Norwegian Cruise Line is once again raising the bar when it comes to the guest experience onboard, announcing today that they have expanded their partnership with award-winning mixologist Gabriel Orta of Miami-based Bar Lab Cocktails to offer exciting and creative new cocktails onboard all of Norwegian’s ships year-round.

This new beverage program, exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Line, is another aspect of the Norwegian NEXT program, bringing “new enhancements, experiences and transformations” to Norwegian’s fleet, with the goal of elevating the guest experience and building on the success of the line’s two newest ships: Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.  

As part of the previously-announced partnership, Bar Lab has created five specialty destination-based summer cocktail menus, with specialty cocktails focusing on regional ingredients and spirits based on Norwegian’s itineraries.

Now, with the enhanced exclusive partnership, Bar Lab will consult on all of the line’s cocktail menus, bringing their award-winning expert mixology to Norwegian guests fleetwide. To continue to enhance the onboard experience in line with the classic cocktail culture resurgence seen globally, the inventive new handcrafted cocktails designed by Bar Lab, along with the Norwegian beverage development team, will feature avant-garde concoctions made with fresh juices, aromatic herbs and complementary local spirits.

Along with consulting on the fleetwide menus, Orta and his team will visit several ships to conduct onboard training sessions with Norwegian’s bartenders; work with the Norwegian Corporate Development Team to create new cocktails in Norwegian’s shore side Test Bar; and collaborate with existing brand partners including Bacardi, Patron, Diageo, and more on beverage activations throughout the year.

Recognized for their ingenious approach to the industry, the avant-garde cocktail programs created by Bar Lab have been awarded numerous professional honors and featured in publications worldwide.

Guests sailing with Norwegian can begin enjoying these specialty cocktails onboard immediately with the Summer Destination beverages, while the new menus will be available fleet wide beginning September. Norwegian will debut new menus featuring holiday cocktails in October.