Continuing our look at the various
cruise lines, this week I thought I would talk about Norwegian Cruise
Line.
Not all that long ago, Norwegian was
in a bad way. The top management had some clever ideas but somehow
the line was unable to turn these concepts into reality. As a
result, Norwegian developed a reputation for poor service. My
observation at that time was that the line had some interesting ships
but the people operating the ships were unhappy and so service and
execution suffered.
Then Kevin Sheehan became CEO and
everything started to turn around. Energetic and charismatic,
Sheehan was able to revive employee morale and unleash the pent up
talents of management and employees. Whereas no one seemed to care
before, now everyone is enthusiastic.
Norwegian is at the forefront of the
new model of cruising. Long known for its Freestyle diing concept,
the new Norwegian ships - - Epic, Breakaway and Getaway - - not only
give passengers good quality options with regard to dining but also
with regard to entertainment. Thus, guests have a great amount of
freedom to decide how they will spend their time onboard.
There is also a wide variety of
accommodations on the Norwegian ships - - again, especially on the
newer ships. Cabins range from budget-concious interior cabins to
the luxury of the suites located in the exclusive Haven area. The
newer ships also led the way in providing cabins for solo travelers
at a reasonable rate.
Passengers on Norwegian tend to be
middle class. Most are interested in relaxing in the sun, using the
sports facilities and in the evening being entertained in the bars,
casinos and other entertainment venues. Lectures and cultural
activities are not a high priority.
Norwegian is a family-fiendly line
with a strong youth program and a large amount of space dedicated to
children. Of course, the number of children onboard decreases when
school is open.
The line bases its ships on a long
term basis in certain home ports. For example, Breakaway and Gem are
based all year in New York while Norwegain Dawn spends each summer in
Boston. As a result, the ships tend to develop a local following who
return to their local ship again and again.
Most of the ships in the Norwegian
fleet were built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. This
shipayrd is known for its attention to detail and the high quality of
the ships that it builds. The Norwegian ships are no exception.
Norwegian is the thrid largest cruise
company. Recently, Norwegian purchased Regent Seven Seas Cruises and
Oceania Cruises. This move makes a lot of business sense as it will
allow Norwegain to become a multi-diemnsional cruise conglomerate
like its competitors Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises
Ltd. My only concern, however, is whether the new lines will
distract Mr. Sheehan from continuing the great work he has done in
turning Norwegian around.
This week Beyondships has new photo
and video features of Norwegian Gem
http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-coming-and-going.html
and Norwegain Dawn.
http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-photo-feature.html
