Tag Archives: excursions

Norwegian Changes Escape Itinerary Due to Speed Issue

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Norwegian Changes Escape Itinerary Due to Speed Issue

Norwegian Cruise Line is adjusting the itinerary of the current cruise onboard the Norwegian Escape due to a speed issue affecting the ship’s propulsion.

According to a statement sent to guests, the cruise will drop two of its planned ports of call, adding a visit to a new destination.

“We know how much anticipation and preparation go into creating the perfect getaway, and while we try to maintain the original itinerary as much as possible, occasional adjustments may be necessary to optimise your voyage or accommodate certain circumstances,” Norwegian said.

“Rest assured, these decisions are made thoughtfully and with your experience at the heart of it,” the company added.

After sailing from New York City on Saturday, the Norwegian Escape is currently offering a repositioning cruise to New Orleans.

The 14-night sailing originally included visits to eight destinations across the Southern, Eastern and Western Caribbean.

“Due to a required adjustment that slightly reduces our sailing speed (don’t worry, everything’s smooth and safe onboard), we’ll be swapping San Juan, Puerto Rico, and George Town, Grand Cayman, for an extra day at sea and a stop at the beach-lover’s paradise of Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic,” Norwegian added.

The company also said it made changes to the timing of port visits, providing guests with “as much time in each destination as possible.”

The adjusted itinerary now features visits to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Willemstad, Curaçao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Norwegian also said that shore excursions booked through the company for dropped ports of call will be automatically cancelled. Guests will receive a full monetary refund to their onboard accounts.

In destinations that underwent schedule changes, the company is also working to adjust tours to match revised port dates and/or times.

“If we’re unable to make it work, the impacted excursions will be cancelled and a full refund will be automatically credited,” Norwegian stated.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Prices Higher Going Into 2023

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has provided a business update ahead of its 2022 Q4 and year-end financial earnings release.

As of December 31, 2022, the company said its booked position was approximately 62 per cent for the full year 2023, in line with previously outlined expectations, and at higher prices than 2019 at a similar time.

Fourth quarter Occupancy was approximately 87 per cent, with the gap versus 2019 levels continuing to narrow sequentially.

‘We are also experiencing strong and broad-based onboard revenue generation even as occupancy increases,” the company said, noting it expects to report a net loss for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2022, and the first quarter of 2023.

Norwegian Cruise Line Raises Onboard Prices and Posts Strong Onboard Revenue Numbers

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Onboard revenue is seen as a real-time now indicator of how guests are feeling about their financial situation right now and while onboard company ships, according to Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“Onboard revenue generation has continued to be impressive, even as we continue to ramp up occupancy carrying more guests across all ships and cabin classes. In the second quarter, onboard revenue per passenger cruise day was approximately 30 per cent higher than during the comparable 2019 period,” he said, on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

Mark Kempa, CFO, added that the company had raised prices for “all of our offerings” onboard the ships.

“We’ve gotten smarter in the pre-marketing of our products, creating that sense of urgency before the consumer steps onboard,” he said. “Those consumers who have a stronger propensity for presales, they also spend more, about 30% or 40% more once they’re on board. So, it’s a combination of all those. But the numbers are strong. We’re seeing a strong consumer today, spending today’s dollars. And we feel that bodes well for ourselves and the industry.”

Del Rio said that pre-cruise revenue was up 50 per cent compared to 2019 levels.

“We continue to focus on enhancing our market-leading bundled offerings and increasing quality touch points with our guests starting from the time of booking to capture even more revenue pre-cruise, allowing guests to arrive on board with an ever fresher wallet, which ultimately results in higher overall spend. In fact, our pre-cruise revenue on a per passenger day basis for the second quarter of ’22 is up over 50% versus 2019 levels. At a high level, guests who make pre-cruise purchases tend to spend approximately double that of guests who do not pre-book onboard activities,” he said.