NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
Norwegian Escape launch: Norwegian Cruise Line signals plan to move upmarket with the unveiling of its biggest ship to date. Hollie-Rae Merrick reports from Southampton
Norwegian Escape will operate sailings from Miami
Mainstream Norwegian aims to be premium line
Norwegian Cruise Line is repositioning itself as a premium cruise brand as it reveals plans to enhance its 14-ship fleet and raise prices.
The brand’s bosses believe
Norwegian Escape marks the “dawn of a new era for premium cruising” for the line, which until now has been regarded as a ‘mainstream’ cruise operator. Speaking at the launch of
Norwegian Escape in Southampton last week, Andy Stuart, president and chief operating officer, said he believed the combination of modern decor, a lighter colour scheme and greater focus on cuisine would elevate the brand to premium level. “There is a tremendous opportunity for this brand to deliver a premium experience,” he said. “This ship is really where we start on that journey and from here we have a very ambitious plan to enhance the rest of the fleet. This ship will be a template. “We believe our fleet today is under-priced for the value we provide and, as we continue to enhance ships and deliver more
Francis Riley, Norwegian’s senior
“Every ship in our fleet is going to go through a drydock revamp over the next two years”
premium ships, we believe there is an opportunity to get better prices.” The 4,248-passenger ship will
be pitched at a level similar to those of Celebrity Cruises, HAL and sister brand Oceania Cruises.
vice-president for international sales and operations, said Escape would set the benchmark. To ensure the rest of the fleet is on a par with Escape, all ships will undergo an extensive revamp. “The investment in our fleet
From left: Norwegian’s Christian Boell, Andy Stuart and Francis Riley
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travelweekly.co.uk 5 November 2015
marks the beginning of a new dawn,” said Riley. “Every ship in our fleet, over the course of the next 24 months, is going to go through a significant drydock. Frank Del Rio [president and chief executive of Norwegian] is adamant the ships come out looking better than the day they were launched. “Escape is the start of what the new Norwegian will look like.” Riley would not reveal how much money the line planned to spend upgrading all its ships. The revamp will see the decor modernised on the older ships, and Riley and Stuart hinted that new venues, such as Food Republic, could be introduced on all vessels. Following its launch, Norwegian
Escape sailed to the US to operate Caribbean cruises out of Miami.
Line to reveal new brand campaign in the new year
Norwegian Cruise Line is likely to unveil a new brand campaign and slogan early next year. Andy Stuart said Norwegian
was working with an agency to create new brand messaging. While he wouldn’t be drawn on whether the slogan ‘Cruise like a Norwegian’ would be ditched, he hinted that it was a possibility. “We feel there is a chance
to present the flexibility we offer as Norwegian Cruise Line in a more compelling way,” he said. “We are working very hard with a new agency in the US and globally to develop a campaign and a presentation of the brand which will do a more powerful job in explaining what freedom and flexibility means to our guests. “We will have a roll-out of something new in January.”
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