Epic Images

(From: www.meretmarine.com )

QE2 in Dubia

Some very recent images here from Chris’s nice web site:

www.chriscunard.com/qe2_qm2_dubai.html

Don’t worry about the net rumour that she is  being ‘dismantled’, it’s total rubbish!

Cruise show and My Next Cruise

Yesterday I went the the Daily Telegraph’s first ‘Cruise Show’ at London’s Excel. Personally I found it to be very disappointing. There were just a limited number of brochures on offer (my local Travel agent has more) and no good freebies such as DVDs and special brochures etc. RCI had one picture up of ‘Oasis’ and NCL did not even have a picture of ‘Epic’. There was no a ship model in sight.

You may recall me a while ago complaining that I was s a bit ‘credit crunched’ and a cruise for me was not on the cards. However I have recently been tempted with a few off-season bargains which I might be able to afford. I am in the process of tying to book somethinhg if the price and dates are right. Watch this space…

Cunard Queen Elizabeth Deck Plans Available

Deck plans of Queen Elizabeth are now available:

www.cunard.co.uk/ourships/default.asp?ship=QE

Although Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are essentially the same ship, there are some small differences.

From QV to QE, Hemisphere becomes The Yacht Club and The Winter Garden becomes The Garden Lounge. The glass roof of QE’s Winter Garden looks more attractive than QV’s – maybe it does not slide open? The Games Deck is forward on 11 Deck, which on QV was called ‘sports deck’ but was mainly used a sun deck, as far as I recall.

.
Deck 2 – on QE the Todd English space is labelled as an “alternative restaurant”, maybe there will be a change of brand? There’s no dedicated Champagne Bar on QE and no more Chart Room – in it’s place is the Britannia Club restaurant. It looks like the Champagne Bar will now be part of Cafe Carinthia. The location of the stairs inside the Britannia dining room is an interesting enhancement.

.
As for the redesigned aft of the ship: the aft suites appearing to have a smaller balcony and there are more cabins in the aft areas. From one additional cabin on Deck 5 to four on Deck 7. This means the tiered appearance of the QV is lost on the QE.

NCL Drop some ex-UK Cruises in 2010

It’s an NCL day, today: Norwegian Cruise Line will not offer ex-Southampton cruises in 2010, opting instead to base a ship in Venice. The line’s Norwegian Gem will sail two different seven-night itineraries out of the Italian port offering UK customers a 14-night back-to-back holiday.

Norwegian Jade, which was first based in Southampton last year having been moved from the line’s Hawaii-based NCL America fleet, will be based in Barcelona operating seven night cruises. Ex-UK cruises on Norwegian Jewel out of Dover will continue to the Baltic.

NCL said the decision was prompted by a desire to simplify the product, although agents suggested, although popular, revenues were not as high for ex-Southampton cruises as they would be for ex-Venice which has good air lift from the US.

(An article from TTG online)

Norwegian Epic, ‘Bedsits’ and ‘Suites’

Norwegian Epic will offer an expansive ‘ship within a ship’ complex with 60 suites and villas ringing a private Courtyard with its own restaurant, plus a new ‘Studio’ category of inside staterooms with access to a private lounge.

 

The Living Room

 

The suites and villas, by Sweden’s Tillberg Design, are positioned in a new forward location across two decks over the bridge, giving more privacy and big sea views. The Courtyard amenities are expanded beyond the pool and gym of past ships to include exclusive indoor and outdoor restaurants, a concierge lounge and a private lounge with bar within the complex.

.

 

Also new will be Norwegian Cruise Line’s first spa accommodations, providing free access to the Norwegian Epic spa’s thermal suite. And, for families, most of the ship’s connecting staterooms will be located in close proximity to NCL’s largest Kids Crew facility.

.

 

There will also be 128 Studios occupy two decks and come with use of the ‘Living Room’, a two-story shared private lounge with a concierge, bar, room service, two large TV screens and comfy seating for hanging out, reading a book or having a cocktail before dinner. The Living Room must be the only concierge lounge at sea dedicated to the most affordable accommodations category.

.

 

The Studios were designed by high-flying architect Paul Priestman, director of London’s Priestmangoode and known for his award-winning airplane, hotel and yacht designs. ‘The challenge was trying to appeal to a younger group but also trying to make an inside cabin more desirable,’ Priestman told Seatrade Insider.

.

These modern inside rooms measure just 100sq ft but maximize space with the bed doubling as settee, sliding closet doors and other clever design features. A large round window looks into the corridor, and lighting effects can be changed to reflect different times of the day or moods — one is a ‘love’ setting of warm colors.

.

The Studios are priced at the same level as the 128sq ft inside staterooms, giving the budget traveler a choice. ‘In this environment, it’s very timely to have choices for budget travelers,’ Stuart said.

.

 The specialized accommodations complement the ship’s New Wave staterooms announced last year. Norwegian Epic will have roughly three dozen categories, comparable to other vessels in the fleet.

.

 The ship is due for delivery from STX France in May 2010. Today, sales opened exclusively for travel agents with group bookings.

.

 

NCL plans another Norwegian Epic ‘big reveal’ at Cruise Lines International Association’s cruise3sixty conference in Fort Lauderdale next month.

.

 source: SeaTrade Insider

 

Malcolm Says: Studio cabin: So you get a ‘Bedsit’, with a corridor view, but a private lounge, the ‘Living Room’ (to share with 256 pax). However for the same fare  as a bigger inside cabin without a lounge. Which tempts you? I assume the Sudio will be popular with singles although there is no mention of single occupancy discount as yet.  The idea of ‘Garden Villa’s AND budget accomodate with a private lounge, on the same ship  is a novel one.  This makes the ’Living Room’ a bit like the SS Norways Patio, but without the freash air!

New Norwegian Epic Stateroom Images

It looks like the most innovative and attractive aspect of Norwegian Epic will be her cabins:

How the other half will live!

Nice!

Wow...who needs aTV?

Studio Steerage (see article above), a bit narrow at 100sq ft, but not too bad though. Notice the window to thr corridor and door (right side of the cabin) and seperate toilet, shower and sink.

Norwegian Epic Deck Plans at Last!

At long last NCL have issued deck plans:

http://epictoolkit.ncl.com/deck_plans/EpicDeckPlanSpread_031709.pdf

I can’t see much innovation from the deck plan, although a large section of deck 15 is still blank and labelled ‘Too Come’. After all, the press carried this sort of quote in the early stages of the TWO F3’s: “NCL had promised the ship would be unlike any other, with no main restaurant, no main show lounge and no Lido café”.

The ‘carbunkle’ on the front contains the kind of accommodation and facilities that I expected – not unlike an extended version of their existing ships ‘Countyard’ and Garden’ Villas.

 

Looking at the main decks, I counted 12 restaurants; with the largest being at the stern of decks 6/7 (double height, I assume). This number is in keeping with ‘freestyle’ concept on their existing newer ships. Deck 7 features the small ‘Ice Bar’ and the ‘Ultra Lounge’, with bowling alley.  There is a two level theatre at the bow of decks 5 and 6, but does not look that big considering the size of the ship. I assume there will be an alternative entertainment venue, still to be revealed on deck 15 (along with a Casino). I notice the medical centre is on deck ten, most ship have theirs in the bowels of the ship, sometimes below the fist passenger deck, on a crew deck.  Decks 11/12 have a small private lounge called the ‘Living Room’ (see text above, image below).  Deck 18 shows Halo, Uber Bar.

The Living Room

 

 So I only count two public lounges, the ‘Ultra Lounge’ and the small ‘Halo, Uber Bar’ (I’m not counting the ‘Living room’).  Maybe deck 15 will have more, but we are running out of room.  NCL obviously prefer their guest to be eating and drinking.

Funny, I see a ‘main’ restaurant and ‘main’ theatre?

I notice that decks 11/12 have six cabins across, is this a record?  The stern of the ship has ten cabins across (decks 8-13) lengthways.  Deck 13 has a bride viewing room, like the QM2’s I assume – I like these.  Deck 14 has a front facing restaurant, which should offer some great views.  The number of elevators is somewhat minimal too for such a big ship.

 

 

Cunard Queen Elizabeth

Games Deck

Britannia Dining Room

Garden Lounge

The Yacht Club

P&O’s Azura Interior Images

See her renderings here:

http://tinyurl.com/dz8lvn

Queen Elizabeth Interior Images Leaked!

Above are the details of the QE being on ‘general sale’.  A  web site has ‘leaked’ some renderings of the interiors early (offically it should be the 17th March):

http://tinyurl.com/cg8rwj

The interiors appear to be very similar if not almost identical to QV’s in places (Queen’s Room, Library, Grand Foyer etc.).

Only the Winter Garden looks particularly different to me. QV’s looks rather sparse in the flesh. Is that a bowling green I see – not ‘real Grass’, I assume?

QV and QE's Britannia dining rooms

At first the dining rooms look very different, but the QV’s dining room (image left) does have staircases too, but they are two spiral ones. The QE rendering (image right) is drawn from the opposite end.  The sculpture ‘thing’ is of course different.

 

 

 

Oasis of the Seas New Image

March 2009 image:

Who wins the beauty contest, Oasis or Epic? (It’s a no brainer)

Norwegian Epic Image Finally Revealed

Norwegian Cruise Line has at last unveiled the first images of its new 153,000-gross ton, 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic, the company’s largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date. Currently under construction at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, France, the contemporary, balcony-rich, 19-deck ship will be 1,068 feet long, 133 feet wide, with a draft of 28.5 feet when completed in May 2010.

.

So at long last NCL have confirmed those leaked images that I posted on here months ago. Yes, it’s really true, this is what shwe will look like:

Probably the Ugliest Cruise Ship Ever to be built from scratch?

I have higher hopes for what is on the inside!

I can’t argue with Veitch about the ships apperance.  She will make ‘Pride of American’ look like a Beauty Queen!  (But  ”Do looks Matter” – see my industry comment, menu right).  However, I do have high hopes for the interiors and the upgrade of the ‘Freestyle’ experience.  I am pleased to see NCL join the big two players, in the ultra-ship experince.

The Ice Bar