Norwegian Cruise Line is bringing new ship Norwegian Epic to Europe for summer 2011.
The 4,200-passenger ship will be sailing 22 seven-day cruises from Barcelona between May and October, visiting Livorno, for Florence and Pisa, Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, Naples and Palma de Mallorca in Spain.
It replaces Norwegian Jade, which is offering a similar itinerary this year, but additionally calling at Monaco.
Prices for the new Epic cruises will not be available until the third week in March, when NCL’s 2011 brochure is launched, but agents can register their clients for specific departures.
NCL UK general manager Stephen Park said the cruise line has seen huge growth in demand for its flycruises from Venice on Norwegian Gem and Barcelona on Norwegian Jade this year.
He said: “Europe generally is showing great growth and we believe the Mediterranean in 2011 offers the best opportunity for Norwegian Epic. It’s an exciting ship, so different, and we believe there will be a lot of demand.”
Park said British passengers will be offered the choice of embarking the ship in Barcelona on Sunday or in Palma on Saturday, which allows them to combine a cruise with a land-based holiday on the island.
He expects up to 25% of passengers on each sailing to be from the UK, with just over 50% from the US, but added there will be dates, as is happening now with Norwegian Gem, when there are more Europeans than Americans.
Park would not discuss other summer 2011 deployment in Europe, but confirmed NCL will still be offering cruises from Venice and from Dover to the Baltic next summer.
Some 2,500 agents will get the chance to see Norwegian Epic on a two-night cruise from Southampton in June. The ship then relocates to the US and will be spending summer and winter 2010/11 cruising the Caribbean from Miami.