New Norwegian ship to be based in Miami

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 4,000-passenger ship Norwegian Getaway is to be based in Miami.

The vessel will become the largest cruise ship to home port year-round in Miami when it embarks on weekly cruises in 2014.

Norwegian said it will announce the 144,000 gross ton ship’s inaugural itineraries and on-sale dates later this year.

Norwegian Getaway’s sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, is due to start sailing from its year-round home port of New York City in May 2013.

Norwegian currently has three ships sailing seasonally from Miami, including Norwegian Epic, the line’s largest vessel carrying more than 4,100 passengers.

Norwegian Sky has been sailing three and four-day itineraries to the Bahamas year-round from Miami since 2007.

Being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, Norwegian Getaway is scheduled for delivery in spring 2014.

The line’s chief executive Kevin Sheehan said: “Miami has been the home of this company since our beginning in 1966. Therefore, we are so excited to bring one of our two new Breakaway-class ships here to Miami to home port year-round.

“Norwegian Getaway will embrace all that the magic city has to offer and will offer an extraordinary cruise experience to the more than 4,000 guests who will sail on her each week beginning in spring 2014.”

Miami port director Bill Johnson said: “Norwegian vessels will generate more than one million passenger moves annually through the port once Norwegian Getaway arrives, contributing an estimated $500,000,000 each year to Florida’s economy.

“Norwegian Getaway alone is expected to generate 450,000 passenger moves each year.”