Tag Archives: Andy Stuart

Norwegian Dawn debuts after extensive refit

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Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn sailed into her seasonal homeport of Boston, Massachusetts on 17 June following a month-long drydock.

Norwegian Dream, which was renovated as part of the US$400 million The Norwegian Edge programme, now has two new restaurants, three new bars and lounges, updated design and décor in all public spaces, and refurbished staterooms and suites.

“As with each of the ship refurbishments in the Norwegian Edge programme, this was not your average drydock,” said Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and COO. “Norwegian Dawn was brought down to the steel in many spaces and rebuilt to evoke the look and feel of the newest Norwegian ships, allowing guests sailing on her to enjoy all of the freedom and flexibility that only Norwegian offers, along with a more premium experience from bow to stern.”

Norwegian Dawn debuts after extensive refit

New dining venues include Mexican restaurant Los Lobos Cantina, which will open on 1 July, and the popular O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill. Now, guests can also visit bars such as Sugarcane Mojito Bar, Bliss Lounge (formerly Spinnakers Lounge) and The Cellars, a Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar to enable guests to enjoy tastings and educational events. This venue was previously the Pearly King Pub.

Existing complimentary dining venues, such as The Venetian, Aqua, Bamboo Asian Restaurant and the Garden Café, have all been revamped with new flooring, wall coverings, furniture, artwork, signage and decorative lighting.

Similar upgrades where completed in the ship’s speciality restaurants, including Cagney’s Steakhouse and Moderno Churrascaria, which has been moved to Deck 13 adjacent to Sugarcane Mojito Bar. Le Bistro and La Cucina have also switched places, while Teppanyaki restaurant has been doubled in size to add to more tables and a divider between Bamboo and Teppanyaki.

The ship’s existing bars and lounges – such as Gatsby’s Champagne Bar and the Cigar Bar – have also been fitted with new flooring, furniture, decorative lighting, artwork and more. All staterooms received updated carpets, bedding, drapery, artwork, flat screen TVs and furniture. The two Garden Villas were completely remodeled with new flooring, inside and outside furniture, ceilings, lighting, bedding, décor and 42-inch flat screen TVs.

Other highlights include refreshed décor in the public spaces, elevators, toilets, the library and the Atrium – which also features an additional seating area – while the upgraded shopping area has been renamed Tradewinds. Tides, which sells jewellery, was added to the Atrium. The Photo Gallery also features individual digital monitors and larger photo display panels, while the Dawn Casino and Entourage teen space and video arcade were refurbished. The Stardust Theater has reupholstered and recushioned seats, and will offer performances of Band on the Run, Showdown and Elements.

Meanwhile, the pool deck has new decking, white awnings, exterior showers, pool loungers, and a fresh look to all exterior corridors. In addition, the Bimini Bar overlooking the main pool deck was redesigned, the Pulse Fitness Center now offers Techno Gym equipment, and the Mandara Spa has updated treatment rooms and a new barber shop, nail salon, spa pool and eight heated loungers.

Norwegian Dawn will sail from Boston to Bermuda each week until the end of October, spending three nights in port. In the winter, the ship will sail from New Orleans to the Western Caribbean, calling at Norwegian’s private island Harvest Caye, as well as Belize.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Andy Stuart ~ Q & A

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Norwegian president and COO Andy Stuart
Norwegian Cruise Line has worked hard to make value-added amenities rather than price discounting its go-to tool for making sales. The current Free at Sea promotion offers a pick among five items, including shore excursions, WiFi, unlimited beverages, specialty dining and third and fourth berths free. But Norwegian introduced Sail Away fares in March designed to eliminate those amenities with a reduction in fare after finding that the value of Free at Sea was hard to convey in some online searches. It disclosed the fares in a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts. Norwegian president and COO Andy Stuart spoke with senior editor Tom Stieghorst about Sail Away.

Q: What are Sail Away fares?

Andy Stuart
Andy Stuart

A: As a brand, we want our business to be very focused on value and away from price. The majority of what we sell comes with some value-added feature, either a beverage package or an internet package or onboard credit or free shore excursion or some other way. The Sail Away fares … come without a value-add.

Q: Why were they created?

A: What we were seeing is there are environments where the fares look too expensive. If you just have a conversation, it’s quite easy to explain. If you move into a more price-driven environment, it becomes more complicated. Most online sites were designed to show a particular cruise for seven nights or three nights or four nights. It tends to be cruise, the number of days it is and price.

In an online environment, it starts to get a little more complicated. There are two things going on. The higher prices move the cruise down in the search results. The second thing going on is even when we were well-positioned in search results, with the higher price the value-add doesn’t come through.

Q: How long has Sail Away been available?

A: We started testing it in March and April on a relatively small number of cruises, and we were quite pleased with it. It’s been widely available since the beginning of May.

Q: How much lower are the fares?

A: It’s hard to generalize because of the varying length of cruises involved and different itineraries. In most cases, if a customer were choosing between the Sail Away fare and a fare that includes the value-added items, we would expect them to choose the value-add. The cost of a beverage package on its own can be $600, and I don’t think any of the Sail Away fares are reduced by that much.

Q: Are they available only to OTAs?

A: They’re generally available. In the conference call we were talking about the OTAs because that’s the environment where people are selling in an online world.

Q: Can Sail Away be purchased as soon as inventory becomes available?

A: Most of these are available close-in, but we’re testing a lot of different things. But they’re only available in four categories; you can’t buy them on a suite. So it’s a tiny percentage of our inventory. There’s one inside, one outside, one balcony and one minisuite. It’s less than 10% [of the inventory].

Q: Are Sail Away fares contrary to Norwegian’s value-add strategy? If not, why not?

A: It’s not contrary. The reason it isn’t is that it applies to such a small percentage of our inventory. Secondly, the discount will never equal the value of the value-add. It’s a tactic that we think will ultimately be used on a very small percentage of our business.

Meyer Werft: Construction & keel-laying of the Norwegian Joy

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Photo: Meyer Werft

Norwegian Joy Keel Laying
 

Construction of the fourth vessel for Norwegian Cruise Line

The construction of the first phase of the latest fleet member Norwegian Cruise Line has begun. Shareholders and members of the board of the US shipping company and representatives of the MEYER WERFT attended the keel was laid on 5 April 2016th During the celebration of the block 45 of 168,800 gt vessel was lifted into the covered building dock II shipyard.

Photo: Meyer Werft

Photo: Meyer Werft

Andy Stuart, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, Harry Sommer, EPP Norwegian Cruise Line International and David Herera, President Norwegian Cruise Line China laid the traditional “lucky penny” under the block before the 680-ton component to the 800-ton crane on was placed the few days earlier docked machine room module.

Photo: Meyer Werft

Photo: from left – Lambert Kruse, Managing Meyer Werft, Harry Sommer, EPP Norwegian Cruise Line International, Andy Stuart, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, Bernard Meyer, managing director Meyer Werft, David Herera, President Norwegian Cruise Line China, Alex Xiang, Vice President of Sales, China

“We are excited today the keel laying of the Norwegian Joy with our partner of Meyer celebrate shipyard” , says Andy Stuart. “The beginning of the assembly process is an important milestone and we are aware of the good work of the yard, with the Norwegian Joy again for a classic to build the ship. “

Already in 12 months the ship will be ready and complete the sea trials in the North Sea. The Norwegian Joy is the fourth of six ships which MEYER WERFT will finish up in 2019 for Norwegian Cruise Line.

“Today we have the first placed of about 80 blocks in our dry dock” , said Bernard Meyer, CEO of Meyer Werft.“It makes us very proud to continue to build the Norwegian Joy our good cooperation with our longstanding customer Norwegian Cruise Line. “

Once completed, the Norwegian Joy her first trip to China takes in the summer 2017th As a developed specifically for the Asian market ship will be used exclusively for Chinese travelers.

The 4,200 passengers bidding cruise ship has a length of 324 meters and a width of 41.4 meters. The new building will combine the advantages of Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Escape and offer guests on another deck many additional facilities and attractions.