Tag Archives: NCL

Norwegian Dawn: Mauritius blocks cruise ship over cholera fears

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Mauritius has denied a Norwegian cruise ship permission to dock at the capital Port Louis over fears of a potential cholera outbreak on board.

At least 15 people on the Norwegian Dawn have been in isolation over suspected illness.

Mauritian authorities said the decision to block the ship was “taken in order to avoid any health risks”.

Samples were taken for testing on Sunday, with results expected to be known on Tuesday.

The passengers developed mild symptoms of a stomach illness during a trip to South Africa, a representative of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said.

Mary Francovilla Dees, 69, a passenger on the Norwegian Dawn told the BBC that despite the delay the atmosphere on the ship has been “fairly calm”.

“The passengers on this ship have appeared to take this in their stride,” she said.

Ms Francovilla says passengers have entertained themselves by sitting by the pool, attending shows and going to the bar.

A Dutch passenger on board told BN DeStem they were told there could be a cholera outbreak on board by the captain.

There have been cholera outbreaks in southern Africa over the last few months, with Zambia being hardest hit.

Since January 2023, at least 188,000 people have been infected with cholera across seven countries in southern Africa, according to the UN. More than 3,000 people have died.

“The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost to the authorities,” the Mauritius Ports Authority said.

The ship arrived in Mauritius on Saturday evening after arriving a day early because it did not stop in Réunion Island.

There are 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members on the ship. About 2,000 planned to disembark in Port Louis, with another 2,000 expected to board at the same time.

Those who were disembarking or joining the cruise will now do so on 27 February, the Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said.

Star Kicks Off Norwegian’s 2023-24 Season in South America and Antarctica

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The Norwegian Star recently arrived in South America to kick off Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2023-24 in the region.

Extending through April, the local program features different itineraries to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, Chile, and Antarctica.

After concluding its summer program in Northern Europe, the 2,200-guest vessel arrived in Brazil in early December.

Before concluding its repositioning cruise in Rio de Janeiro, the Star visited several destinations in the country, including Recife, Maceió, Salvador and Búzios.

Continuing its way to the Southern tip of the continent, the ship also offered a ten-night cruise to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in mid-December.

The one-way cruise sailed from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires and featured visits to Búzios, Ilha Grande, Ilhabela, Santos, Balneário Camboriú, Punta del Este and Montevideo.

Once in Buenos Aires, the Norwegian Star kicked off the first sailing of a regular series of cruises to Argentina, Antarctica, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands.

The 16-night cruise features visits to several destinations in the region, such as Puerto Madryn, Punta Arenas, Port Stanley and Punta del Este.

Before returning to Buenos Aires, the Norwegian Star is also scheduled to spend a few days cruising around Elephant Island and other parts of Antarctica.

After additional itineraries in the region, the 2001-built vessel is scheduled to return to Europe in mid-April, via a transatlantic crossing that starts in Rio de Janeiro and ends in Lisbon, Portugal.

In addition to the Star, Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2023-24 program in South America also includes the Norwegian Sun.

Between January and early March, the vessel is scheduled to offer a series of cruises to the Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego that include visits to destinations in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and the Falkland Islands.

NCLH Concentrating on Product, People and Partnerships

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Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said his strategy is built on the three Ps: product, people and partnerships.

Speaking aboard the brand new Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, Sommer said he was not worried about the influx of new luxury cruise competition, pointing to new tonnage from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Explora Journeys, but instead was focused on competing with luxury hotels.

“We are super focused and passionate on delivering an unrivaled product to our guests across all three brands,” said Sommer. “The three brands are different. NCL is in the contemporary space. Oceania is in the upper premium and foodie space that we created, and Regent is in the ultra-luxury space.

“When you know your main mission in life is to deliver an outstanding product to guests it really focuses everyone on what they are doing,” Sommer continued.

Since taking the helm at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings earlier this year, Sommer said he had visited about half of the ships in the company’s 32-ship fleet and has plans to visit the rest in 2024. He said when he’s aboard he makes time to meet with the captain, general manager and also talks to crew and guests.

“I sit down with guests and ask them what they like, and about challenges and what we can improve,” Sommer explained, noting he held a forum aboard the Grandeur, talking to some of Regent’s most loyal guests and asking for feedback.

The second P in his arsenal is for people, with Sommer noting the company’s 40,000 employees both shipboard and shoreside.

For partnerships, Sommer pointed to the high commission rates Regent pays its travel advisor partners, and said the company was committed to being the easiest and most profitable cruise line to do business with.

“I know the commissions we give the trade are the highest by far in the industry mostly due to our all-inclusive packaging,” Sommer said. “We essentially pay commission on everything.”