Articles tagged “norwegian cruise line”

Cruise lines keep loading their ships with things for passengers to buy — Starbucks latte and a game of laser tag, anyone? With consumers feeling confident, no one seems to mind spending money on extras. But if the economy takes a turn for the worse, will that change?

Norwegian Cruise Line made a significant investment in China when it built a ship specifically for that market. But as executives like to say, ships are easy to move when necessary, and clearly Norwegian sees a brighter future in the U.S.

Cruise lines are confident that people will fill the ships they order, and shipbuilding yards are packed with business for years to come. Will Wall Street shake off its worries that demand won't keep up?

Like other cruise operators, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is seeing strong business for 2018 and even 2019. Two words — hurricane season — could interfere, but with so many bookings already made, even a stormy summer shouldn't ruin the year.

China has been full of ups and downs as the cruise industry has grown its presence in the market. Identifying the cause of the downs — and taking steps to manage the factors that can be controlled — should help operators find stability.

Virgin Voyages is emphatic about being a different kind of cruise player while planning to sail from the world's busiest cruise port to the most popular destination. The difference will be in the details, and we're still waiting for most of those.

As much as cruise lines don't want to take responsibility for contributing to overtourism, there's no denying that they flood destinations with thousands of visitors in a short time. The fact that they are discussing ways to do that more thoughtfully is a good step.

The cruise industry has long boasted of its value compared to land vacations. But Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is notably not emphasizing low prices. It is instead working to get passengers to spend more on tickets, shore excursions, and onboard extras.

Will a traveler who only expects the finest ever decide to board a mass-market cruise ship? Well, the marketplace has spoken and it says, “Maybe, but only under certain conditions.”

Could cruise lines actually benefit from stricter regulations on American travel to Cuba? Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio thinks so — and with even more cruises scheduled to the island next year, he'll find out if he's right.