Tag Archives: Australia

Norwegian’s Asia cruises aimed at North Americans

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Norwegian Star photo taken in Acapulco Mexico, by Dave Jones.

By Michelle Baran

 After announcing that the Norwegian Star will sail to destinations in Asia and Australia for the fall/winter 2016-17 season, Norwegian Cruise Line made clear that the cruises are not aimed at the Asian source market.

“We’re definitely marketing globally, but the North American market is a huge and very important market for these itineraries. … This is not a ship going out to Asia for Asians. This is a ship going out for our core, target audience,” Andy Stuart, president and COO of Norwegian Cruise Line, told travel agents during a webinar on Tuesday.

Stuart broke down the Norwegian Star’s journey eastward, which will begin after its summer season in Northern Europe next year. The ship will sail to Barcelona, then to Istanbul and the Holy Land, then to Dubai via the Suez Canal, on to India, and ultimately to Asia where it will visit ports in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong before continuing on to Australia and New Zealand.

The move eastward marks the first time since 2002 that Norwegian Cruise Line will sail to destinations in Asia.

The Asia expansion is separate from Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd.’s plans explore deployment options in China.

Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd. eyes Cuba and China

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Norwegian Star in Cabo San Lucas, by Dave Jones

By Michelle Baran
One day after announcing that Norwegian Cruise Line will sail to destinations in Asia and Australia for the first time since 2002, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. revealed it is looking into opportunities for deployment in both China and Cuba.

“We believe that once Cuba opens up totally, it’s going to be a real windfall for the industry,” Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.

Del Rio said that the company has already applied for a license to operate Cuba cruises with the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and an export license with the Commerce Department. “And we have engaged the Cuban government,” said Del Rio.

He said that a possible Cuba deployment is still a work in progress, but that the company is hopeful it will receive the applicable permissions from both governments before the year is over. “And then we’ll have an interesting dilemma on our hands of what vessels to deploy to Cuba and from where,” said Del Rio.

He said that of the company’s brands, the first vessel to sail to Cuba would most likely come from the Oceania fleet.

As for speculation about whether the company’s Asia expansion would include deploying a vessel in China, Del Rio said that China plans aren’t finalized but that the market is desirable.

“You hear the other lines say how their most profitable ships are based in China, and so we want in on that action,” said Del Rio. “It’s now no longer a startup market if you will. … And given that the Norwegian fleet will have grown to 17 vessels, its’ time to deploy some tonnage there.”

He added that if the company decides to go to China, a ship will not arrive there before 2017.

In February, Del Rio told investors that China was being studied as a deployment option for one of its ships on order for 2018.

Norwegian Star to sail Asia and Australia cruises

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Norwegian Star in Cabo San Lucas, by Dave Jones

By Jerry Limone

Norwegian Cruise Line will sail to destinations in Asia and Australia for the first time since 2002, operating voyages from six ports in fall/winter 2016-17 on the Norwegian Star.

Itineraries will depart from Istanbul, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand. Highlights include the line’s first visits to India and the Persian Gulf, a series of Southeast Asia cruises and two Australia/New Zealand voyages (one 12-day and one 19-day cruise). The Southeast Asia cruises feature overnight stays in Bangkok.

Also in winter 2016-17, the Norwegian Epic will return to Florida after more than a year in Europe, sailing eastern and western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral. The Norwegian Jade will replace Norwegian Star in Tampa, mainly sailing an itinerary that visits the Mexican Caribbean; Roatan in Honduras’ Bay Islands; and Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s new private destination in Belize.

Starting next summer, the Norwegian Spirit will replace the Epic as the line’s year-round European ship, sailing Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Venice and Istanbul.

In addition to Norwegian’s previously scheduled Panama Canal cruises in February, the line has added two 14-day Panama Canal sailings from Los Angeles and Miami on the Norwegian Jewel, on Feb. 5, 2017, and Feb. 19, 2017. The Caribbean cruises go on sale Aug. 24.

Caribbean sailings for fall/winter 2016-17 will go on sale Aug. 19, and all other destinations go on sale Aug. 24.