26 15 MINUTES WITH EAMONN FERRIN


January 2022 Travel News


EXCLUSIVE: NI TRAVEL NEWS SPEAKS TO NCL’S BELFAST-BORN VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS


Northern Ireland Travel News caught up with Belfast- born man Eamonn Ferrin, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Vice President of International Business to find out more about the cruise line’s plans for post-pandemic recovery and how it is capatlising on the new trend for bucket-list trips...


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ORWEGIAN Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 54-year history of breaking boundaries recently marked a key milestone in the post-pandemic era of cruising as it floated out its new ship, Norwegian Prima. Over the past few months the cruise line has been welcoming its ships back to service and can now boast that 13 of the cline’s 17 ships are back on the seas. Belfast-born Eamonn Ferrin is an industry veteran, having joined NCL in January 2019 with more than 23 years of travel and hospitality experience under his belt. Eamonn recently celebrated stepping into the role of Vice President of International Business. Eamonn has worked in a variety of divisional CEO, COO and Managing Director roles in the UK, Canada and internationally for brands including Air Canada, Holidaybreak and MyTravel.


Outside of NCL, Ferrin serves as a member of the CLIA Executive Committee and the CLIA Steering Group for the UK.


Norwegian Cruise Line announced their highly- anticipated return to service after an 18-month hiatus. “We have announced our highly-anticipated return


to service for 13 of our 17 ships starting 25th July,” said Eamonn. And with itineraries ranging from new voyages in Europe and the Caribbean to sailings to Alaska, Hawaii and the Panama Canal bookings are already high. Eamonn continued: “We restarted operations at


a reduced capacity and all guests and all our onboard crew sailing aboard cruises are required to be fully vaccinated and tested prior to boarding. “While we always had robust health and safety protocols in place, we have spent the past year further developing and refining those protocols, using the latest scientific findings and expert advice.”


In April 2021, NCL launched their Sail Safe Health and Safety programme, which is founded on three pillars: 1. Safety for guests and crew with vaccination requirements,


universal COVID-19 testing and


enhanced health screening protocols 2. Safety aboard with medical-grade air filtration, increased sanitation measures and enhanced medical resources 3. Safety ashore through the collaboration with land- based tour operator partners to extend health and safety measures to each destination.


Looking forward to 2022 Eamonn said: “We feel very confident about the next 12 months and the future of cruising. The cruise industry is incredibly robust and is already beginning to bounce back. “We recently launched Norwegian Prima, the first of


six ships within our all new Prima Class. I’m pleased to share that the vessel has set the single-best booking day and best initial booking week for any of our new build sales in our 54-year history.


“Norwegian Bliss, which debuted in 2018, and previously boasted our biggest booking day ever during her unveiling, has now been outpaced by Norwegian Prima, which has doubled the prior record. This demonstrates how resilient the cruise industry is; we’re coming back bigger and better than before.” Eamonn says they are also noticing a trend with


British holidaymakers who had put off booking their dream cruise holidays now rushing to make sure they can enjoy the experiences they want.


“British and Irish holidaymakers are certainly eager


to travel again after over a year of staying home. We expect “Bucket List” itineraries to be very popular as international travel reopens.” And speaking of Bucket List itineraries, Norwegian has an exciting new season of sailings open for sale for 2023 and 2024! With the most itineraries the cruise line has ever opened for sale and new ports in Alaska, Japan, and The Caribbean, there are plenty of new places to


with a late midnight departure allowing guests to enjoy the late evening hours of the famed town. The ship will also make her debut call in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Norwegian Escape will also offer a series of seven-


day roundtrip cruises from Barcelona starting on May 26, 2024, featuring zero days at sea, visiting six ports- of-call including Cannes, France; Livorno (Florence), Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, and Cagliari, Italy; and Palma De Mallorca, Spain. Spend more than 11 hours in Livorno (Florence), Civitavecchia (Rome), and Naples, three of the most historically and culturally rich cities in Italy!


If the Greek Isles, Croatia, and Montenegro are on your must-see list (as they should be!), plan for the vacation of a lifetime on Norwegian Pearl. The ship will sail a series of seven-day roundtrip itineraries from May 26, 2024 through Oct. 27, 2024 from Trieste (Venice), Italy making calls in two medieval walled towns: Kotor, Montenegro and Dubrovnik, Croatia, and offering a late departure in Santorini for a chance to take in those iconic, picturesque sunsets. Dramatic ruins. Historic landmarks. And old-world


Eamonn Ferrin, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Vice President of International Business


explore and new memories to be made. Find your own slice of paradise on the pristine


beaches of The Caribbean. Witness magical sunsets in the Mediterranean or hike up majestic glaciers in Alaska. Whether you’re hopping islands or crossing oceans, come aboard our award-winning fleet and experience a vacation curated to amaze with Norwegian. Paradise moves to its own tempo. And you can, too! With multiple departure ports including cruises from Miami, Orlando, and New York, and several award- winning cruise ships to choose from, it’s easy to find your vacation flow on a Caribbean cruise. Discover your own private oasis on Great Stirrup


Cay, our exclusive stop on all Caribbean sailings aboard Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Breakaway. Dive into warm, crystal blue water or soar like an eagle on a thrilling zipline. Sip champagne from your luxurious, air-conditioned villa and then bask on a private beach and lagoon at the new Silver Cove. It’s your choice and your private island! Looking for a quick tropical trip? Choose from 5-day Caribbean cruise itineraries aboard Norwegian Gem, sailing shorter cruises out of Miami to Key West and Cozumel. Or extend your time in paradise with a 14-day sailing aboard Norwegian Jade on a Caribbean cruise from Tampa. With only three days at sea, this amazing two-week cruise features 10 ports of call including Turks & Caicos, Aruba and the US Virgin Islands. From iconic landmarks to picturesque cities, the 2023-2024 cruise season marks the first time Norwegian will sail to Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy in one amazing itinerary. In Haifa, enjoy the incredible views from Bahai Gardens on Mount Carmel – the largest hanging gardens in the world. Or travel to close-by holy sites including Galilee, Nazareth and Jerusalem. Sip Italian espresso in a quaint café or journey to an ancient time at the iconic Colosseum in Rome.


Cruise from Rome, Haifa or Venice aboard Norwegian Epic and make it one for the history books. Go from breathtaking vistas in Mykonos to exploring


the classical ruins of Rome. Cruise the Greek Isles aboard Norwegian Pearl or Norwegian Epic and witness a magical sunset in Santorini as all ships leave port past sundown. With a variety of port intensive itineraries that feature only one day at sea, you’ll uncover all the local hidden gems.


Norwegian Epic will make her debut in Trieste (Venice), Italy and Koper, Slovenia during her 14-day Grand Mediterranean holiday sailing on Dec. 22, 2023. For an unparalleled holiday experience, shop Europe’s iconic Christmas markets at each port. This itinerary will offer zero days at sea along with overnight visits in Dubrovnik, Croatia on Christmas Eve. Cap it off with a New Year’s celebration in Barcelona and Palma Mallorca, Spain.


For a Grand Mediterranean adventure, Norwegian


Escape will offer sailings between April 2024 and October 2024 where guests can spend over 105 hours exploring Mediterranean cruise ports in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain. During the April 24, 2024 sailing, the ship will call to Ibiza, Spain


charm. A Northern Europe cruise has it all. And with Norwegian, Europe’s Leading Cruise Line, you’ll see it all. Unpack once and wake up to a new European city nearly every day when you choose from our thoughtfully curated 2023 and 2024 itineraries. Sailing from Copenhagen in May 2024, Norwegian Getaway will offer a nine-day round-trip sailing that offers the chance to visit seven different countries in the Baltic region. An overnight in St. Petersburg on Norwegian Getaway gives you plenty of time to enjoy an evening of Russian folklore, ballet, and dance. And with 15 hours to spend in Berlin (Warnemünde), you can explore Germany’s bustling capital and cultural centre. Visit Potsdamer Platz, where the first hole in the Berlin Wall was made before grabbing a pint enjoying a traditional pub-style lunch. Do all of this and more while enjoying spectacular onboard entertainment, luxurious spa services and no set dining times.


Ready to explore the land of tangerine sunsets and pink-sand beaches? Cruise aboard Norwegian Gem out of Boston and spend 3 full days enjoying the sights and sounds of a Bermuda cruise. Or bring the gang and make it a family getaway when you cruise from New York aboard Norwegian Joy and choose from a variety of sailings curated around holiday weekends when kids have time off from school.


With the seven-day sailings providing up to 55 hours in port at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Norwegian is the only cruise line to offer three days in Bermuda. That’s plenty of time to do it all. So, grab a snorkel and dive into an underwater world filled with tropical fish of


Ambassador Cruise Line has announced its part-


every colour, or discover what’s left of the Montana, one of hundreds of shipwrecks encircling the islands. When you come up for air, you can do a little shopping in the capital city of Hamilton as you stroll colonial landmarks, or sail into the moonlight on a relaxing catamaran ride. Explore one of The Last Frontier’s greatest treasures


— the pristine landscape of Icy Strait Point. Whoosh above the lush rainforest on the largest and highest zipline in the Western Hemisphere or take to the water in a kayak where you might see eagles, seals, whales, bears and more. And what’s an Alaska cruise vacation without witnessing majestic glaciers? Cruise from Seattle aboard Norwegian Bliss or Norwegian Encore for a guaranteed glacier experience.


If balance is more your thing, experience Norwegian Spirit’s “Fire and Ice” sailings on April 22, 2024 and Sept. 25, 2024. These open-jaw itineraries to and from Honolulu and Vancouver will visit the tropical islands of Hawaii and beautiful towns of Alaska. Discover paradise with an overnight in Nawiliwili (Kauai), and island hop to Kahului (Maui), and Hilo, Hawaii. Then sail towards the Last Frontier where the ship will cruise through striking glaciers towards Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a United Nations World Heritage Site, followed by calls to Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Skagway and Ketchikan, Alaska. If you’d like to be the first to experience this once-in-a-lifetime itinerary, the debut “Fire and Ice” sailing will take place June 12, 2022, followed by a second sailing on Oct. 3, 2022. But no matter how you choose to experience Alaska, cruising with Norwegian is your best bet when you’re sailing with the only cruise line designed to let the outside in. Sailing through one of the wonders of the modern


world, a Panama Canal cruise is an experience you won’t soon forget. The opportunity to experience this rite of passage continues with coast-to-coast sailings to and from Miami and Los Angeles over the winter of 2023 and 2024. Cruise from Miami on Nov. 25, 2023 on board Norwegian Joy for an 11-day sailing that concludes in Panama City. Enjoy over eight hours in all ports-of- call with a full 13 hours in Willemstad, Curaçao, ideal for a scuba diving adventure or a stroll down their picturesque pier featuring colourful colonial Dutch buildings.


Norwegian Joy will also offer two 15-day Panama


Canal sailings from Miami on Jan. 6, 2024 and from Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2024 where she will overnight in Panama City. Tour the city’s old colonial centre or enjoy the vibrant nightlife.


Discover these and many more exciting cruises for


2023 and 2024. Where will Norwegian’s new season of sailings take you?


Ambassador Cruise Line Partners with Marine Conservation Charity ORCA support our decision.”


nership with marine conservation charity, ORCA. The partnership includes the launch of the first ever cruise line “Anti-Whaling campaign”.


Christian Verhounig, Chief Executive Officer at Am- bassador Cruise Line has formally written to the Far- oese Prime Minister, Bárður á Steig Nielsen, stating that if there are recurring incidents of the dolphin hunt that took place in September 2021, he will reconsider the cruise lines position and planned three future sailings to the Islands.


Ambassador will also be monitoring the outcome of the review planned to be undertaken by the Faroes Gov- ernment with respect to their Commercial Whaling pol- icy and will reserve the right to cancel such ports of call if it is deemed that activity in the destination contradicts the cruise line’s pledge.


Christian Verhounig, said: “We at Ambassador feel incredibly passionate about supporting this cause. This joined up approach with ORCA demonstrates our com- mitted action in addressing this issue of unnecessary dol- phin hunts and commercial whaling and to encourage change.


“This approach has been developed taking expert advice from our new partner, ORCA who we are ex- tremely proud to be working with, and from other glob- al experts. We are particularly confident that this repre- sents the best approach to maximise the impact and we hope our campaign will result in a measurable effect on the commercial whaling industry and that the incident that took place on 12 September 2021 will never happen again.


“Tourism is one of the key drivers of commercial


whaling and consuming whale meat poses a significant human health risk. In all of our communications to our cruise guests we will advise them to avoid consuming this product in destinations that they visit. We have also taken the decision not to include any excursions to Oceanariums or experiences that involve captive marine mammals. “We also have confidence that if activities take place which force us to reconsider our sailings and change our itineraries, our booked guests will understand and fully


This pledge will include ORCA placing two Ocean Conservationists onboard Ambience in 2022 and 2023, on 11 sailings, a large proportion of Ambassador’s voyag- es, totalling over 200 days. These Ocean Conservation- ists will visit countries such as Iceland, Greenland and sail the Iberian coast, Black Sea and Irish Sea. During their voyages they will collect important scientific data in key areas, as well as delivering an enhanced onboard experience for guests so that they can deliver unforgetta- ble wildlife experiences to all guests.


Two of the 11 cruises will be Ambassador’s multi-gen- erational cruises in the Summer 2022 where ORCA will be providing a multi-generational focussed education programme, working with families to teach them about the marine environment and involving them in some conservation projects on the ship.


ORCA will also have a permanent presence on Am- bience with a dedicated enrichment area which will in- clude a range of fun and exciting activities about whales and dolphins, including:


Educational material focussed on whales and dol- phins, including the ORCA OceanWatchers app so guests can try their hand at being an Ocean Conserva- tionist


Models of whales, dolphins and porpoises, and repli- ca whale and dolphin bones


Information about ORCA’s conservation pro- grammes and how they are working to protect whales and dolphins around the world Steve Jones, Head of Partnerships at ORCA said: “ORCA are incredibly excited to be involved in this part- nership with Ambassador Cruise Line and are proud to be part of such an ambitious and impactful programme. The work we will be doing together will have a direct impact on protecting whales and dolphins, and after spending a lot of time with the team at Ambassador it’s clear that they care passionately about protecting the marine environment. This new partnership shows the positive impact that businesses can have, and we can’t wait to get started when Ambience sets sail in 2022.” For further information please visit ambassador- cruiseline.com/charity-partnerships/ORCA

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