In order to distinguish itself from the competition, Norwegian Cruise Line (“NCL”) introduced what it calls “Freestyle Cruising” at the turn of the millennium. Taking a cue from landside resorts, Freestyle seeks to do away with the traditional approach to life onboard a cruise ship. It is based upon the notion that passengers should decide when and where to eat, what to wear and what entertainment to see because it is the passengers’ vacation. Accordingly, NCL has done away with assigned seating in its dining rooms, dress codes, and scheduling its entertainment so that everything begins at uniform times. This concept has proven popular and now the other major lines are blending elements of the Freestyle approach into their cruise offerings.
I recently spoke with Jacques LeTallec, the Hotel Director on NORWEGIAN DAWN about Freestyle Cruising. We discussed, the philosophy behind it as well as some real world impediments to implementing such a system and how NCL seeks to overcome them. Also, Jacques explained why he sees NCL as still having a competitive advantage over the other cruise lines who are implementing systems similar to Freestyle.
Our discussion is posted at: http://beyondships.com/NCLDawn-LeTallec.html
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