Norwegian Cruise Line has announced the English and Chinese name of its first ever purpose-built ship for the Chinese cruise market. The second Breakaway Plus class vessel is named Norwegian Joy, in Chinese it will be named 喜悦号 (Xǐ Yuè Hào). The name Norwegian Joy emphasizes the experience that the ship will offer — 尽享喜悦 海上乐园, a promise that guests will ‘Experience Paradise on the Sea’.
The second Breakaway Plus class ship will be the same as Norwegian Escape which entered service for the cruise line at the end of last year. Norwegian Joy will be built just for China to help NCL cater for the region in the best possible way. Norwegian Cruise Line has consulted with Chinese partners to bring a great cruising experience to China.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio said:
“After closely studying the Chinese cruise market for several years, we wanted to be clear about what we will deliver to our guests on this spectacular vessel. Norwegian Joy will provide the same sense of freedom and flexibility found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but with resort-style vacation experiences and amenities designed specifically with the Chinese guest in mind.”
It also comes at no surprise that the English and Chinese names will be featured on the ship’s hull. This follows a new trend of western cruise lines now pushing towards China with a Chinese name also being seen. Norwegian Joy will also be supported by new NCL offices opening up in Beijing and Shanghai.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director of China, David Herrera said:
“Chinese guests will discover an unmatched quality of service, cuisine, entertainment and retail experience onboard Norwegian Joy that is simply not available in the China market today. With Norwegian Joy, we will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market.”
Norwegian Joy will carry 3,900 passengers and will look similar to the Norwegian Escape at 164,600 gross tons. The large vessel is being constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and will debut in China during Summer 2017. The ship was previously known as Norwegian Bliss but the cruise line changed plans for a purpose-built ship for China so also decided to change the name.
Norwegian Cruise Line will reveal further details including itineraries, homeport, accommodations, dining and entertainment over the coming months.
