Norwegian Cruise Line continues with its phased-in return to service, with Norwegian Epic becoming the fourth ship in the fleet to resume operations. The vessel restarted out of Barcelona, Spain, on September 5.
Norwegian Epic Restarts Operations
The cruise ship, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, became the fourth in the fleet to restart operations and the second in the fleet to resume in Europe.
Norwegian Epic departed the Port of Barcelona, Spain, on September 5, and this is the first time the ship has started cruises from the city since November 2019.
Norwegian Epic departed on a seven-night Mediterranean voyage that includes calls at Livorno, Italy; Civitavecchia, Italy; Naples, Italy; Cagliari, Sardinia, and Palma De Mallorca Spain.
The vessel will return to its homeport on September 12. The vessel will continue to sail seven-night cruises in the Mediterranean through October 24, 2021.
The first revenue sailing follows a test cruise that departed Barcelona on August 31. This is an important step in ensuring the ship is ready for passengers and refining its protocols to ensure official sailings are well protected.
Norwegian Cruise Line has gone above and beyond with its protocols by only accepting fully vaccinated guests. All crew members onboard are also fully vaccinated, and that’s the case across the entire fleet.
Also Read: Must-Know Things About the Norwegian Epic Cruise Ship
This will also be the first time guests will get to enjoy the newly refurbished Norwegian Epic.
The ship underwent a dry dock in Marseille, France at the end of 2020 and as part of the upgrade which resulted in 75 reimagined and upgraded suites. There is also a redesigned Haven restaurant and Haven Courtyard Pool and Sundeck.
The NCL cruise ship entered service in 2010 and is 155,873 gross tons with a guest capacity of 4,100 along with 1,724 international crew members.
NCL’s Comeback!
The cruise line has been showcasing its cruise comeback with the ‘EMBARK’ series taking viewers behind the scenes in planning and preparation as cruise ships make a return. The next episode will premier on September 9, and it will focus on Norwegian Jade’s resumption.
Norwegian Jade became the first ship in the fleet to resume operations following more than 500 days of suspension. The vessel restarted out of Athens, Greece, on July 25 and currently sailing seven-day itineraries to the Greek Isles.
Following the Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Getaway will be the third to restart in Europe on September 13; the vessel will homeport out of Civitavecchia in Italy and sail a mix of 10 to 11-day Greek Isles itineraries through October 25, 2021.
Worth Reading: Which Norwegian Cruise Line Ships Have Restarted?
For the US, Norwegian Encore became the first in the fleet to resume sailings to Alaska out of Seattle on August 7. Norwegian Gem also resumed sailings from PortMiami, Florida on August 15.
