Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 4,000-passenger ship, was christened in Miami in January, becoming the first Norwegian vessel to sail permanently out of Miami in years.

Getaway also is the virtual twin of Norwegian Breakaway, which sails permanently out of New York City, but there are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences that make the ship a different experience for guests.

We asked Andy Stuart, Norwegian’s executive vice president of global sales and passenger services, for his ideas on how to sell the Norwegian Getaway, then added a few of our own based on a pre-christening cruise on the ship.

Sell a ship that sails year-round out of Miami: The big difference between Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway is that Getaway has a Miami vibe while Breakaway is really a New York-flavored ship. Indeed, perhaps the most visible exterior change on Getaway is the playful hull art by Florida artist David LEBO Le Batard. The bow of the ship is decorated with a giant orange and yellow mermaid, while the stern features renderings of pelicans.

“We’ve really given Norwegian Getaway this Miami flavor, whether it’s the Sugar Cane Bar, the Mojito Bar or the Tropicana Room, or Sunset Bar,” Stuart says. “There’s also Latin flavor in some of the dining choices and up in Spice H20, and a Miami artist painted the hull. So there’s a lot of elements to the ship that are Miami-oriented.”

Promote a new range of onboard entertainment: Getaway features a different full Broadway musical, “Legally Blonde,” instead of “Rock of Ages” on Breakaway. In addition, “Burn the Floor,” the Broadway dance review, offers a full production that has a very Latin flavor with more vocals. It has proven to be very popular with Getaway guests.

While Breakaway features blues singer and guitarist Slam Allan in Fat Cats Jazz Club, Getaway has The Grammy Experience, which will showcase different Grammy award-winning singers and musicians. On a recent cruise, for example, Latin and jazz flautist Nestor Torrez performed. Howl at the Moon, the ship’s dueling piano bar, is a carryover from Breakaway, but the comedy club Headliners now features performers from Levity Entertainment instead of Second City.

PHOTO: The Illusionarium, a dinner magic show available only on Getaway, has proved to be a popular draw for guests.

Finally, Getaway introduces “The Illusionarium,” a unique dinner magic show that right now is available only on the ship. The show features five different performers each specializing in a certain type of magic. So far it is drawing rave reviews from most cruisers who have seen it. In contrast, Breakaway features Cirque Dreams’ “Jungle Fantasy” dinner show.

Guests also can sample a wide range of night clubs, including the aforementioned Grammy Experience, Howl at the Moon and Headliners, as well as Bliss, one of Norwegian’s signature nightclubs, or Spice H20, the outdoor nightspot on Deck 12, which now has large posters and signage reflecting Miami rather than New York.

Sell a wide variety of dining options: Like its sister ship, Getaway has the 678 Ocean Place entertainment and dining zone on Decks 6, 7 and 8, as well as The Waterfront, which features ocean views for dining and drinking on Deck 8. Signature restaurants largely remain the same, although menu items have been changed to reflect the ship’s Miami theme. For example, Ocean Blue, the Geoffrey Zakarian specialty restaurant, features Florida-sourced fish.

The Manhattan Club, one of the main restaurants on Breakaway, has been recast on Getaway as the Tropicana Room, a supper club featuring Latin dancers on its large dance floor. Flamingo Bar & Grill on the Deck 16 also reflects the ship’s new South Florida vibe. Other eateries and bars, such as Le Bistro, Cucina, Shanghai Noodle, Svedka Ice Bar and Carlo’s Bakery, duplicate what’s on Breakaway. And the popular O’Sheehan’s Pub, named after Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan, remains on Getaway as well.

Tout a wide range of outdoor activities: Like Breakaway, Getaway has a signature ropes course on the top deck in the stern, though Getaway’s has a pirate theme. The ropes course also features a “walk the plank” experience, where guests can traverse a beam out over the ocean on the side of the ship (though they are secured by a harness). The same theme also is reflected in the miniature golf course, just below the ropes course.

The ship’s complex of pools also includes five giant waterslides that offer a range of thrills for guests. Not surprisingly, the ship has a full range of kids clubs organized by age, including a large video game center. There’s also a kids pool with a Nickelodeon theme and a large sports court on the top deck in the stern offering volleyball, basketball and other games.

Market to nationwide and worldwide cruise passengers: While Norwegian Breakaway is popular with cruisers in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area, Getaway allows you to sell to a much more national and even global audience that is more accustomed to sailing on Caribbean cruises out of Miami.

Indeed, this is the first time in 10 years that Norwegian has offered a ship full-time out of the port of Miami. “Our travel partners have been asking us consistently when we were going to be back in Miami,” says Stuart. “So now we’re back, and back in the Caribbean in the summer since we have a consistent ship here year-round. That helps our travel partners, and it provides us with an opportunity to be present all year in New York with Breakaway and in Miami with Getaway.”

Sell a different and deeper Caribbean itinerary: Since Getaway sails year-round out of Miami, it can go much deeper into the Eastern Caribbean than Breakaway can out of New York. Getaway offers seven-night sailings stopping in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; and Nassau, the Bahamas.

Sell Getaway to a much broader range of niche audiences: Getaway offers a full range of accommodations that will fit a number of different markets. For example, on the high-end it offers the two-deck key-card-access suite area, known as The Haven, which includes its own pool and restaurant, as well as concierge and butler service. For solo passengers, Getaway has a special area of single cabins, including a dedicated lounge. There are also special suites for families and other suites for spa lovers.

“I get excited when I look at the different segments this ship caters to,” says Stuart. “You have the luxury segment with The Haven, you’ve got the solo segment with the Solo Studios, we’ve got staterooms designed for families, we’ve got staterooms designed for spa lovers, we’ve got inside rooms for value-conscious travelers. It used to be people talked about the contemporary segment, the premium segment and the luxury segment. Well, this ship has everything.”

Target your customer base to sell specific niches on Getaway: Stuart recommends that you think about who your customers are. For example, how do you talk to the solo traveler about Getaway, how do you talk to family customers about the ship, and how do you talk to the affluent traveler about sailing on the vessel?

“Every travel partner has a segment of customers for whom this ship is perfect,” Stuart says. “And I think it’s important that [agents] start thinking about which segment within their database makes sense for this ship. How are they going to describe the ship to solo travelers is different from what they will say to affluent travelers.

“With the affluent traveler you can talk about this amazing key-card-access complex and the ability to duck in and out of everything else on the ship,” he adds. “For the solo traveler, you can highlight the fact that there is no single supplement. There’s also the opportunity to meet people in a comfortable, very relaxed and informal way.”