VIBE RECOGNIZES NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE WITH BEST SPIRITS AND BEST OVERALL PROGRAM AWARDS

With nearly 200 bars and lounges onboard its 17 ships, the fleet-wide beverage program is a key part of the overall cruise line experience

MIAMI– (April 28, 2022) – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, has been recognized for its award-winning beverage program with two wins at the 2022 Vista Awards held yesterday in San Diego, Calif. during the VIBE Conference, the premier beverage conference. An honor for NCL’s world-class beverage program, the Vibe Vista Awards recognize the top performers in the beverage industry.

NCL was again honored at the award ceremony, winning both “Best Spirits Program” and “Best Overall Program” across the portfolio of hotels, cruise lines, and casinos considered for this recognition. This success builds on its 2019 win in the same categories as well as its award for having the honor of “Best Beverage Menu Revamp” sponsored by Gerard Bertrand in 2020.

“Providing our guests with world class food and beverage is part of delivering unforgettable guest experiences, which is what NCL is known for,” said Wesley Cort, Vice President of Food and Beverage at Norwegian Cruise Line. “We’re honored to be recognized for our best-in-class beverage programs, especially with our latest sustainable experiences and offerings. Receiving this honor again shows our team that the industry appreciates our dedication to industry-leading beverage programs across our fleet.”

Earlier this year, NCL announced its elevated culinary and beverage offerings for its highly-anticipated Prima Class vessels, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, which focus on sustainable and handcrafted libations.

Among the elevated offerings is the Metropolitan Bar, which premiered under the Brand’s Sail and Sustain program featuring responsibly crafted zero-waste cocktails prepared with surplus ingredients and offers a fully sustainable spirits menu and biodynamic wines. Working with Gerard Bertrand, NCL’s Metropolitan Bar showcases biodynamic wines produced using organic farming methods such as compost as fertilizer and avoiding most pesticides. 

Norwegian also partnered with James Beard Award-nominee and Bar-Lab founder Gabe Orta to pair elevated libation with sustainably focused practices. The Metropolitan Bar’s signature sustainably made cocktail, the “Primadonna,” takes a play on an Old Fashion and is crafted using surplus banana peels with Flor De Cana rum produced with 100% renewable energy. In addition, Norwegian collaborated with Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana to introduce and create responsibly sourced botanical organic gin specifically for NCL and made using 100% recyclable glass and wood for the bottle’s design. 

Other new bar and lounge options on Norwegian Prima and Viva include The Belvedere Bar, a contemporary cocktail lounge featuring crafted bottled cocktails with a modern, fresh take on classic drinks.

Earning recognition from Vibe Vista is truly an honor in this industry. A panel consisting of the Johnson & Wales University beverage faculty, staff, and alumni review the Vibe Vista entries. The judges use positive beverage sales, efficient operational innovations, and high-quality training and service programs to choose the winners.

This is the fourth time the VIBE conference has recognized Norwegian’s beverage program. The Brand has won various accolades across several categories from 2017 to 2020 including Best Beer Program and Best Wine Program (2017).

For more information about the Company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com. 

SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line

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