She’s one hull of a boat.
Mammoth cruise liner Norwegian Epic become the largest ship ever to dock in New York early today, clearing the Verrazano Bridge by just 24 inches and dropping anchor at Pier 88 in Manhattan.
At 153,000 tons, Norwegian Cruise Line’s $1.2 billion vessel is second in size only to Royal Carribbean International’s 225,282-ton Oasis of the Seas, but the Epic boasts the largest spa, water park and casino at sea.
Its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, however, wasn’t without technical issues.
“Mechanics and staff were constantly working and repairing the ship while it was going,” said Robert Dalcin, 25, of Dallas, one of the 2,500 passengers. “In one lady’s room, there was a leak that flooded and sparked a fire on her curling iron. Her hair caught on fire and they gave her like a $300 haircut and tons of credit money to use.”
After an earlier fire broke out at the ship’s building yard in France, some construction details fell behind in order for the Epic to arrive in time to host Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks.
Luckily, Dalcin and travel buddy Austin O’Reilly didn’t get the short end of the stern. “We had a blast, we hit the casinos and the nightclub was badass,” O’Reilly said.
John Cullerton and Mercedes Rushgrov, of Newcastle, England also buoyed their spirits with some of the cruise’s offerings.
“We took free dance classes on salsa, meringue, and hip-hop,”
Cullerton boasted.
Kids aboard were especially entertained by the ship’s extravagance, playing on the water park’s three slides, a near full-size basketball court and ice-skating rink, a 33-foot climbing wall and a rappelling cliff.
The ship also features a 13,000-square-foot casino, mini-circus and glamorous shopping mall — complete with escalators — that revolves around the world’s biggest LED chandelier and a massive high-definition TV that spans one main wall. Tucked in a corner is a St. Petersburg-esque vodka ice bar, where patrons must don fur jackets and mittens to keep warm in the 17-degree atmosphere. Around another bend is a brick-walled jazz club with live music.
Norwegian’s CEO Kevin Sheehan, a Manhattan native and ex-cab driver, said he aimed to bring the “trendy, freestyle New York feel to the ship. People in general don’t want to be told what to do, so we found the right recipe to put things in the ship in the right places — to create your own trip.”