Racing thrills on Norwegian Joy

'It's a true wow,' said Harry Sommer, evp international business development—even though he got beat by Norwegian president and ceo Andy Stuart.

While they didn't disclose their times, both singled out the racetrack as one of their favorite features of the new ship that's custom-built for China.

Ten cars can race simultaneously on the 240-meter course that snakes over two top decks. There are three speeds, from beginning to expert. The middle speed, 'normal,' is a zippy 30 km/h.

The steering wheel has a 'boost' button for a burst of speed to overtake other drivers.

Competitors race for three minutes, with the winner determined by speed.

The cars are electric, the track all-weather.

It was quite a project to install, adding 180 tons of steel and aluminum to the ship, according to Norwegian's Simon Murray, entertainment director, newbuild planning and implementation.