It might win the award for ugliest ship of the decade, but I do like the sound of the additional restaurants Norwegian Cruise Line is planning for new ship Norwegian Epic, revealed last Friday, along with details of an aqua park, abseiling wall and big kids club.
There will be 14 places to eat on the ship, launching next July, including NCL favourites such as Cagney's Steakhouse, which will be serving skewered meats a la Argentina for the first time, the Teppanyaki Grill and an Italian farmhouse-style eatery....
...but also new places such as Shanghai's for Chinese food and Taste (pictured below), in the atrium, for traditional and contemporary cuisine. Exactly what that is, I have no idea, but I'm guessing European stuff, to go with the Euro retro-style decor.
For those who can't sit still, not even to eat, there is the Manhattan Room supper club with a big dance floor and live music so diners can strut their stuff between courses. Gives me indigestion just thinking about it, but I know it's popular and the room is apparently elegant and romantic.
More me is the abseiling wall - I'm terrified of heights, but I've always wanted to try abseiling - and the Epic Plunge water slide. Haven't a clue what it's all about but I get the idea it's the mother of all water slides at sea!
Epic will also have a 33-foot high extreme rock-climbing wall, a 24-foot tall climbing cage, and bowling alleys in the Bliss Ultra Lounge and O'Sheehan's Neighborhood (sic) Bar and Grill, another new eatery, with flat screens that will show sports events.
If all that's not enough to keep kids occupied, they can spend their days in Recess, for the two to 12s, with Wii games, karaoke, a cinema and more, or Entourage for teens ages up to 17, where there are video games by day and places to hang out in the evening.
There's more information about another restaurant and three new bars on Epic to be revealed May 20 in New York. Then that's it. All the news is out; we just have to wait for the STX Europe shipyard in France to build the ship.
It's Epic stuff. And now I know why the powers that be at NCL choose that name for the ship.
Jane Archer
