Norwegian Pearl
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| File:Nowegian Pearl.jpg The Norwegian Pearl during her final stages of construction in Papenburg, Germany | |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Norwegian Pearl |
| Owner: | Norwegian Cruise Line |
| Operator: | Norwegian Cruise Line |
| Port of registry: | Nassau, Template:BHS |
| Builder: | Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany |
| Laid down: | 3 October 2005 |
| Launched: | 15 October 2006 |
| In service: | 30 November 2006 |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Jewel Class cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 93,530 gross tons |
| Length: | 965 ft (294.13 m) |
| Beam: | 106 ft (32.31 m) |
| Draft: | 27 ft (8.23 m) |
| Decks: | 15 |
| Speed: | 25 knots |
| Capacity: | 2394 passengers |
| Crew: | 1100 crew |
Norwegian Pearl is a Jewel class cruise ship of Norwegian Cruise Line, launched in 2006, sailing itineraries primarily around Alaska and the Caribbean.
History
Construction began October 3, 2005, and the Norwegian Pearl was floated out of the Meyer Werft Shipyard covered building dock on October 15, 2006. She then spent a couple of days in Holland where workers and their families could spend some time on board.
On November 30, the ship stopped in Southampton, England, to celebrate her entry into service. She made her first voyage with paying passengers on December 2, from Southampton to Miami, Florida, where the ship was based for her first season. Rosie O'Donnell is Norwegian Pearl's godmother. The christening ceremony took place in Miami's Port of Miami on December 16, 2006.[1]
The first attempt of the ship's passage under a power line on the Ems River in Germany is claimed to have been the source for the massive power outage that affected first Germany and then all of Europe on late November 4, 2006.[2]
As with the rest of NCL's fleet, Norwegian Pearl utilizes the "Freestyle" cruising concept, which allows guest to dine in any number of restaurants, in casual attire, at times of their own choosing.
Vessel class
Norwegian Pearl is the third of NCL's four Jewel Class ships. She was preceded by Norwegian Jewel in 2005, and Pride of Hawaii (now Norwegian Jade) in 2006. She was followed by Norwegian Gem in 2007. Each ship has unique amenities, but has a similar exterior and interior design.
Norwegian Pearl has a similar exterior appearance to NCL's Libra Class ships; the Norwegian Star, which entered service in 2001, and the Norwegian Dawn, which entered service in 2002. The interior design and amenities, however, are significantly different and merit Norwegian Pearl a Jewel Class designation.[3]
Amenities
As with her sister vessels, Norwegian Pearl has a variety of restaurants, bars, entertainment and activity areas. Some of her more distinctive amenities include:
- Spinnaker Lounge
- Bliss Ultra Lounge, a bowling alley/sports bar/night club complex
- Courtyard Villas that include a private-access courtyard with pool, hot tub, exercise room, sundeck, cabanas, and more.
- Two 4,390-square-foot (408 m2) Garden Villas complete with three separate bedrooms, private garden with hot tub, and access to a private courtyard with pool.
- The ship also houses 12 bars and lounges including the Stardust Theater.
- Over 10 Restaurants Including:
- Summer Palace- The more traditionally upscale one of two main restaurants
- Lotus Garden- Asian/Teppanyaki- Hibachi-Style Asian/Sushi/Sashimi Bar (with cover charge)
- Le Bistro- French Cuisine (with cover charge)
- La Cucina- Italian Cuisine (with cover charge)
- Blue Lagoon- 24-Hour food court
- Mambos- Latin/Tapas Cuisine (with cover charge)
- Indigo- The more modern or contemporary of the main restaurants
- Cagney's- Steakhouse (with cover charge)
- Garden Cafe- Open Buffet Style
- The Great Outdoors - Open Air Buffet Style at the stern of the ship immediately adjoining the Garden Cafe
- Sky High Grill- Barbecue Style (without cover charge)
- Kid's Club
Current cruises
Norwegian Pearl sails Caribbean cruises out of Miami, and Alaska cruises out of Seattle depending on the time of year. The ship has Panamax dimensions, which make it possible for her to transit the Panama Canal while repositioning between the two ports.
References
- ↑ http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_102706
- ↑ "Bid to overhaul Europe power grid". BBC News. November 5, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6117880.stm. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ↑ "Building Boom Ushers in New Class System". Cruise Travel. Jan 01, 2001. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-69057387.html. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
External links
| Norwegian Pearl
]]- Norwegian Cruise Line page for Norwegian Pearl
- Meyer Werft
- Pictures and menus from Norwegian Pearl - April 2008
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