Norwegian Cruise Line launched its newest ship Norwegian Escape to the UK market at an inaugural onboard event held in Southampton on October 28.

Norwegian Escape is the first ship in the company’s new Breakaway Plus Class, which it says signifies an evolution of Norwegian Cruise Line and brings to life the brand’s promise of freedom and flexibility.

To launch the 14th member of its fleet, Norwegian invited 500 travel partners and 2500 potential customers on board as part of its “Try Before you Buy” initiative. Norwegian also invited more than 150 media partners and more than 100 service providers to the celebration event. Among the guests were celebrities Helen Skelton and Louie Spence who formed part of the Escape Squad – a group of celebrities, bloggers and a travel partner to represent each element of the Freestyle Cruising® experience.

Christian Boell, managing director EMEA, Norwegian Cruise Line said, “I am thrilled to announce the launch of Norwegian Escape to the UK.

“This is an exciting time for Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian Escape’s arrival marks a true evolution for our brand—we’ve capitalised on the best of our Breakaway Class ships and taken the freedom and flexibility of Freestyle Cruising to the next level with this incredible new ship. We look forward to welcoming guests onto her first sailing in the Eastern Caribbean from Miami very soon.”