Norwegian Breaking Away…

(Even if you’re not a fan of NCL, I’d encourage you to read this)
Norwegian Cruise Line has been an interesting company to work with over the past 12 years that I have been working with them. My first was with them in 2003, and being part Norwegian (by heritage) it is safe to assume that I am a bit biased. Our initial experience on this line was nothing short of amazing. There was some industry shaping changes they made that the rest of the lines have followed. Those who have sailed on Norwegian (then going by the moniker NCL) know of their Freestyle approach. The main element of that, which most lines have copied is “Freestyle dining” which most others refer to as “Anytime”, “Personal Choice” or “My time”. Norwegian was the first, and they continue to design their ships to make this work very well with low wait times and fantastic service. Other lines have copied this to varying level of success since many of their kitchens were designed around specified service times.

However, as some of you have experienced, over the past 10 years or so the service quality has been all over the map, if I was to sum it up, “NCL is consistently inconsistent”. This was further impacted for many of our west-coast travelers who experienced their 7 night Hawaii Cruises which has always struggled with quality and service. The reasons for this could easily take pages itself. However, in 2008 Kevin Sheehan was appointed as CEO and began making some major changes to restore value to the brand. Then in 2011 he went undercover as part of the CBS show, Undercover Boss to get a better understanding of the day-to-day operations on board one of the ships he oversees. Beyond it simply being an entertaining show, he took immediate action to make changes to the operations of the lines to further enhance their brand. At that point they just launched the Epic to mixed reviews, and had two new ships (the Breakaway and Getaway) on order for delivery in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

In November of last year I had the opportunity to preview the Breakaway. While they were aware I was a travel agent, I did pay full fare for my fare. I was able to take two extensive tours of the line, speak with both managers and staff alike, to get an overall feel of this new ship, as well as how things have changed in the last 5 years. Those who have been around for a couple of years provided great testimony to how the company has improved recently. This was also very evident by the level of service I received while on-board. From my room steward to each restaurant, everything was excellent.

I have also been asking several of our clients who have recently returned from a Norwegian Cruise, and they too have been very happy with the service received.

Overall for their place in the market, they have definitely turned a corner and broken away from their past of inconsistent and mediocre service. So I have no reservations for placing clients on these s and highly recommend it for some clients. They have also been placing a rather significant effort into their on-board entertainment, from the Blue Man Group to a Cirque show!

So that leaves the question open, what is their place in the market? To paint a broad-stroke of the types of clients that I find would be a good fit… overall it is well targeted for the 50 and younger crowd, and those which enjoy large Broadway style entertainment. It is one of the few that really are well suited for Honeymooners and the 30’s crowd, and having plenty of other passengers in that age range during the summer and vacation seasons.

With the inclusion of their new Haven Suites, it works great for multi-generational groups with an secluded upscale ship-within-a-ship for grandparents or parents, with good accommodations and entertainment options for the rest of the family. In many senses, it is like having a ship that is part Royal Caribbean with a small section of Azamara class on-board. Private restaurant, private pool area and butlers for every Haven stateroom with excellent amenities.

With all of that said, it is with great pleasure that I introduce and invite each of you to join us on our upcoming Presidents Cruise on the Norwegian Getaway, round-trip from Miami. More details are below on everything we have in store for you.