We caught up with the UK and Irelands’ managing director of NCL, Eamonn Ferrin, to hear about the latest ship Norwegian Encore and what we can expect with the exciting launch of NCL’s new Leonardo-Class fleet of ships.
How would you sum up the aesthetic of Norwegian Encore?
It has an ambience about it, a luxury feel, but it’s so different because every area has a different aesthetic. Each has its own flavour and ‘je ne sais quoi’. It has something for everyone. If I had to sum it up, I would say luxury, but in an environment that has a resort-based feel.
Who is a typical Norwegian Encore passenger?
Genuinely, I can see anyone being on board between the ages of eight and 80. It pretty much has everything. If you’re looking for sumptuous luxury, you would go to our Haven suite, known as our ‘ship-within-a-ship’ concept. If you’re a kid, you’ll love Galaxy Pavilion and laser tag. We also have solo cabins for solo passengers. If you’re a food lover, you’ll love our 29 different options. I look around and think, ‘what does it not have?’
How does NCL stand apart from its competitors?
With the flexibility it offers, especially in terms of dining. If you go to a big dining room with hundreds of people, one it’s very noisy, two it’s very samey and three they will often restrict you in terms of dining times. The flexibility of picking your own times and what you want to do, is the core differentiator in what we call our ‘freestyle’ cruising. Innovation and raising the bar are very much in our DNA.
How do you see the cruise industry evolving?
The cruise industry is very adaptable to customers’ needs and I think this will continue. The NCL brand is a global brand, and we draw people from more than 60 countries worldwide with a great spread of people experiencing the product.
How will Norwegian continue to support agents?
We’ve had our long-standing programme, Partners First, which is 10 years’ old. Essentially, it’s a discussion of how we can build our business together. We cannot continue to grow without engaging with our travel agents worldwide. We want to develop relationships with all markets and it’s about listening to them, as well as keeping them up-to-date with our journey.
What are your key tips for agents to selling an NCL product?
Simply, to get on a Norwegian ship. We will be offering a lot more opportunities for agents in the UK and other markets to get on board, even if it’s just a day visit. In 2020, we will be offering a range of visits as our Norwegian Star will be in Southampton doing trips around the British Isles.
How will the new Leonardo-class differ from Breakaway?
The design hasn’t been released yet as we are keeping it a closely-guarded secret! All I can say is that it’s going to be slightly smaller in tonnage than our Breakaway Plus-class.
Are the rumours true that you will be basing the first Leonardo-class ship in Europe?
This year we have five ships based in Europe. It’s great and every single market loves it, so clearly Europe as an entity is one of the options for the new ship, but we will release more details in April 2020.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced this year?
The first Brexit debate around February/March was quite challenging in the UK market, not just for NCL, but for everyone. It came right at the time when people were planning their summer 2020 vacation, so they were worried about whether or not they could travel. Fortunately, business has been very strong for us since April.
Visit ncl.com for more information.