NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCES CRUISE INDUSTRY’S FIRST NFT COLLECTION
– Manuel Di Rita, Renowned Italian Artist Who Designed Norwegian Prima and Viva’s Hull Art, Releases Six NFTs for Auction and Sale –
JOHANNESBURG (April 6, 2022) – 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.
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 3-D designs often depicted in Peeta’s works and will be featured aboard Norwegian Prima including 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.
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 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 or contact a travel professional. For Norwegian Prima’s press kit and assets, click here.
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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 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.
Media Contacts:
Claire Lathe, Big Ambitions
claire@bigambitions.co.za
