Press Releases

Norwegian Epic, which will take entertainment to an entirely new level in cruising, features performances by world renowned Blue Man Group, Cirque Dreams? & Dinner, The Second City, Legends in Concert, Howl at the Moon and Nickelodeon at Sea?. The "Search for the Epic Star" contest will provide amateur entertainers with the opportunity to share the spotlight with these famed performance groups during the ship's inaugural.

"Norwegian Epic is known for its groundbreaking, world-class entertainment offerings," said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's chief executive officer. "Therefore, we wanted to take that a step further and search for tomorrow's star and give them a chance to showcase their epic talent during the ship's inaugural."

Contestants who think their talent is "epic" should submit a video of one minute or less to www.epicstar.usatoday.com by April 25, 2010. Singers, musicians, dancers, jugglers, comics, rappers and more in groups of one to four performers who are 21 years of age and older and reside in the U.S. or Canada are eligible. A panel of esteemed, professional judges including Neil Goldberg of Cirque Productions, Tim Aumiller of Blue Man Group, Beth Kligerman of The Second City and Brian Brigner of Legends in Concert will select eight semi-finalists whose videos will be displayed on USA TODAY's Cruise Log throughout May. Two videos will be shared per week. The public will then have the chance to vote at www.cruiselog.usatoday.com for their favorite from June 1-13, 2010. From the top three scoring acts, the judges will select the grand prize winner, who will be announced on June 18, 2010. The top two finalists and grand prize winner will be awarded the opportunity to come to Norwegian Epic's inaugural in New York, July 2-4, 2010. The grand prize winner will also be invited to perform on board during the inaugural cruise, as well as receive a 7-day Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Epic during her inaugural season..

Judging will be based on creativity, originality, entertainment value, quality of performance and professionalism. Only original content and videos of one minute or less will be considered. Any videos that use licensed material will be disqualified.

For more information about the contest and to register, please visit www.epicstar.usatoday.com.

Norwegian Epic

World-class entertainment is Norwegian Epic's hallmark. For the first time at sea, Blue Man Group will perform their exhilarating fusion of comedy, theatrics and paint, exclusively on Norwegian Epic. In the only "big top" at sea, Cirque Dreams and Dinner will present a one-of-a-kind interactive theatrical dining experience with music, mayhem and acrobatic imagination. Legends in Concert, the original and world's greatest live tribute show, will be featured for the first time at sea in more than a decade on Norwegian Epic, along with The Second City improvisational comedy and Howl at the Moon, the world's greatest rock ?n roll dueling piano show that encourages audience participation.

About Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line(Norwegian)is the innovator in cruise travel with a 43-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the introduction of Freestyle Cruising which has revolutionized the industry by allowing guests more freedom and flexibility.

Today, Norwegian has the youngest fleet in the industry with 10 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed cruise vacation on the newest, most contemporary ships at sea.

Norwegian is presently building Norwegian Epic, the company's largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date, for delivery in June 2010. Norwegian Cruise Line is the official cruise line of Blue Man Group, debuting for the first time at sea on Norwegian Epic.

High resolution, downloadable images are available at www.ncl.com/pressroom. For further information on Norwegian Cruise Line, visit www.ncl.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @NCLFreestyle or contact us in the U.S. and Canada at 866-234-7350.