Seriously, it all sounds very intriguing.

Ernie

From Seatrade Insider:
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Tantalizing tidbits about NCL’s F3
12/3/2008

NCL Corp. is keeping quiet about its 150,000gt F3 newbuilds for now. However, today at Seatrade Miami, president and ceo Colin Veitch tantalized the media with a few morsels of information.
The design will continue the most successful elements of Freestyle Cruising, including the exclusive Courtyard Villas, a concept that will be expanded, Veitch said.

Otherwise, the ships will have no main dining room, no theater, no Lido Café and be ‘without a traditional cruise ship cabin,’ he added.

Delivering from Aker Yards France in March and October 2010, the F3 newbuilds will add a total of 8,400 lower berths – which Veitch compared to delivering four Pride of Americas in six months. ‘So, the next two years are a time to get ready for this,’ Veitch said.

As earlier reported, an F3 team of executives is being assembled. It consists mainly of marketing and event promotion experts because this is ‘a product that needs to be explained in full, it’s so exciting,’ Veitch said. It is planned that evp Andy Stuart, currently leading NCL’s Freestyle 2.0 initiative, will take on leadership for the group.

[ 03-13-2008: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:
Ernie, have you seen the photos that someone posted on CC of the ship? If this is indeed it, I don't like it at all.

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...yuck

[ 03-13-2008: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

Greetings Ben.

[ 03-12-2008: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

quote:

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Originally posted by eroller:
Otherwise, the ships will have no main dining room, no theater, no Lido Café and be ‘without a traditional cruise ship cabin,’ he added. ’

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Yes Ernie very intriguing. The pax will probably sleep in giant dorms standing up in vertical sleeping-bags like Astronauts. There's obviously no room for a Theatre or lido café.

quote:

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:
Ernie, have you seen the photos that someone posted on CC of the ship?

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quote:

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Originally posted by eroller:
[...]
Otherwise, the ships will have no main dining room, no theater, no Lido Café and be ‘without a traditional cruise ship cabin,’ he added. [...]

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well if this is what the future of cruising is about..

memories come back to my mind when tourists invaded spain and other
mediterranean countries... Marbella at sea...

absolutely tasteless, i think i might go for a holiday
in my rowing boat...

please please please, when will they understand that not all is about the money..

sorry i'm a bit living in utopia..., i know

best regards
b. Joe

[ 03-12-2008: Message edited by: buddhaJoe ]

I realize most cruise executives are not interested in a ship's exterior apperance, and most passengers don't care if their ship is elegent and sleek looking on the exterior. BUT, when a would-be passenger picks up an NCL brochure and sees this thing verses the ships appearing on the RCL, CCL, or even Princess brochure--I promise you they'll start thinking exterior appearance matters again.

And yes, it is of course about money. Mind you that it is not only the 'evil' cruise line who benefits from that but MOSTLY the passengers who have to pay MUCH LESS for a cruise than ever (and in a way they get more than ever - e.g. balconies) - and if one puts that into perspective the exterior appearance is probably less relevant. (at least for most passengers)

Luckily these ships are NOT the ONLY future of cruising - one can EASILY avoid these large floating resorts if one wants to.

So. Now we can continue to bash the new NCL ship.

[ 03-12-2008: Message edited by: Ernst ]

[ 03-12-2008: Message edited by: Carlos Fernandez ]

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:
The 8,400 lower berths might bring some confusion, that number is for both ships. Each ship will have 4,200 lower berths, still a lot.

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It's a lot of berths for a 150,000 gt ship. The space ratio is 35.7 which is well below average of a new ship in this day and age.

By comparison GENESIS will have a space ratio of 40.7. I realize a space ratio doesn't tell the entire story, but regardless NCL's F3 will be a high density ship.

quote:

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:
Ernie, have you seen the photos that someone posted on CC of the ship? If this is indeed it, I don't like it at all.

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I haven't seen those. Thanks for the link.

Pretty darn hideous if I say so myself. I really think the executives at NCL decided 'why even bother to make the ship look streamlined'? They always turn out like boxes anyway so why not really design a box that floats! If this is their thinking then they have succeeded. From the exterior, this will truly be one of the most hideous designs ever conceived.

On the inside, I really think we are finally going to see a North American version of AIDA. Remember NCL owned AIDA for a while so they are very familiar with the concept and operation. With no formal restaurant and no main show lounge, I think we will see a "club ship" concept like AIDA with a lot of buffet restaurants and several different "entertainment hot spots". Perhaps one large venue with constant entertainment similar to AIDA. This will also enable NCL to staff the ship with far less crew. The cabins too will probably be AIDA style. Small but very functional and well thought out, and maybe with service only once per day (again like AIDA with no turndown).

It's obvious that two of the three ungainly decks above the bridge will be the expanded Garden Villa's. They will truly be a "ship within a ship" concept with enhanced facilities exclusive for these highest paying guests.

On a ship like this, I think the Garden Villas will be the only way to go. These guests will have a disproportionate ratio of deck space, lounge space, etc. while everyone else has to squeeze into what is left over. It's also likely that the only true traditional restaurant will be exclusive to Garden Villa guests, with the remainder of passengers lining up at buffets or paying extra for waiter service.

Of course I don't know any of this for certain, but time will tell!

Ernie

[ 03-13-2008: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

Hopefully the pictures are not the finalized. I recall different renderings of the CELEBRITY SOLSTICE existed during the design stage.

[ 03-13-2008: Message edited by: Waynaro ]

Well I have to say I am intrigued but concerned as Ernie points out she is very high density and there does not appear to be much open deck space for those sort of numbers.

However I suspect this is only an artisits impression of what might or could be, I doubt the real thing will look much like this, for instance there would not be enough balconies on this for there to be enough to meet their stated objectives in this regard.

quote:

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Originally posted by Waynaro:
But I think the funnel is too small
[ 03-13-2008: Message edited by: Waynaro ]

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She appears to have split funnels, side-by-side, as on numerous car ferries, etc.