Norwegian Cruise Line announced the seasoned captains and senior officers who will serve on Norwegian Escape, the line’s newest and largest ship that will homeport in Miami year-round beginning in November 2015.
Captain Evans Hoyt, an experienced seafarer with more than 30 years at sea, will take the helm of Norwegian Escape upon delivery of the ship in Germany this October. Currently serving as Captain of Norwegian Breakaway, Captain Hoyt will be responsible for all aspects of the ship, her guests and crew. He joined Norwegian Cruise Line in 2005, and has served as Captain aboard four ships within the Norwegian fleet, including the U.S. flagged Pride of America. Born in Morocco, the son of a U.S. diplomat, he has lived in many different countries. Hoyt graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York in 1982. When Captain Hoyt is on holiday, Captain Gunnar Hammerin will take command of Norwegian Escape. Currently serving as Captain of Norwegian Pearl, Captain Hammerin began his nautical career more than 40 years ago serving in the Merchant Marine. He has more than 30 years of experience as a Captain, 20 of those years with Norwegian Cruise Line and Star Cruises.
Staff Captains Robert Lundberg and Preston Carnahan will be on board to introduce the vessel to guests during her very exciting inaugural season. As Staff Captains, they are second in command and report directly to Norwegian Escape’s Captain. They are responsible for the Deck Department and are versed in all of the responsibilities and duties of the Captain. The Staff Captains will also assist Norwegian Escape’s Captain with all operations, including being responsible for the safety of guests, crew, the ship and the environment. Originally from Sweden, Lundberg joined Norwegian in 2006 and since has served as Chief Officer on Norwegian Breakaway and Staff Captain on board Norwegian Getaway. Hailing from Texas, Carnahan joined the company in 2003 and has held positions on several ships, including Norwegian Pearl and Pride of America. He currently serves as Staff Captain on Norwegian Epic.
Zoran Posa will launch Norwegian Escape in the position of Chief Engineer and when on holiday will be relieved by Edin Huskanovic. The Chief Engineer has full responsibility of the entire technical operation of the ship, plays a key role on the ship’s senior management team and works closely with the Staff Captain and Hotel Director. Posa, who is from Croatia, has been a member of the Norwegian team since 2002 and has spent the majority of his time working on board Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Sky, and most recently as Chief Engineer on Norwegian Breakaway. Huskanovic, from Sweden, joined Norwegian in 2001, holding positions on Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn. He currently serves as Chief Engineer on Norwegian Jade.
Sean Wurmhoeringer will serve as Norwegian Escape’s Hotel Director. Sean began his career at Norwegian in 2002 on board Norwegian Sun and has since held a variety of positions on numerous ships in Norwegian’s fleet. As Hotel Director, he has led teams on several ships, including Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway and most recently, Norwegian Getaway, where he led the hotel team that successfully launched and delivered the ship in 2014. He is from Salzburg, Austria.
Cruise Director Julie Valeriote will lead Norwegian Escape’s entertainment team. Valeriote, who hails from Canada, joined Norwegian in 1999 and has led entertainment teams on Norwegian Epic, where she was also part of the ship’s inaugural team, and most recently launched Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, where she has cultivated a strong following of guests who admire her unending enthusiasm and positive energy.
Norwegian Escape
Currently being built at Meyer Werft in Germany, Norwegian Escape will sail weekly 7-night cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on November 14, 2015. The 164.600 gross ton ship will be the largest ever to home port year-round in Miami, carrying 4.200 guests to tropical Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas. Norwegian Escape’s signature hull artwork is designed by marine wildlife artist and champion of ocean conservation, Guy Harvey.
Norwegian Escape’s dining and entertainment will include outposts of several popular land-based outlets, including the first-ever floating Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant and 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, a music venue and outdoor bar on The Waterfront that will feature live nightly performances. James Beard Award-Winning Iron Chef Jose Garces will have two concepts on board, a Latin seafood speciality restaurant and Pincho Tapas Bar, while Miami-based The Pubbelly Restaurant Group will develop the menu for the Food Republic, an upscale food emporium. The District Brew House, a hip, urban craft beer hall featuring an exclusive partnership with Miami’s own Wynwood Brewing Company, will serve up more than 24 draft beers while The Cellars, A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar, features an array of immersive wine experiences, focusing on tasting, education, and the enjoyment of wine. Norwegian Escape will also feature Miami’s oldest and most legendary bar, Tobacco Road.
Continuing with Norwegian’s commitment to excellence in entertainment, Norwegian Escape will feature two Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals headlining in the Escape Theater: After Midnight, the smash-hit musical that combines the big-band songs of Duke Ellington and the best dancing from Broadway; and Million Dollar Quartet, the smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. In a new concept exclusive to Norwegian Escape, the Supper Club has been re-imagined for an unforgettable dinner and show. For The Record: Dear John Hughes is a critically acclaimed Hollywood night that celebrates classic soundtracks of motion picture masters in a one-of-a kind 360° post-modern cabaret.
The ship will feature the largest ropes course at sea, a three-storey multiplex of heart-pounding challenges complete with two planks and five Sky Rails, zip tracks that allow guests to soar through the air. Norwegian Escape’s Aqua Park will be the largest at sea and includes a new Aqua Racer slide, while the expansive sports complex boasts a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle miniature golf course. Adding to the family fun, Norwegian Escape will also feature an expanded Kids’ Aqua Park; entertainment from Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids; along with the line’s first dedicated nursery for young cruisers two and under.
Accommodation includes the company’s signature luxury ship–within-a-ship complex: The Haven by Norwegian; along with Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers; and many options for families, multi-generational groups, spa enthusiasts and more.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is an internationally operating cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida with two offices in Wiesbaden and London overseeing operations in Europe.
Founded in 1966, Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the introduction of Freestyle Cruising which revolutionized the industry by giving guests more freedom and flexibility. Today, Norwegian invites guests to “Cruise Like a Norwegian” on one of 13 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed cruise holiday on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea. In August 2014, the line was named “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the seventh consecutive year, as well as in October 2014, for the second consecutive year, “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” by the World Travel Awards. In addition the company has received the World Travel Award as “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” from 2012 to 2014.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest Freestyle Cruising ship to date, Norwegian Epic, debuted in June 2010 and, in the United States, has been named “Best Overall Cruise Ship” by the readers of Travel Weekly two years in a row and “Best Ship for Sea Days” by Cruise Critic. The Company recently took delivery of its most innovative ship to date, the 4.000-passenger Norwegian Getaway in the first quarter of 2014. The largest ship to homeport year-round in Miami, Norwegian Getaway boasts 28 dining venues, including seafood restaurant Ocean Blue by famed New York Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and a branch of Carlo’s Bake Shop by Buddy Valastro, star of the TLC series “Cake Boss”. The entertainment line-up includes Broadway shows Legally Blonde and Burn the Floor and the unique dining and magic venue, the Illusionarium. Known as New York’s ship, sister ship Norwegian Breakaway is the largest vessel to homeport year-round in the city. The Company has four 4.200-passenger vessels on order at Meyer Werft: Norwegian Escape with delivery scheduled in the autumn of 2015, Norwegian Bliss with delivery in the spring of 2017 and two further ships with delivery in the spring of 2018 and autumn of 2019.
Norwegian Cruise Line is the official cruise line of the Miami Dolphins/Sun Life Stadium, The New York Knicks and Legends in Concert; and the official cruise line partner of The GRAMMY Awards and is an official partner of the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall.
