Tag Archives: Norwegian Star

Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings to Switch to 100% Cage-Free Eggs

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Norwegian Star arriving into Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings has announced its plans to source 100 per cent cage-free eggs globally by the end of 2025. 

The global cruise company operating Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Sea Cruises, has planned a timeline which includes sourcing 25 per cent of cage-free eggs from U.S. suppliers in 2022, 50 per cent from global suppliers in 2023, 75% from global suppliers in 2025, and 100 per cent from global suppliers by the end of 2025. 

“We applaud Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings for publicly publishing their global cage-free implementation plans. As the demand for cage-free eggs increases worldwide, cage-free is becoming the industry standard. Other hospitality companies like Millennium Hotels and Langham Hospitality Group need to follow NCLH’s lead or risk losing business,” said Jennie Hunter, Senior Campaigns Coordinator, at The Open Wings Alliance.

The decision comes following a cage-free campaign steered by the Open Wing Alliance, which aims to create a unified front for ending the abuse of chickens worldwide. The Open Wing Alliance is a global coalition initiated by The Humane League and includes 93 animal protection organizations from 67 countries worldwide.

In 2021, two other cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean have made similar commitments and have published their implementation plans for sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025. 

As consumer demand for cage-free eggs continues to grow, companies worldwide are announcing their plans for cage-free commitments.

Over 100 companies, including some of the biggest corporations around the world, have made such commitments to switch to cage-free systems including Nestlé, Aldi, InterContinental Hotels, Sodexo, Kraft Heinz, Compass Group, Shake Shack, Famous Brands, Costa Coffee, Burger King, Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, Unilever, and Barilla.

Norwegian Cruise Line Drops Vaccination Requirements and Bookings Accelerate

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Norwegian Dawn arriving at the Port of Liverpool, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced earlier this week it was dropping vaccination requirements on cruises from the U.S., as well as pre-cruise-related testing protocols for vaccinated guests. The result? Cruise bookings picked up.

“(The) announcement was an instant catalyst, resulting in one of our top three best booking days of the year,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO, speaking on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

The company will no longer have a mandatory vaccination requirement on any of its ships, which include the Norwegian, Oceania and Regent brands.

Del Rio said the company had relaxed testing protocols, regardless of sailing length.

“To put it simply, vaccinated individuals, including those embarking on NCLH ship from U.S. ports will no longer have any pre-cruise related protocols, and those who are unvaccinated or choose not to provide proof of vaccination will be required to test negative within 72 hours prior to embarkation. In addition, all guests 11 years old and younger will be exempt from vaccination and testing requirements of any kind,” he said.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Maintaining Strong Pricing, Won’t Discount to Fill

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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.