HOT OR COLD? YOUR CHOICE ON 'ESCAPE'

Do I want to be cold or hot? On Norwegian Escape, debuting October 2015, you can be both.

The Snow Room (Norwegian)

The Thermal Suite (Norwegian)

Guests at the two-deck Mandara Spa can enjoy the largest Thermal Suite at sea, outfitted with the line’s first Snow Room. In addition, adults will have two private lounge spaces: Vibe Beach Club and Spice H2O, which will feature an all-new grotto area for guests to cool off after a day of sunbathing.

The spa featured unobstructed views of the ocean, 17 heated loungers, a hydro-therapy pool, whirlpools, steam room, dry sauna, sanarium and salt room. If you get too hot, head for the Snow Room, where temps range from 21 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It even sends out "a flurry of powdery snow throughout the day."

Sounds like the perfect place to enjoy a vodka cocktail. -- Gerry

'ESCAPE' TO FEATURE ICONIC MIAMI BAR

Miami's oldest bar has a new home -- on a cruise ship.

Norwegian announced this week Tobacco Road, closing after 102 years in business, will be featured on Norwegian Escape, their newest and largest ship.

Here's more from Norwegian:

"The acclaimed establishment, which was issued Miami’s very first liquor license, is closing its original location this week after 102 years in business. In an effort to preserve the tradition of this iconic Miami landmark, Tobacco Road and Norwegian Cruise Line partnered to bring the Tobacco Road experience onboard Norwegian Escape, which will begin sailing from Miami in November 2015.

"Located within 678 Ocean Place, the new location of the celebrated tavern will incorporate elements of the original Tobacco Road, including the iconic neon sign, memorabilia and photographs that will showcase the history of Miami through the lens of events and happenings at the bar over the past century.

"In addition to favorite beers and spirits, Tobacco Road Bar onboard Norwegian Escape will also feature a selection of cocktails created by Tobacco Road’s resident mixologist, Leo Holtzman. The delicious libations from Holtzman’s Cocktail Collection will include favorites like the Chili Mule, featuring ginger puree, Cointreau and vodka topped with a sliced serrano pepper; and the Gateway, a rum-based drink that incorporates yuzu juice, elderflower syrup and Prosecco.

"Norwegian Escape will begin weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round home port of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean on Nov. 14, 2015."

FIRST STEEL CUT FOR NORWEGIAN 'ESCAPE'

Norwegian Escape is taking shape. Norwegian reported this week "the first piece of steel was cut at MEYER WERFT in Papenburg, Germany today for the construction of Norwegian Escape, the first of two new Breakaway Plus Class ships for Norwegian Cruise Line, set for delivery in fall of 2015." Earlier this month, Norwegian announced that Norwegian Escape will home port year-round in Miami and sail a seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary starting November 14, 2015; visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas. Additional information about Norwegian Escape can be found at www.escape.ncl.com or on our Facebook page at www.ncl.com/facebook.

'ESCAPE' HULL ART UNVEILED

Norwegian Escape hull art (Norwegian)

News continues to flow from the Cruise Shipping Show in Miami this week. Here's the latest release from Norwegian:

"Norwegian Cruise Line announced [Wednesday] that Guy Harvey, widely recognized as the world’s finest marine wildlife artist and champion of ocean conservation, has been named to design the signature hull artwork of the line’s largest ship to date, Norwegian Escape, scheduled to debut in October 2015. At an event this morning at Cruise Shipping Miami, the artist revealed his custom design for Norwegian Escape’s hull, which features an underwater scene of marine wildlife. Norwegian’s newest ship is Harvey’s largest canvas to date, at 1065 feet in length, with his artwork spanning from the hull to the aft featuring two undersea scenes that blend seamlessly.

"Though recognized most recently for his floor-to-ceiling murals at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport and at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, Harvey is best known for his dynamic gamefish T-shirt designs. His original paintings have sold for tens of thousands of dollars and today, reproductions of his art, often seen on magazine and catalog covers, are offered as limited edition prints and can be found on a wide variety of clothing and gift items. Harvey maintains his art studio in Grand Cayman, where he lives with his wife and two children.

• "Also at Cruise Shipping Miami, Norwegian announced that Norwegian Escape will homeport year-round in Miami and sail a seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary starting November 14, 2015; visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas. At approximately 163,000 gross tons and 4,200 passenger berths, Norwegian Escape will join the fleet in October 2015."

A FIRST LOOK AT 'ESCAPE' STATEROOMS

Escape will offer lots of stateroom options (Norwegian)

Norwegian has released some details about its upcoming ship, Escape, which will be the largest in its fleet, due in late 2015. Our first glimpse is of its staterooms. Here's the news release from Norwegian:

"Norwegian Cruise Line today offered the first look at Norwegian Escape by unveiling the wide variety of staterooms on the line’s largest ship to date at approximately 163,000 gross tons and 4,200 passenger berths, scheduled for delivery in fall 2015. The accommodations include the company’s signature luxury ship–within-a-ship complex: The Haven by Norwegian; along with Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers; and many options for families, multi-generational groups, spa enthusiasts and more. Norwegian Escape includes all of the revolutionary features of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, plus a number of new spaces and interactive experiences that will excite and inspire.