The Norwegian Bliss is completing five years in service this month.

As the third ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway-Plus series, the 164,600-ton vessel was delivered to the company on April 19, 2018.

Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the Bliss initially sailed to Southampton before crossing the Atlantic on its way to New York City.

While docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, the 4,200-guest ship was first presented to the U.S. media and VIPs before setting sail to Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle – the homeport for its maiden season.

Custom-designed to sail in Alaska, the Bliss also became the largest ever ship to cross the Panama Canal at the time of its debut.

Before welcoming its first paying guests, the Norwegian Bliss was christened by the radio personality and talk show host Elvis Duran during a special ceremony in Seattle.

In early June, the vessel finally started its maiden season offering seven-night cruises to Alaska. Sailing roundtrip from the Washington homeport, the program included a regular itinerary with calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Canada’s Victoria.

Built at an estimated cost of $1.1 billion, the Norwegian Bliss followed the Norwegian Escape and the Norwegian Joy in Norwegian Cruise Line’s four-ship Breakaway-Plus Class.

As such, the ship was designed with improved features and experiences, including a larger Observation Lounge, an open-air laser tag circuit and a two-deck go-kart racetrack.

The Norwegian Bliss also debuted with an array of specialty dining venues that included new concepts for Norwegian, such as the Q Texas Smokehouse.

One of the largest restaurants onboard, the Texas-inspired BBQ house serves a themed menu and also features live country music.

Like all the ships in Norwegian’s current fleet, the Bliss is adorned with a hull art as well. Created by the marine life artist Robert Wyland, the paintwork aims to represent the importance of marine conservation.