Next Norwegian Cruise Line ship will be Epic, sail in the Caribbean

[mercedes]

The largest and most innovative Norwegian Cruise Line ship ever built will be called . . . the Norwegian Epic.

That's the word today from top executives at NCL who announced new details about the much-awaited vessel in an online seminar for travel agents.

Executives also announced the 4,200-passenger ship -- already under construction in Europe (click HERE for exclusive construction photos) -- will sail in the Caribbean year-round after it debuts in the summer of 2010.

Following a series of inaugural events in Europe and the U.S., the Epic will home port in Miami and will sail alternating seven-day Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages through April 2011, the executives said.

As has been previously reported, the 150,000-ton Epic -- until now code-named F3 -- will break new ground for the line in both size and features. The ship will be around 60% larger than the NCL's biggest ships today and boast innovations such as curved-wall cabins and an ice bar.

NCL originally ordered two Epic-sized ships for delivery in 2010, but last month the line announced it had canceled one of the two orders with the shipyard, STX Europe. Epic now is the only NCL ship on order.

The Epic's Western Caribbean voyages will call in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. Eastern Caribbean voyages will stop in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

The line also announced it will begin taking bookings for the new ship later this spring, although travel agents will be able to block group space as early as March. The line did not release cabin prices.

[cruisingcats]

Carmen you beat me to the punch. I just recieved an email from NCL on this today and was going to post it. Did save the website so I can go back and look at pictures.

The website is http://epicncl.com if anyone is interested.