It’s not too late to get in on a Trans Atlantic repositioning cruise for 2013. Norwegian Cruise Line offers two ships, both leaving Europe in October, destined for Miami, Florida. NCL has a unique way of packaging the product. You can opt for a barebones journey that is extremely affordable but makes few stops. Or, you can add a week on the front and/or back end of the Trans Atlantic trip to create the ultimate vacation.
The two ships we’ll look at today are the Norwegian Star and Norwegian Epic. Each ship is as different as the itineraries they offer. All prices shown are from Expedia and should be used as reference only. Pricing and availability can change without notice. Prices are per person, double occupancy.
The barebones Trans Atlantic repositioning cruise on board the Star is a thirteen night journey between October 1 and October 13. The ship embarks from Copenhagen, Denmark and arrives in Miami, Florida, making one port call along the way in Ponta Delgada, Portugal. This cruise can be very affordable with interior staterooms still available for $449. Even a balcony room can be had for under $1,000 and a suite goes for the low price of $1,349.
There is a 24 night option that adds a North Atlantic cruise on the front end. The ship leaves from Copenhagen on September 19 and makes stops in Norway, England, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Sweden. Pricing for this option ranges from $1,939 for an interior stateroom to $5,299 for a suite.
The 26 night option loads the additional time on the end of the cruise that starts on October 1. Once the ship reaches Miami, it then continues through the Caribbean, making a stop in Colombia before transiting the Panama Canal. Once in the Pacific, the Star makes four stops in Mexico before finishing up in Los Angeles, California on October 27. This option is actually coming in cheaper than the 24 night option, rangin from $1,939 for an interior stateroom up to $4,599 for a suite.
The ultimate package adds onto the start of the 24 night option for a 33 night cruise. The Star leaves Copenhagen on September 10 for the Baltic, making stops in Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden. Pricing for this option ranges from $3,094 for an interior stateroom to $7,169 for a suite.
The Ship
The Norwegian Star is a Dawn Class ship that entered service in 2001. She was built by Meyer Werft and has a gross tonnage of 91,740. The ship is 294 metres or 965 feet long and has 15 decks. The Star has a capacity for 2,348 passengers and 1,083 crew members.
The Epic is based out of the Mediterranean for the summer months and leaves Barcelona, Spain on October 20 for the barebones 13 night cruise across the Atlantic, also ending up in Miami on November 2. The ship makes two port calls, one on either side of the Ocean. The first stop is at Funchal on Madeira Island in Portugal. The second stop is at Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. Pricing for this cruise ranges from $599 for an interior room to $1,149 for a suite.
Options with the Epic are not as wide ranging as the Star, with add-ons limited to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The ultimate package is the 27 night cruise that starts on October 13 and arrives in Miami on November 9. The ship makes stops in Italy, France and Spain before leaving the Mediterranean. The Epic then makes Caribbean port calls at Sint Maarten, St. Thomas and Nassau, Bahamas. Pricing for this option ranges from $1,879 for an interior stateroom to $3,289 for a suite.
There are several other combinations based on the 27 night cruise. There are options to board the Epic at different ports along the initial Mediterranean portion, reducing the time at sea and, with it, the price. The alternate embarking ports offered are Rome, Italy; Marseille, France or Barcelona, Spain.
The Ship
The Norwegian Epic is currently the world’s third largest cruise ship, behind Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. She was built by STX France (Chantiers de L’Atlantique) in Saint Nazaire, France.
Epic has been in service since 2009 and has a massive gross tonnage of 155,873. The ship is nearly 33 metres long, or 1,081 feet. There are 19 passenger decks and the boat has a capacity for 4,100 passengers and 1,708 crew members.
Norwegian Cruise Line
NCL began operations in 1966 as Norwegian Cruise Line, a low cost company serving just cruises to the Caribbean. In the beginning, there was just one ship, the Sunward. Currently, there are 12 ships in the NCL fleet with a 13th (Norwegian Getaway) slated to enter service in 2014.
Interested in Booking?
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