Norwegian Cruise Line Names its Two Project America Ships
Newest Freestyle Cruising ship features eight restaurants
and unprecedented meeting facilities
Miami, May 19, 2003 - Norwegian Cruise Line
(NCL) today announced the names for its first two Project
America ships, which will begin sailing Hawaii inter-island
cruising next year. Project America 1 will be named "Pride
of America", reflecting the "Best of America"
theme on board. The line's second Project America ship, currently
sailing as Norwegian Sky, will be reflagged into the U.S.
registry, and will be renamed, "Pride of Aloha"
reflecting the strong Hawaii theme to be incorporated during
a complete refurbishment in September 2004. The ships will
sail under the company's new U.S. Flag brand - NCL
America sm- with 100 percent U.S. officers and crew.
Pride of America will be the
first new ocean-going passenger ship in nearly 50 years to
sail under the American flag. She will begin service in Hawaii
in July 2004, offering seven-night inter-island cruises round
trip from Honolulu.
The ship will feature the innovative attributes
of NCL's newest Freestyle Cruising fleet. She features eight
restaurants offering traditional dining experiences in two
main restaurants plus multiple alternative dining venues,
from formal to casual and 24-hour room service.
Pride of America has over 660
balcony staterooms, the broadest range of family-friendly
interconnecting cabins available at sea, state-of-the-art
entertainment venues, three pools, extensive children's facilities,
an abundance of spacious public rooms, and the largest dedicated
meeting facilities at sea. All inspired by the diverse regions
of America. The ship will also include several firsts for
NCL including a Conservatory, a new category of Family Suites,
a Tennis Court and an Art Gallery.
"As the first new ocean-going ship to hoist
the Stars and Stripes in nearly 50 years, Pride of America
has been designed to reflect many diverse parts of the country,"
said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL. "From an
Alaskan Gold Rush Pub to a New Orleans' Mardi Gras Cabaret
Lounge to a Hawaii-themed Aloha Café and Waikiki Bar,
passengers will be able to experience the flavor of the U.S.
while enjoying the Aloha Spirit of the Hawaii crew on board."
A Star Spangled Lineup of Culinary Options
Pride of America offers the flexibility of eight
restaurants and nine different menus every night. Guests can
choose from two main restaurants and an array of alternative
gourmet, ethnic, and casual eateries, including:
-
Skyline Restaurant - Main restaurant, located
on deck 5; inspired by the architecture and skyscrapers
of the 1930's and offering a traditional dining experience;
accommodates 628;
-
Liberty Restaurant - Second main restaurant,
located on Deck 6; a classical design from Colonial days
featuring the Founding Fathers and large paintings depicting
important moments in American History. Offering a traditional
dining experience and accommodates 496;
-
Lone Star Steak House - Located on Deck
6; a modern, upscale steak house featuring a Texan décor
with art of the Houston Space Center, Texas Rangers and
Dallas Cowboys. Serving a choice of certified Angus Beef
ä, veal, pork, lamb, seafood and grilled chicken;
accommodates 106;
-
China Town - Located on Deck 5; a taste
of Asia: an elegant Pacific Rim/Asian Fusion restaurant;
featuring a sushi and sashimi bar and a Teppanyaki room
with two tables accommodating a total of 32 and offering
an interactive Japanese dining experience where food is
prepared in front of guests;
-
Jefferson's Bistro - Located on Deck 5;
NCL's signature restaurant featuring an a la carte menu
of nouvelle and classic French cuisine; inspired by Thomas
Jefferson's home in Monticello; Jefferson was the US Ambassador
to France from 1785-1789 before becoming America's third
President; accommodates 104;
-
Cadillac Diner - Located on Deck 6; a 24-hour,
1950's style diner featuring décor of '50's Rock
'n Roll stars complete with Cadillac seats and a video
juke box. Fare includes hamburgers, fish and chips, potpies
and wok fast dishes; accommodates 106 (70 indoor; 36 outdoor)
-
Little Italy - Located on Deck 11; a modern,
casual Italian eatery inspired by New York's Little Italy.
Serving pasta, pizza and other popular Italian fare; accommodates
116;
-
Aloha Café/Kids Café - Located
on Deck 11; indoor/outdoor buffet-styled eatery with a
Hawaii theme, outrigger canoes, Polynesian carvings and
traditional Hawaii artifacts. Features "food action
stations" including prepared-to-order omelets, waffles,
fruit, soups, ethnic specialties, and pasta; offers extensive
and varied selections; accommodates 322 indoor and 310
outdoor; includes a buffet for kids with small chairs
and tables; accommodates 48.
In addition, Pride of America will offer seven
lounges and bars including the Mardi Gras Cabaret Lounge -
the ship's nightclub, the Napa Wine Bar, Pink's Champagne
& Cigar Bar, John Adams Coffee Bar, Gold Rush Pub and
the outdoor pool bars - Key West Bar & Grill and the Waikiki
Bar.
A Vast Array of Accommodations
Pride of America offers an extensive choice
of cabins highlighted by an expansive Grand Suite, the broadest
range of family accommodations with more than 250 cabins that
interconnect, over 660 balcony cabins and a new concept for
NCL -- Family Suites.
The ship's Grand Suite offers 1,400 square feet
of living space at sea. Positioned high atop the vessel forward
of the main sundeck, the Grand Suite features sweeping views
of the ocean and an impressive assortment of amenities usually
found only at five-star land based resorts.
The Grand Suite features a large living room
with a state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen entertainment center
with remote controlled TV, a CD, stereo and DVD player as
well as a CD/DVD library, computer access with internet connection
and a wet bar. The suite features a dining room with a polished
teak table seating six and a private butler to serve meals
restaurant-style. The master bedroom features a king-size
bed, an en-suite bathroom with separate shower and Jacuzzi
bath, a dressing area with a flat screen TV and a large, walk-in
closet. There is also a separate powder room at the entrance
of the suite perfect for visitors.
The luxuries extend to the outer deck, where
guests find a large, wrap around veranda. Suite occupants
and their guests can enjoy open-air dining, a Jacuzzi designed
to hold up to six people, and completely private areas for
sunbathing and relaxing designed to entertain up to 50 people.
Pride of America also features five 870 square
feet Owner's suites, which are named after indigenous flowers
in Hawaii - the Bird of Paradise, Hibiscus, Gardenia, Orchid
and Plumeria; six Deluxe Penthouse suites at 735 square feet,
and 28 Penthouse Suites ranging in size from 504-585 square
feet. Each of these suites offer a bedroom with a king-size
bed and walk-in closet, a bathroom, separate shower with a
Jacuzzi bath, dressing area and flat screen TV as well as
a separate living room that features a state of the art Bang
& Olufsen entertainment center, a TV with a DVD player
and a CD/DVD library. Computer access with Internet connection
is offered as well.
The ship also features a unique new style of
accommodations and another family-friendly innovation from
NCL - the Family Suites. Eight 360 square feet family suites
feature a living room with a double sofa bed and entertainment
center, separate den with a single sofa bed and a private
bedroom with two twin beds that can be combined for a queen-size
bed. Four additional family suites measuring 330-380 square
feet feature two interconnecting cabins that can sleep up
to eight people. The larger of the two cabins is an oversize,
outside cabin with two single beds that can be combined for
a queen-size bed; a sitting area with a double sofa bed. This
cabin interconnects with another outside cabin that features
two single beds and two upper berths. These eight-person family
suites feature two separate bathrooms.
Amenities to be Proud of
Pride of America's All-American theme extends
to the ship's spacious public areas. The heart of the ship,
the Capitol Atrium, is inspired by the Capitol Building and
White House and will feature a decorative stone floor, impressive
water feature and a stunning backlit glass dome. The Soho
Art Gallery will feature original works of art and the Newbury
Street Shopping area is inspired by early 1900s New England
shops. There is a Conservatory, a first for NCL, with a tropical
landscaped garden and live exotic birds, as well as the Washington
Library and the ship's Hollywood Theater, which accommodates
872 and has large, golden statues adorning the walls.
The ship features the latest in relaxation and
fitness facilities with the Santa Fe Spa and Fitness Center.
Decorated with artifacts from New Mexico with authentic plants,
the Spa will be a tranquil area making use of natural elements
such as stone and wood. Hawaii-based Mandara Spa, the world's
leading operator of landside resort spas, will operate the
spa pampering NCL guests with an exotic menu of spa and beauty
treatments combining the best of East and West. The Santa
Fe Fitness Center boasts state-of-the-art Cybex exercise equipment
and Lifefitness cardiovascular machines, each with their own
flat screen TVs, an aerobics room offering high/low impact
aerobics, yoga, power walking and belly busters classes. The
center also features invigorating saunas and steam room and
a relaxation area.
The Sports Deck contains a basketball, volleyball
and soccer court. The large South Beach sunning and swimming
area is inspired by Miami's Art Deco district and features
some novel distractions and activities capturing the energy
and fun of Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road.
The ship is particularly family-friendly and
features the Rascal's Kids Center and Kid's Pool, a supervised
facility for children designed around a theme of native animals
of America.
The Largest Dedicated Meeting Facilities
at Sea
Pride of America and Pride of Aloha will provide
the best meetings and conference facilities at sea. The ships
are a unique opportunity for meeting planners with three,
four and seven day cruises available every week of the year.
Planners can book a full week's cruise or alternatively book
a three or four day cruise with the option to combine the
cruise with a hotel stay to accommodate a variety of meeting
lengths.
And as the only U.S. flagged ships sailing the
Hawaii islands and visiting only U.S. ports, conferences and
meetings on board NCL America ships qualify for both corporate
and individual tax deductibility for meetings expenses.
Pride of America's meeting facilities will feature
six dedicated meeting rooms ranging in size from boardrooms
for 10 people to an auditorium that can accommodate over 250
guests.
Five of the meeting rooms -- the Hawaii Room,
the Oahu Room, the Kauai Room, Molokai room and the Maui Room
- can be used individually or combined with others. The Diamond
Head Auditorium is a multi-level, circular room that boasts
a state-of-the-art audiovisual system that lowers from the
ceiling and can be viewed by all participants with it multiple
screens. The auditorium also splits into two amphitheatre-like
presentation rooms.
The conference area features a business center,
a separate large gathering and break area and the Lanai Bar
and Lounge, perfect as another break area, for private one-on-one
meetings or for group cocktail parties.
Pride of America will also feature Wi Fi capability,
which is also available on each of NCL's existing ships fleet
wide. Guests can visit the Internet Center on Deck 6 to obtain
an Internet access card if they have brought their own laptops
with them, or rent a laptop with wireless Internet capabilities.
Pride of Aloha to Begin Sailing in October
2004
Pride of Aloha, currently Norwegian Sky, is
a modern 2,002-passenger ship that was the first NCL ship
to offer Freestyle Cruising when the program was introduced
in 2000. Reflagged into the U.S. register, she will be 100
percent U.S. crewed and will begin her Hawaii service in October
2004, offering three- and four-night inter-island cruises
round trip from Honolulu. The company will announce detailed
plans of the redesign for the ship in the next few months.
Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is an international
cruise company and industry innovator. NCL is the leader in
round-trip seven-day cruising from US and Canadian ports,
offering its popular Homeland Cruising program seasonally
from Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, New Orleans, Philadelphia,
Orlando (Port Canaveral), San Juan, Seattle and Vancouver,
and year round from New York, Miami, Houston and Honolulu.
For further information on NCL, agents in the US and Canada
may contact NCL at (800) 327-7030; visit NCL's website at
www.ncl.com or on AOL at
keyword: NCL; or to download high-resolution photography visit
www.ncl.com/hires.
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