By
Rebecca Gibson |
Meyer Werft laid the keel for Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Breakaway Plus-class ship Norwegian Encore at its yard in Papenburg, Germany on 28 November.
To commemorate the construction milestone, executives from Norwegian and Meyer Werft embedded coins in the first keel block. The shipyard’s team will now finish assembling the ship’s superstructure and complete interior outfitting before delivering her to the cruise line in 2019.
"We are honoured to celebrate the construction milestone and keel laying of Norwegian Encore, another ship of the brand’s fleet built by Meyer Werft during the long-term relationship with Norwegian Cruise Line,” said Stephan Schmees, project manager and member of the board for Meyer Werft. “We look forward to delivering this incredible ship in autumn 2019 and showcasing the technology and innovation made in Germany."
Ceremony attendees were also able to watch actors perform a song from Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots, which Norwegian revealed will be the headline theatre show onboard Norwegian Encore. Other theatre productions on Norwegian Encore will include The Choir of Man, which recently debuted on Norwegian Escape, and Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical the interactive cocktails and theatre show.
“Norwegian Encore’s keel laying ceremony was not only special because we crossed a key construction milestone, but because we celebrated the incredible partnership we have had with the Meyer Werft team – a team of talented individuals who have built some of our most innovative ships,” said Andy Stuart, president and CEO of Norwegian. “Today’s surprise ‘Kinky Boots’ performance showcases the evolution of the meaningful and unforgettable experiences we are dedicated to providing our guests. We are very excited to be the first to feature this award-winning musical at sea.”
Norwegian Encore will also boast several other recreational activity spaces. They will include an open-air laser tag arena; an aqua park with two multi-storey waterslides; a 10,000-square-feet indoor virtual reality complex known as Galaxy Pavilion, which will enable guests to enjoy multisensory virtual experiences, interactive games, simulators and an escape room. The ship will also have a two-level go-kart race track that extends up to 13 feet over the sea in four places and also has a central viewing area where other guests can use laser beams to provide passing go-karts with an additional turbo boost.