Throwing Cruisers a Curve, NCL Introduces NEW WAVE STATEROOMS

NCL has come up with what is arguably the cruise industry’s most innovative living space at sea. Dubbed New Wave Staterooms, they are designed for NCL's next generation of Freestyle Cruising ships, F3. The New Wave standard, New Wave balcony and New Wave deluxe staterooms, described and illustrated in artists' renderings at CruiseDiva.com, represent a giant leap forward in cruise ship accommodations with a completely fresh take on bathroom design, contemporary curved architecture, and open living space.

The most distinctive design element in New Wave staterooms is the curved walls and lines that create a chic and modern look. NCL has maximized the living space with a totally unique "pod" bathroom that features a separate shower stall, separate water closet, and a modern vanity top sink. While we like the idea of not playing dueling doors in most old-style cabin entry areas where both closet and bathroom are located, we're not entirely sure we want to step out of the shower to dry off right in front of the cabin's door to the hallway. You never know when your cabinmate (or steward) might open the door and... oops... there you are! Could be quite interesting.

We like the stateroom furnishings, which feature a sophisticated earth-tone palette accented with splashes of color and rich, dark wood. Concealed contour LED lighting and back-lit domed ceilings set a relaxing vibe. All the amenities and comforts of NCL’s Freestyle 2.0 enhancements are included with upgraded bedding, linens and towels, Euro pillows, Elemis bathroom products, and MP3 connectivity upon request. Balcony and deluxe staterooms have bathrobes, a customized fruit menu, a fresh-baked cookie at turn down on the last night of cruise, an escort to the stateroom on embarkation day, priority restaurant reservation and reception hotlines and special color keycard for ship-wide recognition. We'd like to point out that cookies would be most appreciated every night, though.