NCL Escape

Now that the ship has been named......next question is her home port. I had heard speculation that the Epic might head for Europe permanently and the Escape would fill her slot in the US. It was suggested that Europeans had less issues with the Epics design (bathrooms) than Americans.

Since the Escape is due out in October of 2015....could she do a southern crossing into Florida?

I missed the Breakaways crossing......but have booked the Getaway for a Sept 2014 cruise. Now interested in the Escape.......wonder where she will sail. Gee, if the new Panama canal locks are up and running, maybe Escape will do a canal crossing.........just a thought.:rolleyes:

I think the west coast could be a good place to look into.

I don't think NCL Will invest in a new ship for the west coast.. Maybe send the GEM or Dawn there.. I would say the New ship will either home port in Florida or Texas depending on how the Jewel does ... Im Hoping for a ship to homeport Back in Port Canveral..

I could imagine the Escape and Bliss will be put into Miami to do Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries which would free up Getaway to homeport elsewhere

I hope NCL will alternate itineraries on both vessels so B2Bs are easier

Norwegian Getaway is being purpose-built for the home-port of Miami with her Latin themes. The ice bar will have Miami inspiration and so will her dining room. I don't think she's leaving Miami. If anything the Breakaway Plus class will join her for year-round sailings from Miami but might end up diversifying their itineraries and going to the Western Caribbean and Getaway keeping the Eastern.

If Epic goes to Europe permanently which I can see happening then I think Escape may wind up taking over a year-round Western Caribbean run. This leaves speculation as to what home port the other Breakaway Plus ship will have. I'm sure at some point in 2015 or not much farther beyond NCL will announce they're putting a ship into another market they don't serve right now. My bets on Asia so by sending a ship there it will give them another market opening here for which to base a new ship in the winter and in the summer have her do Med cruises or maybe NCL will make a splash and send the new ship to the new market?! :cool:

I don't think NCL Will invest in a new ship for the west coast.. Maybe send the GEM or Dawn there.. I would say the New ship will either home port in Florida or Texas depending on how the Jewel does ... Im Hoping for a ship to homeport Back in Port Canveral..

With all these mega-ships in the winter months taking up so much pier space in FLL and MIA, I wouldn't be surprised if Port Canaveral gets another ship in the winter months only from NCL. It is a possibility but if Houston works out then maybe not. :cool:

With all these mega-ships in the winter months taking up so much pier space in FLL and MIA, I wouldn't be surprised if Port Canaveral gets another ship in the winter months only from NCL. It is a possibility but if Houston works out then maybe not. :cool:

there was a post on here a few days ago the Port Canaveral Were in talks with the 3 big cruise lines if they would come they would build 2 more piers, docks whatever you wanna call them.. and Ive also heard Tampa wants to build another on the other side of the bay so the Bridge wouldnt be a factor

there was a post on here a few days ago the Port Canaveral Were in talks with the 3 big cruise lines if they would come they would build 2 more piers, docks whatever you wanna call them.. and Ive also heard Tampa wants to build another on the other side of the bay so the Bridge wouldnt be a factor

For a Western Caribbean home port it would make sense to use Tampa. It would be more fuel efficient then going around the tip of Florida and the keys to Miami. I hope you get a ship back in your home port though! Speculation is going again about Boston losing the Bermuda run but this happens every year... :cool:

For a Western Caribbean home port it would make sense to use Tampa. It would be more fuel efficient then going around the tip of Florida and the keys to Miami. I hope you get a ship back in your home port though! Speculation is going again about Boston losing the Bermuda run but this happens every year... :cool:

i would love a costa maya grand cayman key west and GSC cruise.. just saying...

For a Western Caribbean home port it would make sense to use Tampa. It would be more fuel efficient then going around the tip of Florida and the keys to Miami. I hope you get a ship back in your home port though! Speculation is going again about Boston losing the Bermuda run but this happens every year... :cool:

Massachusetts Port Authority announced Wednesday (11/8/2007) that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and the Government of Bermuda signed a 10-year agreement to continue cruises from Boston to Bermuda. The agreement calls for NCL to continue to be the exclusive cruise line to sail from Boston to Bermuda

we have three cruises to take until the Escape, we have plans to jump on when its ready

Massachusetts Port Authority announced Wednesday (11/8/2007) that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and the Government of Bermuda signed a 10-year agreement to continue cruises from Boston to Bermuda. The agreement calls for NCL to continue to be the exclusive cruise line to sail from Boston to Bermuda

This is good, because every trip from Boston is full. Many cruisers keep rebooking Boston to Bermuda often.

I wish that Boston could open up to more homeport oportunities.

Id like to see it year round out of San Francisco

Just built a nice new cruise terminal;)

This is good, because every trip from Boston is full. Many cruisers keep rebooking Boston to Bermuda often.

 

I wish that Boston could open up to more homeport oportunities.

I agree-would be fantastic if Boston had more cruise opportunities!!

How about a 2 ship back-to-back?

Run Escape from SanFran to Hawaii, for a transfer to POA.

Pickup the people from last week's POA & return them home to SanFran.

That would be fun. Casino on the way there, islands, then casino back. :)

Stephen

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My guess is that Escape will home port in Miami and do the same old Eastern Caribbean run. NCL is way to predictable on this. They love to innovate their new ships but never think to be innovative with their itineraries.

The cruise consultant on the BA indicated last month that it looked like NCL would be expanding, perhaps in 2015, but surely by 2017 to go to Australia and/or asia.

Run Escape from SanFran to Hawaii, for a transfer to POA.

Pickup the people from last week's POA & return them home to SanFran.

Great thought, but the capacities don't match. :eek:

(kidding) But, a Pacific Coast to Hawaii is a nice idea.

Itineraries for ESCAPE?? Good question.

At first I assume, she offers a Transatlantic from Southampton to the US east coast (Miami or NYC), and maybe before some short inaugural cruises...

I could imagine that she sails the 7-night-Western-Caribbean cruises that currently EPIC offers, or she replaces GEM out of NYC, that NCL has two mega-ships out of NYC! :D

I think ESCPAE would be too large for the Panama Canal...

Id like to see it year round out of San Francisco

 

Just built a nice new cruise terminal;)

I am guessing that is very unlikely; certainly not a brand new ship. Regardless, I just hope NCL adds some new ports.

By 2015 the Panama Canal Expansion ought to be done. Escape would fit within the new locks with room to spare. The real question is if she'd fit under the Bridge of the Americas. I recall Breakaway having a relatively low air draft for a ship her size, but I don't know what the extra decks on Escape will bump the new air draft up to.

Dawn was initially built specifically for the NYC market, but it wasn't too long before she was moved to other home ports. Maybe not in 2015, but it's almost inevitable that she'll be moved elsewhere during her time with NCL.

There are a variety of people who believe that NCL won't ever be deployed in large numbers to Asia for fear that they'd compete with Star Cruises on their home turf. The fact that Star recently ordered a new ship from Meyer Werft with suspiciously similar dimensions to NCL's Breakaway/Escape Class for their market seems to support that.

 

There are a variety of people who believe that NCL won't ever be deployed in large numbers to Asia for fear that they'd compete with Star Cruises on their home turf. The fact that Star recently ordered a new ship from Meyer Werft with suspiciously similar dimensions to NCL's Breakaway/Escape Class for their market seems to support that.

Except that Star Cruises aren't really cruises as we understand them. They're more like floating casinos...

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Itineraries for ESCAPE?? Good question.

At first I assume, she offers a Transatlantic from Southampton to the US east coast (Miami or NYC), and maybe before some short inaugural cruises...

I could imagine that she sails the 7-night-Western-Caribbean cruises that currently EPIC offers, or she replaces GEM out of NYC, that NCL has two mega-ships out of NYC! :D

 

I think ESCPAE would be too large for the Panama Canal...

All of NCL's new ships are too large for the Panama Canal, including the Epic. It's not that they won't fit, it's because Panama will not allow ships with overhanging lifeboats to go through the canal. All of NCL's new ships from the Epic on have overhanging lifeboats, where their older ships have the lifeboats tucked in.

Floating casinos and shopping malls are exactly what they want there. The newbuild Star has at Meyer Werft is essentially going to be a Breakaway Class with much larger shopping and gambling venues, thus making it perfectly suited for the Asian market. NCL would be foolish to send similar ships, but more suited to American and European tastes, to compete with their fellow Gentings subsidiary on their home turf.

The idea that ships with "overhanging lifeboats" can't transit the canal is fallacy. If there are any obstructions that block the view from the bridge, assuming they clear the sides and other nearby structures of the locks, they can pass through. I believe this has been done for other cruise ships in the past.

This is good, because every trip from Boston is full. Many cruisers keep rebooking Boston to Bermuda often.

 

I wish that Boston could open up to more homeport oportunities.

What more itineraries (besides Bermuda & Canada) could be done out of Boston? Maybe Bahamas and Florida but that's already done out of NYC and don't think the demand for that is high enough.

I would also love to cruise out of Boston more but I'd pass on going to the Bahamas from here!