Given Norwegian's financial situation, we should expect IAG's approach to have been on the low side. CEO Willie Walsh is a shrewd operator and is probably happy to wait things out rather than overpay.
While Americans lost some of the ability to explore Cuba on their own due to restrictions put in place by the Trump administration, cruise ships are offering organized trips approved by the U.S. government. That seems to be working out well for operators, who are eager to increase their presence in the destination.
Wow. Not many people will have seen this coming, including, it seems, Norwegian. Adding another brand to IAG's growing portfolio might make strategic sense but it will come at a significant cost.
Air France-KLM is being much more cautious than its rivals on the subject of low-cost long-haul. Joon isn't the long-term answer and Air France-Klm needs to come up with something better if it is going to compete against Norwegian and others.
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.
Are there enough airline pilots to go around? There's no agreement on whether there's a crisis, but some airlines are at a greater disadvantage than others.
Chinese consumers want to cruise in Asia, and cruise lines are jockeying to meet the demand. If the Asia experiment doesn't work out, lines can send their ships back to high-demand regions like the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
A deluge of new ships will make it cheaper for cruise lines to operate. They can also charge higher fares for new product and attract valuable first-time cruisers to the industry.