Norwegian Cruises Talks Global Bookings

Heading into a year that will bring its first vessel built for the Chinese market and its first entry into Cuba, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is readying itself to go more global.  

“We are in the best booked position in the company’s history–we’ve seen strong booking volumes in all major destinations,” president Frank Del Rio said on a conference call discussing the company’s fourth quarter and full year earnings on Wednesday.  

In particular, the past eight weeks have seen accelerated bookings from guests—and most striking is the volume headed to Europe, Del Rio said.  

“We are seeing strong demand for European itineraries, particularly from North America,” Norwegian CFO Wendy Beck said on the call.  

Norwegian also is bullish on the 3,850-passenger Joy, its first ship built specifically for Chinese guests. Joy boasts the first at-sea concierge level, with larger balconies and a dedicated concierge to make dining and entertainment reservations. It will arrive in Shanghai in late June, and bookings are “significantly ahead of the rest of the Norwegian brand fleet,” even with prices at a 20% premium, Del Rio said. 

Del Rio also announced that the company’s fourth Breakaway Plus vessel—not yet named—also will debut as a purpose-built ship for China. “We have chosen to design it as a sister ship to Norwegian Joy,” he said. “We continue to be big believers in the potential of China.”  

Heading south
Meanwhile, Norwegian is set to enter the Cuban market, with all three brands—Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruise and Regents Seven Seas—offering Cuban sailings to U.S. travelers beginning in March. Though optimistic, Del Rio noted that Cuban cruises will represent just 2% of Norwegian’s total capacity, compared to Europe’s 23%.