Norwegian Escape is a new cruise ship being built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). It will be the first ship in the Project Breakaway Plus series and the biggest cruise ship in NCL's fleet.

Norwegian Escape will be home-ported in Miami and is expected to embark on its seven-day maiden voyage in November 2015 to Eastern Caribbean, sailing through Tortola, the British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Construction of NCL's biggest cruise ship

NCL signed a €1.4bn contract with Meyer Werft in October 2012 for the construction of two Breakaway Plus class cruise ships. The vessels were christened Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss in October 2013.

The total construction cost of Norwegian Escape is approximately €700m, which was arranged by KfW IPEX-Bank of Germany in the form of export credit financing.

The vessel's construction began at the Meyer Werft shipyard in March and the keel laying ceremony was held in September 2014. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in October 2015.

Technical specifications of the Breakaway Plus cruise ship

Norwegian Escape will have an overall length of 324m, a width of 41.4m and gross tonnage of 164,600t.

Marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey will design the signature hull artwork of NCL's latest addition, which will feature underwater scenes of marine wildlife.

Accommodation facilities on-board the Meyer Werft-built ship

The new cruise ship is designed to provide accommodation for 4,200 guests and will feature a range of accommodation, including The Haven by Norwegian, Mini-Suites, Balcony and Oceanview staterooms, as well as Inside and Studio staterooms.

Located on decks 17 and 18, The Haven by Norwegian will feature 95 luxurious suites. Accommodation options include The Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite, The Haven Owner's Suite, The Haven Two-Bedroom Family Villa, The Haven Courtyard Penthouse and The Haven Deluxe Spa Suite.

The four Haven Deluxe Owner's Suites will offer more than 1,300ft² of luxury space housing a living room with dining area, spacious marble flooring master bedroom, a bedroom with attached bath, wet bar and two spacious balconies.

Four Owner's Suites, each of 572ft² area, will be furnished with a king-size bed and an option for additional bedding for two, as well as feature a large balcony.

The 25 two-bedroom Family Villas of 540ft² each will provide accommodation for up to six guests in its two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, with a provision for a single sofa bed and a pullman bed to accommodate two additional guests. The suites will have floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies offering panoramic views of the sea.

The Haven Courtyard Penthouses will include 22 penthouses in the Haven and 14 aft-facing and 12 forward-facing Penthouses on additional decks for accommodating up to three to four guests.

The 14 Haven Spa suites will provide easy access to the Mandara Spa and fitness centre, as well as complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suite during regular spa hours. The Deluxe Spa Suite and the regular spa suite will provide accommodation for up to three and two guests respectively.

The 308 Mini-Suites will each feature a king-size bed with an option for additional accommodation. The 20 Spa Mini-Suites will have similar facilities to The Haven Spa Suite. The 40 Family Mini-Suites are located near the kids' area and each feature a king-size bed, a sofa bed and the option for a pullman bed.

The 1,168 Balcony Staterooms will be categorised into Spa Balcony, Aft-Facing Balcony, Family Balcony, Large Balcony, Mid-Ship Balcony and Balcony. The 172 Family Balconies are ideal for guests travelling with children.

The 114 Oceanview staterooms will include 48 Family Oceanview staterooms to accommodate up to five guests per room. Each room will feature large windows offering picturesque ocean views and two convertible lower beds with an option for two pullmans in some suites.

The 407 Inside staterooms will connect to the interior corridor and will feature two lower convertible beds, plus an option for two additional pullman beds.

Solo travellers will be accommodated in 82 studios with access to the private Studio Lounge. Each room will feature private keycard access, a full-size bed and a 100m² area for toilet, sink and shower.

Entertainment and recreational facilities

The most popular features of the ship will be The Waterfront and the 678 Ocean Place, featuring restaurants, bars and entertainment and gaming zones. An exclusive feature of the ship will be its portrait studio, which allows guests to take professional photographs.

Deck 8 will feature The Waterfront, which will offer an ocean-front boardwalk lined with restaurants and bars, as well as shops coupled with three extensive decks featuring dining, bars, entertainment, gaming zones and much more. The 678 Ocean Place atrium will connect The Waterfront's outdoor spaces with dining venues.

At the centre of the three-story open atrium will be an attractive LED chandelier. The atrium will be accessible to all three decks and the floating glass staircase that connects all levels of the ship.

The Escape Casino on deck 7 will feature the Skyline Bar, 357 of the latest slot machines and 28 gaming tables for guests to play poker, blackjack, roulette and craps.

Restaurants and bars on-board the cruise ship

The ship will offer a variety of dining options including the Private Room at Taste, which will be located beneath the main Taste restaurant on deck 5.

La Cucina will offer Italian cuisine, allowing guests to choose to dine al fresco on the outdoor patio at The Waterfront or at the interior terrace venue. The Brazilian-style steakhouse, Moderno Churrascaria, will offer indoor and outdoor dining at The Waterfront, while the Cagney's Steakhouse will serve steakhouse favourites.

Located between the two, Prime Meridian will offer guests with signature cocktails and a relaxing, serene environment. The Waterfront will also house Dolce Gelato serving delightful frozen treats.

Other new features include the 24/7 operated, O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill sports bar and restaurant, which will serve American favourites and exclusive specialty dishes at nights giving gusts an alternative casual and relaxed dining venue featuring a giant two-storey screen for watching sports and movies.

On deck 7, the Manhattan Room will feature a two-story, aft dining room with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows lined with mirrored accents and glamourous lighting. The aft of deck 6 will house a Mixx Bar, which will offer pre and post-dinner cocktails.

Norwegian Escape will also house Miami's oldest and legendary bar, Tobacco Road, on-board in 678 Ocean Place. Other options will include the Teppanyaki restaurant, which will showcase exhibition-style Japanese cuisine and Le Bistro, a French restaurant.

Deck 6 will feature a two-story video wall, as well as the Bar at The Atrium with The Shore Excursion Desk, internet café and an art gallery located near the atrium. Three meeting rooms and a multi-purpose room, which can be used as a card room and library, will also be located on deck 6.

Norwegian Escape cruise ship's engine and propulsion

Norwegian Escape will be powered by five MAN V48/60CR-type engines, which provide a total output of 76,800kW. The engines feature a common-rail injection system that increases performance by reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

A total of 19 transformers, comprising four propulsion transformers with a capacity of 11,250kVA each and four distribution transformers with an output of 2,500kVA, will be supplied by ABB. The remaining 11 550kVA and 2,500kVA transformers will be fitted in different parts of the cruise ship.

ABB will also supply azipods, converters, switchgears and motors for the cruise ship.

The vessel will be fitted with five scrubbers from Green Tech Marine for cost-effective exhaust gas cleaning.