Norwegian Escape is a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, in service since October 2015. She was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, in just 17 months.

Design and description

Norwegian Escape is a Breakaway Plus-class cruise ship, which also includes Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss, and Norwegian Encore, built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg for Norwegian Cruise Line. The vessel entered service in October 2015.

The name of the ship was selected in a contest on USA Today. In 2014, Guy Harvey was chosen to paint the hull art.

The first section was launched on 5 December 2014. A second section was launched 21 February 2015. Norwegian Escape was floated out of Meyer Werft's building hall on 15 August 2015, with sea trials beginning on 16 September. She was officially delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line on 22 October.

Areas of operation

Upon completion, the ship undertook a series of short preview sailings from Hamburg and Southampton. Escape departed Southampton on 29 October 2015 for her inaugural transatlantic crossing to her slated homeport of Miami, where the ship regularly cruised to the Caribbean.

In the summer of 2019, the Escape repositioned to the New York Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan, and has been sailing seven-day voyages to Bermuda and will cruise along the New England coast, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick in the fall. She will return to Miami for the winter of 2019 and resume cruising to the Caribbean.