NEWS Cruise Line Breakaway-Plus class ship to launch. Harry Kemble was on board SPECIAL REPORT
Stuart bows out at ‘right time’ as Encore launches
N
Onda by Scarpetta restaurant
orwegian Cruise Line’s outgoing boss believes now is the “right time to step aside”, having launched the line’s fourth and final Breakaway-Plus class ship, Norwegian Encore.
Chief executive and president Andy Stuart, who
has been with the line for 31 years, is to leave his current role in January. He will be succeeded by Harry Sommer, international president of parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Speaking at Encore’s delivery ceremony last week, Stuart
said: “Now we have delivered the last ship in the series it feels like the right time to step aside. I am really excited about this next step in my journey.” Encore, the 17th vessel in NCL’s fleet, is currently
crossing the Atlantic to New York, where it will host a series of preview events for the US market ahead of its official naming ceremony in Miami. Te 3,998-passenger ship will sail seven-day eastern
Caribbean cruises out of Miami during its maiden programme. It features the longest race track at sea (335 metres);
29 eating venues including new modern Italian restaurant Onda by Scarpeta; and an escape room as part of indoor gaming complex Galaxy Pavilion.
Stuart will stay at
NCL as an advisor until March 31. He said it was “a pleasure” to hand the reins over to Sommer. Sommer said
Stuart would be remembered for pulling together the line’s senior management team and for the roll-out of the Norwegian Edge ship upgrade programme. Norwegian Spirit, built in 1998, will be the last ship to
Andy Stuart
enter dry dock as part of the project in January when it will be fited with 14 new dining and entertainment venues, additional cabins and an expanded spa. “Tere will be another series of dry docks ahead,”
Sommer said. “We don’t plan to rest on our laurels, even aſter the Norwegian Edge programme ends in February.”
Norwegian Encore: in numbers gross tonnes
167,800 10,000
3,998 335
29 4
square-foot indoor games complex, Te Galaxy Pavilion passenger capacity metre race track called Speedway eating venues NCL Breakaway-Plus class ships
Ferrin plans agent visits to Jade, Star and Escape
NCL’s UK boss has pledged to “double down” on the line’s ship visit programme in 2020 to build on the progress it has made with the trade. Te line wants to create
more opportunities for agents to see its ships, UK and Ireland managing director Eamonn Ferrin said. Norwegian Jade,
Norwegian Star and Norwegian Escape will all call at ports in the UK and Ireland next year. Ferrin said: “I want to get
travelweekly.co.uk
as many UK agents on board to see every Norwegian ship that docks in the UK and Ireland. “You can only understand
the product if you see it. We want to build on what we have achieved to this point.” NCL has hosted 25 ship
Eamonn Ferrin
visits this year. Ferrin said: “I want to double down on [ship visits for 2020] to see [suite-only area] Te Haven and the Mandara Spa to show the quality that we bring to the marketplace.”
7 NOVEMBER 2019 15
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