Tag Archives: Kevin Sheehan

Norwegian Cruise Line chief to stand down

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Norwegian Cruise Line chief to stand down

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and chief executive Kevin Sheehan is standing down.

He is being succeeded by Frank Del Rio of Prestige Cruises International, which was acquired by Norwegian in November.

Del Rio, a co-founder of subsidiary Oceania Cruises, has more than 20 years of experience in the cruise industry.

Norwegian subsidiary Prestige operates Regent Seven Seas Cruises alongside Oceania. Del Rio has served as chief executive of Prestige or its predecessor since April 2007.

Sheehan said: “It has been a privilege to lead Norwegian over the last seven years.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished, and take comfort in the knowledge that I am leaving the company much healthier and stronger than when I joined.

“With the company set for success, I hand the baton off to Frank, a proven leader in the cruise industry.”

Steve Martinez, member of Norwegian’s board of directors, said: “Frank Del Rio has established himself as a leader and innovator in our industry.

“Norwegian is poised for continued growth and we are delighted to have Frank lead our team during the next phase of the company’s evolution.

“We also thank Kevin Sheehan for his service to the company. Kevin has built Norwegian into the highly successful company it is today – a company that has reported 25 consecutive quarters of growth in trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA coupled with consistent margin improvement.

“Most recently, Kevin was integral to the Prestige acquisition, assembling a diversified portfolio of brands that spans all market segments in the cruise industry, which we believe puts the company in a strong position for the future.”

Del Rio added: “I am excited to begin this new chapter in my long career in the cruise industry.

“I am blessed with a great team at Norwegian, and I am confident that together we can help our company continue to realize great things.”

There’ll be booze in the blender on Norwegian Escape

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By Tom Stieghorst
Singer Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant will make its cruise debut on Norwegian Escape as part of an exclusive deal, Norwegian Cruise Line said.

Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan made the announcement at a company rally in Miami where Buffet entertained employees.

In a news release, Norwegian said its exclusive partnership with Margaritaville Holdings extends to Norwegian’s island destinations, including the new Harvest Caye in Belize and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, as well as other ships in the fleet.

There are currently over a dozen Margaritaville locations in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, including one at the Grand Turk Cruise Center developed by Carnival Corp.

Norwegian Cruise Line snaps up Ocean Princess as part of fleet expansion

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Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has wasted no time in adding to the Oceania Cruises brand it recently acquired as part of its purchase of Prestige Cruises.

The firm has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Princes Cruises to buy Ocean Princess, a 684-passenger ship that will join the Oceania stable.

NCL will not take delivery of the vessel until March 2016, at which point it will undergo a $40 million (£25.4 million) refurbishment in Marseille before becoming the fourth ship sailing under the Oceania Cruises brand, joining Regatta, Nautica and Insignia.

The Ocean Princess is to be renamed Sirena and president and chief executive officer of NCL Kevin Sheehan said the deal ” provides measured capacity growth based on the proven platform of Oceania Cruises’ highly regarded mid-size ships”.

Customers will be able to book their place on Sirena for when it sets sail in April 2016 from March next year and NCL said the extensive refurbishment – set to take 35 days – will “elevate the ship to the Oceania Cruises’ standard of elegance”.

The firm will use the recent refurbishment of the Insignia as inspiration for the facelift and plans to incorporate Oceania’s two speciality restaurants – the Polo Grill and Toscana.

NCL has not yet released details of the routes and destinations and it has in mind for the Sirena, but with Oceania Cruises calling at over 330 points globally it is likely the ship will be well-travelled. President and chief operating officer at Oceania Cruises Kunal S Kamlani said the Sirena addition “opens up an entire array of new itinerary options”.

“The award-winning guest experience delivered on our ships, coupled with a collection of innovative itineraries that cater to new markets, will combine for an alluring siren song for both our current and future guests,” he remarked.

NCL confirmed the purchase of Prestige Cruises – the parent firm of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises – earlier this month. It is paying $3.025 billion for the company and the move means 22 ships – including the Sirena – will be under NCL’s control, with a further four due to be added over the next five years.