Norwegian Reveals Project Breakaway Accommodations

Norwegian Cruise Line has released the first details of its two ships that are part of Project Breakaway, the next generation of Freestyle Cruising vessels. Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s CEO, presented the designs to more than 1,000 travel agents attending Vacation.com’s annual conference in Las Vegas last month.\

“The overall design theme for Project Breakaway’s staterooms is modern boutique hotel meets the sea,” Sheehan said. “We strongly considered the overall needs of our guests when designing these staterooms and wanted them to be greeted with an ambience that is warm and inviting and has a very contemporary feel with clean, modern lines.”

Sheehan added that the company wanted to maximize the use of space within the staterooms and ensure ample storage room.

“Ultimately, our goal is to achieve a really good balance of form and function,” he said, “a well-designed, beautiful, comfortable and sensible living space.”

The Project Breakaway name focuses on the opportunity for the guest to break away from the routine of work, school and daily stress, and find a true respite at sea. The plan is to take the best features from all of Norwegian’s existing ships, drawing on the line’s experience of launching 10 newbuilds in the past 10 years, starting with Norwegian Star and Sun in 2001 and culminating with the launch of Norwegian Epic in 2010.

Scheduled for delivery in April 2013 and April 2014, each ship will have approximately 4,000 passenger berths. Project Breakaway ships will each have 1,024 balcony staterooms and 238 mini-suites.

Norwegian commissioned design group Priestmangoode of the U.K., working in conjunction with Tillberg Design of Sweden, to create the staterooms. Priestmangoode was the firm that designed the line’s very successful Studio staterooms on Norwegian Epic, purpose-built for solo travelers.

Project Breakaway staterooms combine the form and function of the line’s Jewel class ships’ staterooms with Norwegian Epic’s modern and contemporary design.

Each balcony stateroom has a king-size bed (that can be separated) with a pillow top mattress set against a chestnut leather headboard, cushioned and tufted to make reading and sitting in bed more comfortable. There is a convenient lighted recess above the bed to hold books, magazines, tablet computers or electronic reading devices. Each room has a sofa bed with additional storage.

A 26-inch, flat-screen television is mounted on the wall and tilts so it can be seen from the sofa or the bed. Underneath the television is another recessed nook to hold cruise information, books and magazines. There is also a vanity area with shelving and lots of storage space. LED lighting surrounds the perimeter of the ceiling to give the room warmth. Each stateroom has a full-size closet that is easily accessible with sliding doors. The staterooms are energy efficient, utilizing key card access to control lighting in the room.

The balcony bathroom has a contemporary, clean design, ensuring more generous and comfortable space. There are multiple rich-wood shelving areas to help reduce clutter and keep everything within easy reach for guests. There is an enclosed vanity underneath the sink that hides the trash bin, along with more storage. The built-in sink is generous in size and has an easy-to-use faucet. A private shower with a shaving bar completes the room. Project Runway bathrooms will be fully enclosed, a change from the controversial design on Norwegian Epic.

The mini-suites are roomier versions of the balcony staterooms with larger, more luxurious bathrooms that incorporate a modern double sink with two faucets and a mosaic glass tile backsplash. There are open and enclosed storage spaces under the sink. The bathroom also features an oversized spa-like shower with a rain showerhead and multiple body spray jets, along with a separate handheld showerhead.

Norwegian promises more details on the two new vessels later this year. Additionally, the cruise line recently partnered with USA Today to launch a contest to name Norwegian's Project Breakaway ships. 

The Details