NCL names its new Chinese ship ‘Norwegian Joy’

Norwegian Cruise Line has revealed the English and Chinese names of its forthcoming ship, due to launch in Summer 2017.

The ship, originally to be named Norwegian Bliss, will now be named Norwegian Joy, which translates into Chinese as 喜悦号 (Xǐ Yuè Hào).

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio said: “After closely studying the Chinese cruise market for several years, we wanted to be clear about what we will deliver to our guests on this spectacular vessel. Norwegian Joy will provide the same sense of freedom and flexibility found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but with resort-style vacation experiences and amenities designed specifically with the Chinese guest in mind.”

The 3,900 passenger Breakaway Plus-class vessel, currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, will be designed specifically for the Chinese travel market. It will offer cuisine and on-board experiences that cater to the preferences of Chinese guests. There will be a range of international fine dining options, and luxury duty-free shopping at sea. The cruise line is also promising a “new range of first-at-sea activities” on-board.

Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Norwegian Cruise Line China, David Herrera, said: “Chinese guests will discover an unmatched quality of service, cuisine, entertainment and retail experience on-board Norwegian Joy that is simply not available in the China market today. With Norwegian Joy, we will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market.”

In addition to the ship name, Norwegian Cruise Line has also released a new Chinese name and logo exclusively for the mainland China market. The company’s name will be represented by characters 诺唯真 (Nuò Wéi Zhēn), which translates as “Promising, Exclusive and Authentic.”

Princess Cruises will also launch a ship built specifically for the Chinese market in 2017. The 143,000 gross-ton Majestic Princess – 盛世公主号 (Shèng Shì Gōng Zhǔ Haò) – will operate a short selection of European itineraries before repositioning to Shanghai. This year Royal Caribbean will launch Ovation of the Seas, its third Quantum-class ship that will be sent to Tianjin, China, in May.

Many cruise lines are racing to send ships to China although the market may not be as strong as first anticipated. Last week Carnival Cruise Line announced it was postponing its entry into the market from 2017 to early 2018. Carnival Miracle was scheduled to operate in China from Spring 2017 but will instead continue sailing itineraries to Hawaii and the Mexican Riviera for an extra year.

(Image credit to Norwegian Cruise Line)