NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCES CRUISE INDUSTRY'S FIRST NFT COLLECTION

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- Manuel Di Rita, Renowned Italian Artist Who Designed Norwegian Prima and Viva's Hull Art, Releases Six NFTs for Auction and Sale -

- All Proceeds To Be Donated To Teach For America -

MIAMI, April 6, 2022 /CNW/ -- Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a history of breaking boundaries, today announced it will sail into the Metaverse with the launch of the cruise industry's first collection of NFTs, adding to the Brand's legacy of pioneering firsts.

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Norwegian Cruise Line announced the launch of the cruise industry’s first collection of NFTs that will open for auction and sale on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on NCL’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace. The NFT art pieces were created by Manuel Di Rita, widely known as “Peeta,” the Italian artist who designed the hull art on the record-breaking Norwegian Prima and her sister vessel Norwegian Viva.

NCL will open for auction and sale a collection of six NFTs to celebrate the launch of the Company's cutting-edge Norwegian Prima Class on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on NCL's soon to launch online NFT marketplace. The NFT art pieces were created by Manuel Di Rita, widely known as "Peeta," the Italian artist who designed the hull art on the record-breaking Norwegian Prima and her sister vessel Norwegian Viva. 

The first of the six art pieces will be auctioned at the starting rate of USD$2,500, with the remaining NFTs sold for prices beginning at USD$250. The winner of the auction will also be awarded a balcony stateroom on one of Norwegian Prima's U.S. inaugural voyages, setting sail from NCL's beautiful new PortMiami terminal located in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World.

"We are so excited to partner with Peeta on this first for our brand and for the industry," said NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer. "Peeta is a talented artist who has brought the magic and beauty of the ocean to our ships, so we are happy to share this with our guests and to donate the proceeds of this new venture to Teach For America, an organization and a cause very near and dear to our hearts."

The first piece in the NFT collection resembles the captivating hull art on Norwegian Prima and provides the buyer an opportunity to own a piece of the beautiful Norwegian Prima for years to come . The additional five NFT pieces showcase some of the innovative 3D designs often depicted in Peeta's works and will be featured aboard Norwegian Prima including in the ship's three-level Penrose Atrium.

"We strive to adopt the most cutting-edge technology at Norwegian Cruise Line and strongly believe that providing our guests the opportunity to own digital assets that connect them with an unforgettable cruise experience is an essential step forward," says Scott Piccolo, Chief Digital Experience Officer at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH). "We are incredibly proud to work with Peeta on the cruise industry's first-ever NFT collection."

All proceeds from the NFT auction and sales will be donated to Teach For America. Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate.

"Teach For America embraces innovation and industry leaders, and we are especially proud of the work Norwegian Cruise Line has done to celebrate and recognize teachers through its annual NCL Giving Joy campaign, which celebrates the intersection of travel and education," said LaKeisha Wells-Palmer, Executive Director of Teach For America Miami-Dade. "We're grateful for the commitment to education in our community. The proceeds from the sales of these beautiful NFTs will help Teach For America recruit and develop more teachers for students in Miami-Dade."

Launching August 2022, Norwegian Prima's Christening voyage will depart from Reykjavík, Iceland and will feature a performance from newly announced godmother, global popstar Katy Perry. Norwegian Prima will offer voyages to Northern Europe from Amsterdam; and Copenhagen, Denmark beginning Sept. 3; and https://www.ncl.com/cruise-destinations/caribbean-cruises Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, Texas, Miami and Orlando, Fla. beginning Oct. 27.

For more information about Norwegian Cruise Line or to book a cruise, please visit www.ncl.com or call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or contact a travel professional. For Norwegian Prima's press kit and assets, click here.

About Norwegian Cruise Line
As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for 55 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionized the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 17 contemporary ships sail to over 300 of the world's most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company's private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line not only provides superior guest service from land to sea, but also offers a wide variety of award-winning entertainment and dining options as well as a range of accommodations across the fleet, including solo traveler staterooms, club balcony suites, spa-suites and The Haven by Norwegian®, the company's ship-within-a-ship concept. For additional information or to book a cruise, contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com. For the latest news and exclusive content, visit the NCL Newsroom and follow Norwegian Cruise Line on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube @NorwegianCruiseLine; and Twitter @CruiseNorwegian.

About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with 350 urban and rural communities across the country to expand educational opportunity for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a corps of outstanding leaders who make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Today, Teach For America is a force of over 64,000 alumni and corps members working in over 9,000 schools nationwide in pursuit of profound systemic change. From classrooms to districts to state houses across America, they are reimagining education to realize the day when every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Manuel "Peeta" Di Rita
Manuel Di Rita, commonly known as "Peeta", is an Italian graffiti and sculpture artist currently living in Venice. Having spent 29 years as a graffiti artist, he is a member of the EAD crew (Padova, Italy), FX and RWK crews (New York City) and has participated in festivals and art shows all over the world during his career. Peeta's work explores the potential of sculptural lettering and anamorphism, both in painting and in sculpture. He illustrated the exceptional hull design on Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, the first two ships in NCL's new Prima Class, which marked the first time the captivating hull art extended to the forward superstructure of the ship on any NCL vessel.

Five of the six NFT art pieces showcase some of the innovative 3D designs often depicted in Peeta’s works and will be featured aboard Norwegian Prima including in the ship’s three-level Penrose Atrium.

 

The NFT art pieces were created by Manuel Di Rita, widely known as “Peeta,” the Italian artist who designed the hull art on the record-breaking Norwegian Prima and her sister vessel Norwegian Viva.

 

Titled “Norwegian Prima Hull Art,” this NFT reflects the captivating and innovative design created by “Peeta” for Norwegian Prima’s stunning hull art. Peeta drew inspiration to create an art piece that would be visible from any vantage point, highlighting fluid shapes, with unperceivable beginning and ends, like an ocean. On Norwegian Prima, blue swirls are depicted as freely moving all over the hull, mimicking the undulating movement of water. This piece will be auctioned at the starting rate of USD$2,500 and all proceeds will be donated to Teach For America.

 

Titled “Relative Coordinates,” the piece depicts a rearrangement of some of the shapes used on the hull art featured on Norwegian Prima and Viva, and includes some of the more classic “Peeta” style 3D compositions. The NFT is a digital copy of a piece that will be on display in the Brand’s three-story Penrose Atrium aboard Norwegian Prima.Starting prices for five of the six NFTs, including this piece, begin at USD$250 and will open for sale on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on Norwegian Cruise Line’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace.

 

Titled “Core Concepts,” the piece was created taking the elements and lessons “Peeta” had learned after drafting the first iterations of the hull art design found on Norwegian Prima. It showcases a classic “Peeta” style lettering, featuring some of the core shapes found on Norwegian Prima’s hull art. The NFT is a digital copy of a piece that will be on display in the Brand’s three-story Penrose Atrium aboard Norwegian Prima. Starting prices for five of the six NFTs, including this piece, begin at USD$250 and will open for sale on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on Norwegian Cruise Line’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace.

 

Titled “Prima Hull Art Sketch 1,” this piece is an original sketch and features a crop of the larger composition from the final artwork featured on Norwegian Prima’s hull art. It was reviewed in one of the last creative stages that led to the final design and color scheme found on Norwegian Prima. Starting prices for five of the six NFTs, including this piece, begin at USD$250 and will open for sale on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on Norwegian Cruise Line’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace.

 

Titled “Prima Hull Art Sketch 2,” this piece is an original sketch and features a crop of the larger composition from the final artwork featured on Norwegian Prima’s hull art. It was reviewed in one of the last creative stages that led to the final design and color scheme found on Norwegian Prima. Starting prices for five of the six NFTs, including this piece, begin at USD$250 and will open for sale on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on Norwegian Cruise Line’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace.

 

Titled “Flowing Data,” this piece is inspired by the entire creative process that went into designing Norwegian Prima’s hull art. It highlights the ideation and selection of colors, shapes and 3D effects that went into the design, and represents the flow of communication and data exchange that occurred between “Peeta” and Norwegian Cruise Line.The NFT is a digital copy of a piece that will be on display in the Brand’s three-story Penrose Atrium aboard Norwegian Prima. Starting prices for five of the six NFTs, including this piece, begin at USD$250 and will open for sale on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 9 a.m. ET on Norwegian Cruise Line’s soon to launch online NFT marketplace.

 

Norwegian Cruise Line

 

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SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line

Released April 6, 2022