Solarium. Adults have their own swimming pool and six whirlpools – four of them cantilevered 136 feet above the ocean. At night, the Solarium becomes an adults-only setting for specialty dining and outdoor dancing.
The Oasis’ itineraries – seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean – are certainly not original. It is true that there are few ports worldwide that could accommodate such ships. But the Oasis forced innovation at some of these ports, and will be a boon to all of them at a time when there is nary a destination that can’t use an influx of several thousand tourists each week.
In Fort Lauderdale, where the Oasis and its sister ship the Allure of the Seas homeport, Port Everglades built the world’s largest terminal for the Oasis ships. It is actually two separate terminals designed so that embarkation and debarkation can happen simultaneously, drastically saving time. The port has even said that its goal is to get passengers from curbside to the vessel in just 15 minutes.
Jamaica and Royal Caribbean worked together to create a new cruise port designed specifically for the two Oasis ships. Falmouth, which is also open to other cruise lines when Royal Caribbean isn’t there, is located 20 minutes from Montego Bay and 30 from Ocho Rios. It has been revitalized to reflect its heritage as an “old English town.” But construction delays forced Royal Caribbean to replace Falmouth with Costa Maya (Mexico) on the ship’s first 16 Western Caribbean sailings.
Anyone who hangs around with Royal Caribbean’s employees can feel a palpable enthusiasm. As the line’s chairman Richard Fain proclaimed: “It’s a good day in my neighborhood — all seven of them.”
From its Miami headquarters, Royal Caribbean continues to spread the word about its “Nation of Why Not?” campaign, which defines Royal Caribbean’s fleet as the ideal destination to declare independence from ordinary vacations. Clearly, “awesome” Oasis offers anything but an ordinary vacation.
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Norwegian Epic
Posted by: | CommentsBy the Avid Cruiser
With more than 20 different dining options and a host of choices when it comes to accommodation, entertainment and activities, the Norwegian Epic underlines what NCL is all about: Freestyle Cruising.
Here is a taste of what is being offered on board.
Some staterooms on board the Norwegian Epic feature curved walls. With the New Wave staterooms (available in two categories: balcony and deluxe balcony), NCL brings something new to cruising.
Another cruise industry first introduced on the Norwegian Epic are the Studios – designed and priced for solo travelers. Guests staying in the 97 square-foot Studios also have access to the two-story Studio Lounge. We were impressed by the studios. NCL executives on board told us the studios have “just walked out the door on their own,” without being heavily marketed.
Each of the eight, 322-square-foot Spa Suites come with private key card access to the Spa Stateroom complex. Guests also have access to the exclusive Courtyard pool and fitness area on board. These suites feature whirlpool tubs and a sitting area.
The Epic Club Lounge is available to guests staying in the suites, villas and penthouses found on two private decks (16 and 17). This corner of the ship is known as the Courtyard area.
Equipped with three water slides, a climbing wall and various other amenities on the top decks, the Norwegian Epic is sure to be a hit with anyone looking for a fun-filled vacation. According to reports from test pilots, the green water slide is the fastest of the three.
La Cucina is one of the 20 dining options found on board the Norwegian Epic. Nine of those restaurants – including the Italian-flavored La Cucina – feature a cover charge of between $10-25 per person. Cagney’s Steakhouse is another option, sure to be familiar with those who have previously cruised with NCL.
The Spiegel Tent is more than a dining venue: it combines dining and show, creating an experience for all senses. As acrobats performed during the Cirque Dreams and Dinner, guests almost forgot to eat.
There were more shows going on on board the Norwegian Epic. For the first time ever at sea, the Blue Man Group performed in the Epic Theatre. Blue Man is well known from The Tonight Show and from shows in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas and Orlando.
The Norwegian Epic was christened in New York on July 2, 2010 with the well-known country music artist Reba McEntire as godmother.
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