German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has handed over Norwegian Encore, a 169,245 GT newbuild, to the USA-based cruise company Norwegian Cruise Line.
The delivery ceremony took place in Bremerhaven on October 30, 2019, and followed extensive testing of all machinery and systems, sea trials and crew training.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: We’ve officially taken delivery of our newest ship. Join us in welcoming #NorwegianEncore to our fleet! Follow us for exclusive coverage through christening. Let the inaugural season begin. ? #CruiseNorwegian pic.twitter.com/uVMBNpfUC5
— Cruise Norwegian (@CruiseNorwegian) October 30, 2019
Being the third vessel delivered by Meyer Werft in 2019, Norwegian Encore has a length of nearly 1,100 feet and a passenger capacity of 3,998 persons.
“Norwegian Encore is the third cruise ship we deliver in 2019. I am proud and thankful for the contribution of our employees and partners”, Tim Meyer, Managing Director of Meyer Werft, commented on the occasion.
This environmentally-friendly ship features the electric pod propulsion drive and improved hydrodynamics, as well as energy-saving systems such as heat recovery or extensive water cleaning systems. The exhaust gas from energy-efficient engines is cleaned in a special scrubber system.
Once it debuts, the newbuild will be the first ship in the NCL’s fleet to be plastic bottle free. By January 1, 2020, Norwegian Cruise Line will be the first major cruise line to eliminate plastic bottles across its entire fleet.
The ship will be christened in Miami by Kelly Clarkson, an American singer, on November 21, 2019. Three days later, Norwegian Encore will commence seven-day voyages to the Caribbean.
Norwegian Encore will also offer voyages to Bermuda, and Canada and New England itineraries from New York City beginning April 2020, as well as voyages to the Western Caribbean from Miami beginning December 2020. In the spring of 2021, it will make its West Coast debut and sail to Alaska from Seattle.