Norwegian Cruise Line Unveils Name of Newest Ship

In a ceremony yesterday at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, Norwegian Cruise Line marked the start of construction of its newest ship, Norwegian Encore, which is set to start sailing in the fall of 2019.

Encore, which will officially be delivered on Oct. 31, 2019, will enter service as another one of Norwegian’s Breakaway-Plus Class ships, joining Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Joy, and Norwegian Bliss. It will be the fourth and final of the Breakaway-Plus ships, and the line’s seventeenth ship in total.

“Norwegian Encore will be the ultimate Breakaway-Plus Class vessel and we are thrilled to celebrate the start of construction for this incredible new ship,” Andy Stuart, President and CEO for Norwegian Cruise Line, said during the ceremony.

“Over 50 years ago, the Norwegian brand began creating unforgettable vacation moments with the first inter-island cruise in the Caribbean from Miami. We continue building on our legacy of innovation with this brand-new, state-of-the-art vessel, which is perfect for exploring the natural beauty of some of the most remarkable islands in the world.”

While there is little known about the ship’s hardware — in a statement, Norwegian said the ship will “pair innovative design and modern luxurious décor with an array of options”— the cruise line has announced that the ship will debut at 167,800 gross tons and will be able to accommodate about 4,000 guests.

It will open its inaugural season sailing weekly seven-day Caribbean cruises from Miami. Bookings for Encore will begin in March 2018.

Andy Stuart and team at the steelcutting ceremony.