Spotted: “Cruising with the Whales” to Grace Norwegian Bliss

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has revealed that the artwork named “Cruising with the Whales” will adorn the hull of its new cruise ship, Norwegian Bliss, which will start cruising to Alaska in June 2018.

The artwork features an image of a mother humpback whale and her calf as the centerpiece of the design and aims at representing “the beauty of Alaska and the importance of conservation.“

The Norwegian Bliss, which will make its debut in Seattle, is the third ship in the line’s Breakaway-Plus class. In addition, it is the first cruise ship custom-built for the Alaskan region.

At approximately 167,800 gross tons and accommodating 4,000 guests, the Norwegian Bliss will be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Scheduled for delivery in spring 2018, the new ship will sail weekly seven-day Alaska cruises, featuring calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia, along with glacier cruising.

In October 2015, the company took delivery of the first ship in the Breakaway-Plus class, the Norwegian Escape. The sister vessel of the Norwegian Escape and second ship in the same class, the Norwegian Joy, is expected to be delivered in spring of 2017, according to Meyer Werft.

NCL has another Breakaway-Pluss class ship on order at Meyer Werft, which is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2019.