NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
N
orwegian Cruise Line is aiming to expand its UK trade sales team in recognition of the
NCL to grow team Luna to make debut in April 2026
Line’s Gary Anslow speaks to Andrew McQuarrie during shipyard tour in Venice We value the
“huge” benefits of face-to-face contact with agents. A restructuring of the trade team
at the start of the year included the addition of two field-based positions and the creation of a new training- focused role for Laura Croft. Gary Anslow, regional vice-
president and head of UK and Ireland for NCL, told Travel Weekly that plans for further bolstering of the trade team would be “revealed soon”. Speaking in Venice as the line
hosted agents on a shipyard visit to seeNorwegian Aqua, he said: “We see the UK as a growth market for NCL, not just on the back of the organic growth we get because of the capacity increase [from new ships], but because we value the UK guest – they are a good guest to have on board.”
Personal touch He added: “We expanded our sales team last year. We reintroduced boots on the ground and we’re looking at how we grow that because we know there’s nothing that beats the level of personal contact you
16 26 SEPTEMBER 2024
UK guest – they are a good guest to have on board
can have with an agent. It makes a huge difference and that’s a huge opportunity for us.” Trade sales represent two-thirds
of NCL’s bookings in the UK, Anslow said, with agents’ efforts helping the brand to notch a new record this year. “We will go into 2025 in our
strongest sold position on the back of the strongest sold position in 2023 going into 2024,” he said, noting that the booking curve had been brought forward in the past couple of years. “Our booked lead time has
continued to increase, which is something we’ve been aspiring to by bringing our products on sale as early as possible,” he added. “Guests who book further out tend to book further up the ship and spend more on board. It’s in our interest and in the interests of our trade partners to bring those early bookings in.” Anslow said he was looking
forward to hosting 1,550 UK agents for the inaugural sailing on Norwegian Aqua from Southampton in spring 2025.
Gary Anslow
Norwegian Cruise Line’s second upcoming ship will be named Norwegian Luna and is due to make its first sailing in spring 2026. The vessel will be the second in the line’s Prima Plus Class after
sister ship Norwegian Aqua, which is scheduled to make its debut in April 2025. Norwegian Luna (pictured) will
sail round-trip cruises from Miami from April 4 until November 2026. It will then operate two western Caribbean itineraries, before switching to eastern Caribbean cruises.
‘POTENTIAL IS UNLIMITED’
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) boss Harry Sommer (pictured) has outlined ambitions to “triple the size of the company” as part of a push to grow the cruise market. During a dinner with agents
in Venice, he said: “As an industry, cruising represents 2% of vacations worldwide. We think the potential for growth is unlimited.”
Sommer added that NCLH brands were committed to working
closely with trade partners and described the future as “incredibly bright”, pointing to the 13 ships on order across the brands.
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Chris Balcombe/NCL
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