Norwegian Escape Christened by Pitbull

Our boarding passes were printed, the bags were packed, and (boo!) we are still at home. A family emergency kept our car in the garage instead of making its way south to Miami to attend the naming ceremony and sail away for two nights on Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Escape.

Despite our absence, Norwegian’s largest ship—and the first in its Breakaway Plus Class—was christened yesterday on schedule in a ceremony worthy of her size and status as Miami’s newest and most glamorous cruise ship. Native Miamian and rap music sensation Pitbull, AKA Armando Christian Pérez, performed his Godfather duties by naming Norwegian Escape before ramping up the action in a pier side concert for guests at PortMiami. The ship’s stunning hull artwork served as the backdrop for the event. Its creator, Guy Harvey, also made a special guest appearance,

The festivities began with acrobatic Parkour performers defying gravity—with the help of hidden trampolines built into the stage—after which national radio personality Froggy from the “Elvis Duran Morning Show” took the reins as emcee, engaging the audience and introducing performers.

Guests were also treated to a sneak peak at the entertainment in store on board Norwegian Escape as the casts of Tony Award-winning Broadway shows “After Midnight” and “Million Dollar Quartet” performed a selection of songs from each respective show, before Pitbull brought the audience to their feet with his hottest hits, including “Don’t Stop the Party,” “Fireball” and “Give Me Everything”.

Pitbull in concert

DJ-led sing-alongs and a slideshow of themed guest photos snapped by roving photographers created an interactive event, where audience members quite literally became part of the show as photos of individual attendees holding signs customized with the place they’d choose to “Escape” were projected onto the jumbo screen on the main stage.

“Norwegian Escape represents a major moment for us—this is a true evolution of our brand,” said Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and chief operating officer. “Not only does she offer high caliber entertainment, quality dining and luxurious accommodations that significantly raise the bar for our fleet and puts her in a class of her own, but she exemplifies our renewed commitment to offering unparalleled freedom and flexibility to our guests.”

Norwegian Cruise Line really knows how to throw a party and we are sorry we had to miss it. One of these days we’ll make it on board for our very own “Escape” from everyday life and family emergencies.

Images Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line