New Cruise Liner to feature Ferrari Go-Kart Track

If you haven’t noticed, of late, taking a cruise for your holiday is starting to appeal to a whole new audience, or at least trying to. Gone is the image of octogenarian geriatrics being pushed around a slightly decaying quarter deck in a bath chair, or middle-aged couples whiling away their time playing shuffle board. Now, you are more likely to find couples and young families cruising between exotic ports and racing in Ferrari Go-Karts!

The cruise business has always been very competitive, with the main providers continuously striving to have the grandest or most luxurious or most innovative offerings. One of the leaders in the field is Norwegian Cruise Lines, whose newest vessel, the Norwegian Joy, has none other than a double-decker Ferrari-themed race track on its upper decks.

It is BIG! 

The two-level track - which is on the top deck of the ship so you can get a view of the sea as you complete your laps - will have sufficient room for ten cars to race at a time, but don’t expect the cars to be fire-spitting dragons; these are the electric version specifically engineered for the Norwegian Joy. The karts do sport the traditional Prancing Horse logo, but the track and cars have been put together by the Scuderia Ferrari Watches branch of Ferrari, who will be selling its watches very close to the track as a part of the deal. Ferrari has been expanding its marketing efforts for some time, with forays into clothing and watches and even theme parks, as an attempt to be seen as a global lifestyle brand. With this move, Ferrari is possibly hoping that it will be able to appeal to more than the traditional motoring enthusiast with drool over their sports cars.

Top deck bird's-eye view. Wow!

With that in mind, it may be no surprise to find out then that the Norwegian Joy has been designed specifically for the Chinese market, with its home ports officially listed as Shanghai and Tianjin. There will be accommodation for 3,850 passengers at any one time and certain packages will entitle guest to free rides on the track. There will also be other things like water slides and laser tag, and a racing simulator.

Watch the ship float out in the video below.