The Norwegian Prima celebrated the Art of Iceland at Reykjavik`s famed Harpa Concert Hall in a gala event as the new Norwegian Cruise Line ship prepares for its weekend christening.
Welcoming guests in attendance for the preliminary christening festivities was Richard Ambrose Senior Vice President of Entertainment and Cruise Programs at Norwegian Cruise Line who introduced the all-Icelandic performances.
Highlights included known pop singer Briet Isis, the Iceland Dance Company, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony`s Cello Ensemble.
The salute to Iceland and its artists was an original production kicking off the Prima Christening that is to be celebrated on Saturday in Iceland.
The Godmother is Katy Perry who will be performing.
Norwegian Cruise Line is cancelling six additional cruises onboard the new Norwegian Viva, pushing the debut of the second Prima-Class vessel too late August.
“Given the global supply chain constraints impacting industries worldwide, including the maritime industry, we must cancel Norwegian Viva’s sailings from July 3, 2023, through and including August 17, 2023,” Norwegian said in a statement sent to booked guests.
The cancelled departures included itineraries in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean – where the Norwegian Viva is set to spend most of its maiden season.
According to the company, the impacted passengers are being offered two different options.
At a 20 per cent discount on the voyage fare originally paid, they are able to sail a comparable itinerary onboard the Norwegian Getaway.
The new reservations for the cruises onboard the 2014-built ship will include an equivalent stateroom category, keeping all of the guest’s previously selected promotions.
Those who opt to not transfer their cruise to the Getaway may also cancel the reservation and rebook at a later date, Norwegian said.
Guests choosing this option need to contact the cruise line, which will issue a full refund to the original form of payment.
Regardless of the option selected, all passengers are also receiving a 10 per cent discount on their next cruise.
According to the company, the offer can be combined with all available promotions at the time of the booking and must be used towards sailings from August 23, 2023, through December 3, 2024.
Second, in a series of six ships known as the Prima Class, the vessel will be a sister of the new Norwegian Prima – which is set to enter service in Iceland later this month.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings won’t be discounting ticket prices to chase short-term occupancy levels, said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
“We could, like others, chase short-term occupancy and sell cruises for crazy prices, but we don’t want to do that. We never have done that. That is not our strategy,” he said.
“I remind you what happened back in ’08 and ’09, when (during) the great recession, certain cruise companies did drop their prices to ridiculous levels. And it took them, in some cases, 10 plus years, and in some cases, they’ve not yet reached those pre-great recession yields. I’m not willing to mortgage the company for 10-plus years in order to window dress the next quarter or so. I just won’t do it. We’re here for the long term,” he said.
“We’re managing the business on a long-term basis. COVID had a major impact. We were shut down for 18 months or so, and the recovery is not instant mashed potatoes. If you want instant mashed potatoes, you got to go elsewhere because we’re here for the long run. And our pricing strategy, how disciplined it is, is proof of that.
“We simply don’t want to chase short-term occupancy at the expense of long-term pricing. Pricing has a long tail,” he added.
Del Rio said the company had 40% more ticket sales on the books right now compared to 2018 despite a 20% increase in capacity.
“And I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’ve managed cruise companies in good times and in bad times, and I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that you don’t sacrifice the long-term pricing power of your brand in order to achieve short-term load factor gains,” Del Rio continued.
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