April of 2013 marks a momentous moment for cruising. Norwegian Cruise Lines' newest industry leading ship, The Breakaway, sets sail for its inaugural voyage from London to its new year-round home port in New York City. The Breakaway-class ships will each by 144,017 gross tons and accommodations for approximately 4,000 passengers and she will become the Manhattan Cruise Terminal's largest ship ever to home port in the City. The Getaway, the sister ship; will set sail in spring of 2014.

Norwegian Cruise Lines announced in 2011 that it had commissioned UK design group Priestmangoode as well as Tillberg Design of Sweden to design the vessel's new cabins. The cruise line has also revealed plans to work with popular American artist, Peter Max, to create and paint the signature hull artwork for Norwegian Breakaway. The partnership marks the first time the company has asked a well-known artist to pain the hull.

The Breakaway will set sail in April of 2013, departing from London making way towards her new home port in New York City. In May of 2013, Breakaway will set sail on a series of 22 seven-day cruises to Bermuda. Throughout the year, destinations will include Bermuda, Europe, The Caribbean, The Bahamas & Florida and transatlantic cruises as well. The staterooms and suites vary from single occupancy studios to mini-suites that accommodate up to 3 people. All of the rooms offer a modern touch and feature clean lines and calming color palates.

The on-board entertainment isn't lacking aboard The Breakaway. Norwegian has announced plans for a deck-top Aqua Park that will feature two pools, four hot tubs and a semi-open air eatery called the Breezeway Bar & Grill. The Aqua Park will also include a massive water park with five water slides. Two of the slides will feature a starting area where passengers stand above a trap door that open from underneath plunging them into a steep drop and loop. The top deck will also feature a three-story sports complex with a nine-hole mini-golf course, basketballs court and rock climbing wall. The area will also include the largest ropes course at sea. Among the ropes course will be The Plank – a platform that extends eight feet over the side of the ship, prompting passengers to "walk the plank" before they can complete the course.

No vessel is complete without an array of dining choices. The Breakaway will feature over 15 options for guests to enjoy. Celebrity chef, Geoffrey Zakarian will be opening one of the eateries called, Ocean Blue. Norwegian has promised the luxury seafood based dining experience will be "utilizing all of the ingredients and techniques that Zakarian would employ in a land-based establishment." In addition to Ocean Blue, Zakarian will also oversee an adjacent bar called The Raw Bar as well as a more casual version of Ocean Blue called Ocean Blue on The Waterfront.

Norwegian Breakaway promises to be the future of at sea entertainment. More details are being revealed about the vessel as the launch date approaches. Book and save on your vacation on The Breakaway now by clicking here.

Cruising and dining go hand in hand. Gone are the days of having early or late dining everyday in the same dining room. Today's cruise experience offers so much more on just about every cruise line worldwide.

One of the leaders in revolutionizing the dining experience is Norwegian Cruise Line. In 2000, NCL was the first to offer "Freestyle Dining" and other cruise lines soon followed with their own variations. All of Norwegian Cruise Line's ships offer a myriad of options ranging from casual dining to fine gourmet dining. Their newest ship, the Norwegian Epic, boasts 21 dining options – 11 of which are offered at no additional charge.

Here are just a few reasons why the Norwegian Cruise Line dining experience enhances your cruise experience.

Great Choices

The restaurants range from casual to elegant. You can dine at venues including endless buffets, an Italian Trattoria, Asian cuisine and Sushi, fresh grill restaurants, and pizza. Dine in a fine American steakhouse, a French gourmet Bistro, a Hibatchi grill restaurant or dance the night away in a supper club. There's that and so much more.

Dine on Your Own Schedule

With NCL's Freestyle dining you can eat where you want and when you want. If your day was action packed in a port and you just want to grab a quick bite you can do that. Feel like getting dressed up and having a night on the town? You can do that too. With Freestyle dining the choice is yours.

Kid Friendly

Cruising with the family is a great experience and all of the dining options make it even easier. Let the kids be entertained at a Hibatchi dinner, enjoy Nickelodeon character breakfasts or choose from any of the dining options offered. The great thing about it is that you can eat when you want so early dining is not a problem.

From kids to grandparents – and everyone in between – there’s a huge menu sure to satisfy any foodie’s craving or any child’s desire for chicken fingers or pizza! Like the rest of the NCL experience, the options are endless.