Alex Vega & The Auto Firm Customise Norwegian Bliss Race Cars (Video)
Norwegian Cruise Line and The Auto Firm have partnered together to bring a completely new concept to life on board Norwegian’s newest ship, Norwegian Bliss.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO, Frank Del Rio, reached out to Alex Vega and The Auto Firm to customize two race cars for the Norwegian Bliss race track. The results were stunning. And it's all been captured on film.
Watch the full episode right here:
The idea for a race track at sea began as a family effort.
"At Norwegian, we launch a new ship every year. So we're always looking for new, innovative ideas," said NCLH CEO Frank Del Rio. "My grandkids are always asking me, 'Pops, can we have this on the ship, can we have that?' and when we were building Norwegian Bliss, I just said, 'Why don't you come up with a list of ideas you'd like to see on the next cruise ship?' The next morning, they came up with the idea of a race track on board."
Norwegian Bliss is now the newest ship in Alaska as well as the first North American cruise ship with a competitive race track at sea.
“It took about six months of hard engineering work, and a lot of precision work to get it where it is today, and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Del Rio.
Custom-built for the spectacular, Norwegian Bliss is the fleet’s most innovative ship to date. With an open-air laser tag course, snow therapy room, 27 dining options, and the largest race track at sea, this ship is anything but ordinary. So it was only fitting that Norwegian would call on car guru Alex Vega and The Auto Firm for a design job as innovative as the ship herself.
Car fans will recognize Alex Vega and his team from their show The Auto Firm with Alex Vega, where they customize vehicles under the brand name Avorza, often for celebrities and professional athletes.
“I’ve worked on many types of vehicles: trucks, exotic, luxury, boats, even bikes, and I thought I had done it all, until the day I got a call from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO, Frank Del Rio,” said Alex Vega. “He challenged me to do go karts for the new Norwegian Bliss.”
Alex Vega and his team took direction from Del Rio’s grandsons, who were very excited to be on location to discuss color options and design details for the two race cars.
“I invited Frank to come over with his grandkids and take an inside look at what we do at The Auto Firm. I love working with people who have a lot of passion for cars. But to see kids walk around and be so amazed by what they’re seeing and to actually love what I do, it’s a great feeling,” said Vega.
Following the installation of the new race cars on the ship’s race track and a race between Alex Vega and his son, Alex Jr., Vega and his wife had the opportunity to experience Norwegian Bliss in Miami during her inaugural cruise tour.
"All these wonderful things are in one place: You have great restaurants, great food, clubs, comedy, a casino - you name it, it's there; especially the race track. Seeing my Avorza race cars lighting up that race track at night - that was the icing on the cake," said Vega. "This was a wonderful experience. I'm very grateful to Frank and his wonderful team at Norwegian Cruise Line for this experience."
Guests on Norwegian Bliss can now drive the two customized Avorza race cars on board the ship.
Norwegian Bliss is the newest ship offering cruises to Alaska from Seattle during the summer season. She also offers cruises to The Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, Pacific Coast, and Bahamas & Florida seasonally.