SHE WILL be one of the most colourful sights ever to arrive in Southampton when Norwegian Breakaway sails into the port in April.

Able to carry 4,000 passengers, Norwegian Breakaway is the latest ship to join the Norwegian fleet and she is making a fleeting visit to the city as she prepares for her maiden voyage to her home port of New York.

Now the Daily Echo has teamed up with Norwegian and safe water charity Just A Drop – supported by the cruise line – to offer local school pupils the chance to win a visit to the ship, a grand tour, and enjoy lunch on board.

What’s more, the winning school will receive a personal training session from Just A Drop to learn all about how important safe water and water conservation is to the whole planet.

“It’s a marvellous opportunity for young students to learn about how precious water is to us all.

“The fact we live by the sea here in Hampshire should bring this subject home to everyone,” said Daily Echo editor Ian Murray as he launched the competition this week.

Pupils up to and including Year 10 are invited to design their own posters to support the work of Just A Drop, the best of which will be used in an exhibition and also appear in the Southern Daily Echo and online.

A team of judges will decide on the winning entry and that pupil will be invited – along with their whole class – to visit Norwegian Breakaway when she arrives in Southampton on Tuesday, April 30.

Norwegian Breakaway will bring the best of NYC to sea when she arrives in the city on April 29 for a two-day visit, offering the high-calibre dining and entertainment options that New York is known for worldwide.

The ship’s groundbreaking design includes an open-air boardwalk, The Waterfront, and 678 Ocean Place; a wide range of indoor and outdoor venues on three dynamic decks that will create a whole new complex that enhances guests’ connection with the ocean.

Norwegian Breakaway’s entertainment will include three Broadway shows: five-time Tony nominated Rock of Ages; the dance sensation Burn The Floor; and Cirque Dreams & Dinner Jungle Fantasy.

The famed comedy troupe The Second City, Howl at the Moon duelling pianos, and New York’s own Slam Allen will perform on the vessel.

Norwegian Breakaway will also feature an exciting fireworks show on every cruise that will dazzle guests on the second to last night at sea each week, and will be the grand finale of a decadent 1980sthemed deck party.

Celebrity chef and Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarian will also debut his first restaurant at sea on Norwegian Breakaway: Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian.

Buddy Valastro, star of the TLC series Cake Boss, will open an extension of his popular bakery, Carlo’s Bake Shop.

The ship will feature a total of 28 dining options on board and an Ice Bar, which will be kept at 17F and feature New York City-inspired speciality cocktails, as well as ice sculptures of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Chrysler Building.

The top decks of Norwegian Breakaway will feature the first Aqua Park at sea with five full-size water slides, including twin free fall slides and a three-storey sports complex that includes the largest ropes course, a nine-hole miniature golf course, basketball court, rock climbing wall and more.

For more information about the Norwegian Breakaway, visit breakaway.ncl.co.uk.

How to enter

THE competition is open to all school age children up to and including Year 10. To be eligible for
a chance to win, entrants should create a poster/picture detailing why clean water is important.

Entries should include the name of the student, the name of their teacher and contact details of the school. Entries should be submitted to the Daily Echo by Friday, April 12 and should be submitted to: Just A Drop/Norwegian Breakaway competition, Southern Daily Echo, Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, Southampton SO16 9JX.

The school of the winning entrant will be informed of their win by Friday, April 19, 2013.

Prize is lunch for 35 people on board Norwegian Breakaway at Southampton Port on April 30, 2013 between 11am and 2pm (specific timings on the day subject to change) in the onboard Garden Cafe. Transport will be provided for the winning class and accompanying staff to and from the venue, but all participants must have passport identification with them to board the
ship.

Prize is subject to availability, capacity-controlled, non-negotiable, non-transferable and  nonrefundable. There is no cash or other alternative in whole or in part in exchange for the prize.

The Daily Echo and Norwegian Cruise Line reserve the right to substitute an alternative prize of
similar value. The Southern Daily Echo and Norwegian Cruise Line reserve the right to alter the terms of this competition (including the prize) without prior notice in the event that unforeseen circumstances make this unavoidable. The winner and their class must agree to participate in any reasonable press or PR activity relating to the competition.