Tag Archives: Norwegian Jade

Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway Return to Cruising in Europe

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Norwegian Cruise Line now has a third of its fleet back in cruise service as the Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway are cruising in the Mediterranean. 

The Norwegian Epic, the fourth ship in the company’s fleet to resume operations, successfully completed her first voyage to the most sought-after ports in Spain and Italy from Barcelona.

Among the big news, the company debuted an all-new The Haven by Norwegian aboard Norwegian Epic, following an extensive refurbishment in Marseille, France at the end of 2020.  The recent renovation resulted in 75 reimagined and upgraded suites combined with redesigned experiences, including The Haven Restaurant and The Haven Courtyard Pool and Sundeck. 

“It has been exhilarating to watch our Great Cruise Comeback unfold over these past three months with a third of our fleet now back, offering unforgettable vacation experiences”, said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “The joy of reuniting with our shipboard families and welcoming our guests back on board will never grow old. Being able to return to one of our most popular homeports in Europe, debuting the recently refurbished The Haven by Norwegian™ aboard Norwegian Epic, is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the extraordinary quality and elevating the standard of excellence across our fleet.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome NCL back to the Port de Barcelona”, said Jose Alberto Carbonell, managing director of the Port de Barcelona. “During the past 18 months, we’ve worked diligently with the NCL team to ensure a safe resumption of cruising from Barcelona for guests, crew and the citizens of our city. We are glad to finally celebrate the comeback of cruising together.”

The Norwegian Getaway today embarks on her first voyage from Rome (Civitavecchia). Through October 25th, she will sail a mix of 10- to 11-day Greek Isles itineraries, calling to Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon – NCL’s newest embarkation port located on the Peloponnese peninsula –Santorini, Mykonos, Naples and Livorno (Florence/Pisa). 

“Reaffirming our longstanding partnership with NCL, we’re pleased to welcome Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway back to the Port of Civitavecchia this month, and to see both ships embark on their first voyage from our shores in almost two years,” said Pino Musolino, president and chief executive officer of Port System Authority of the Central Northern Tyrrhenian Sea. “The cruise industry is an important cornerstone for our country and region, contributing more than €400 million annually to the economy of the territory of Civitavecchia alone and providing for more than 1,800 jobs. As such, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome back both NCL’s crew and guests, and look forward to working closely with the team once again.”

Norwegian Gem Sets Sail on NCL’s First Fully Vaccinated Cruise From Florida

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In the ongoing saga that is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) versus Florida, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. was recently granted a preliminary injunction to sail fully vaccinated cruises from its coast.

And earlier this week, after a 17-month cruise suspension, it did exactly that.

On Aug. 15, Norwegian Gem set sail from the company’s homeport in Miami, the third of the company’s 17 ships to set sail since the return of cruising (and marking the first voyage from Florida).

“It has been an exhilarating few weeks as we relaunch our fleet, reunite with our shipboard families and welcome our guests back for their long-awaited cruise vacations,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, in an Aug. 15 statement. “I’ve been impressed and proud of how our global team and partners have come together to safely bring back cruising, an over $55 billion-dollar industry that positively impacts communities around the world.”

Several developments led to Norwegian Gem’s embarkation in Florida: In the past few weeks, a federal court upheld the state’s lawsuit that the CDC’s Conditional Sail Order (CSO) should not be a requirement. As a result, it stands only as a regional recommendation, though many cruise lines plan to abide by the CDC guidelines, regardless. Additionally, the government agency has noted that sailings with 95% or more vaccinated guests and crew are free to make their own decisions regarding COVID-19 testing parameters and any mask mandates (at least for those passengers that are fully inoculated).

Several cruise lines that were initially not requiring pre-cruise testing and facial coverings, such as Carnival Cruise Line, are starting to mandate both as cases of the Delta variant spike in the U.S.

Norwegian was an early adopter of strict COVID-19 protocols. Its Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands have always required pre-voyage testing and 100% vaccination of its guests and crew. Because of this, passengers are able to enjoy all venues onboard without the use of masks.

“The health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is our No. 1 priority, today, tomorrow and forever. It’s not a slogan or a tagline, we fiercely mean it and our commitment to these principles is demonstrated by the lengths our company has gone through to provide the safest possible cruise experience from Florida.”

Additionally, in Florida, businesses operating locally were formerly forbidden from mandating vaccinations of its patrons, but that has now changed. A judge ruled in Norwegian’s favour to permit the company to ask for documentation of vaccine status, which led to Norwegian’s Gem’s planned launch.

“The health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is our No. 1 priority, today, tomorrow and forever,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian. “It’s not a slogan or a tagline, we fiercely mean it and our commitment to these principles is demonstrated by the lengths our company has gone through to provide the safest possible cruise experience from Florida. We want nothing more than to sail from Miami, the cruise capital of the world, and from the other fabulous Florida ports and we welcome [the] ruling that allows us to sail with 100% fully vaccinated guests and crew, which we believe is the safest and most prudent way to resume cruise operations amid this global pandemic.”

In fact, when I sailed last week on the Norwegian Encore in Alaska, Harry Sommer, president and CEO of NCL, and members of the corporation’s SailSAFE health and safety program reiterated the same during a press conference, with Sommer stating that he believes that permitting 5% unvaccinated passengers — which could amount to hundreds of passengers — is significant, and he won’t expose that many to the virus, even if it means not sailing with young children for a period. 

Program participant Dr. Stephen Ostroff further considered full vaccination to be the “linchpin” for healthy cruising at this time.

“[It] 100% ought to be the standard for cruise ships quite frankly, pure and simple,” Ostroff said.

Norwegian Gem will traverse a series of weeklong voyages to the Caribbean and four-day cruises to the Bahamas through Oct. 17, 2021, before repositioning to New York for five to 11-night voyages to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Norwegian Cruise Line Onboard Revenue Up on Initial Sailings

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Initial onboard revenue metrics off the Norwegian Jade’s initial European cruises from Athens were very strong.

“As an indication of this top-notch service delivery, our onboard revenue on this first crew significantly exceeded our target, which was focused on 2019 actual results by over 50 per cent,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

It’s a sign of pent up demand, according to Del Rio, with the consumer willing to spend.

Added Mark Kempa, executive vice president and CFO: “And when you look at the spending trends of it, it was your normal areas. Shore ex was very intense, food and beverage and then casino. So it’s great to see that we’re seeing the trends that we’re used to. Customers are willing to spend. While it’s early, it is certainly very, very encouraging.”