Beer and football don't usually come to mind when you think about the launch of a cruise ship.
But when Norwegian Cruise Lines' brand-new ship Norwegian Getaway arrives in New York this winter fresh from the shipyard and its maiden trans-Atlantic crossing, it will be pressed into service as a floating hotel for Super Bowl weekend events themed on the beer brand Bud Light.
Bud Light Hotel New York will be docked at Pier 88 in Manhattan on the Hudson River Jan. 30-Feb. 2, Super Bowl weekend, and will offer lodging for 4,000 guests in 1,900 staterooms. The big game will be played on the other side of the Hudson in New Jersey's Meadowlands at MetLife Stadium.
For past Super Bowls, Bud Light has rented out and revamped properties in the city where the game is being played. This is the first time it's used a ship as the base for its sports- and music-themed parties.
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Norwegian Getaway is currently in Germany. The ship is scheduled to sail to Rotterdam in Holland Jan. 10, then on to Southampton, England for two one-night events. It then crosses to New York, arriving Jan. 26, and will host preview cruises for media and travel agents Jan. 27-29, before being turned over to Bud Light.
Bud Light Hotel will also take over the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, including the deck of the retired military ship, which is permanently docked in the pier adjacent to where Getaway will be moored.
It's a chilly time of year in New York, especially on the windy Hudson, so Bud Light plans to construct heated venues to host concerts and parties. Concerts will include Madden Bowl XX on Jan. 30; a concert sponsored by the online music site Pandora Jan. 31; and a Pepsi-sponsored concert Feb. 2.
Rooms will not be bookable by the general public as guests will primarily be connected to Bud Light's retailers, partners and VIP guests, though consumers will have opportunities to win tickets to some events on board.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
