When the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway debuts in 2013, she will be homeported in New York City with a hull painted by New York icon Peter Max, revealed Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan at a recent press conference.
“I’m just waiting to see which version they choose,” said Max, who gave Norwegian four options.
It is the first time the line had asked a well-known artist to create one of the designs that appear on the hulls of the line’s ships.
“Since Norwegian Breakaway will be making her home in New York, we felt it was fitting to ask the artist best associated with New York, Mr. Peter Max, to paint the ship’s hull,” Sheehan said. “I am a huge fan of his work and know that the art he creates for Norwegian Breakaway will make the ship instantly recognizable.”
With paintings on exhibition in hundreds of museums and galleries worldwide, Peter Max is as well known for his pleasing, unassuming personality as his stunning career, which includes brilliantly colorful paintings of six U.S. presidents, a huge mural for the 2002 Winter Olympics, a unique exterior painting on a Boeing 777 jumbo jet and the covers of Verizon’s New York City yellow and white pages. He has also been designated Official Artist of six Grammy Awards, five Super Bowls, the World Cup USA, The World Series, the United Nations Earth Summit and more.
Max called Breakaway his largest canvas ever.
“I am so excited to be painting the hull of Norwegian Breakaway for Norwegian Cruise Line,” he said. “I love painting large canvases. I’ve painted a plane and a stage for Woodstock, but never a ship. I love ships and have traveled on them many times in my life. To see my artwork floating on Norwegian Breakaway out at sea will be a dream come true.”
Norwegian Breakaway was named as an opportunity for the Norwegian guest to “break away” from the routine of work, school and daily stress. Breakaway and sister ship Norwegian Getaway (which debuts in 2014) will showcase the best features of the existing fleet, with 10 ships having been launched in the past 10 years.
Breakaway’s books are open for the ship’s initial New York to Bermuda cruises.
The Details
Norwegian Cruise Linewww.ncl.com/breakaway
