NCL will return to Asia this year-end with the Norwegian Star sailing from Singapore and Hong Kong
NORWEGIAN Cruise Line (NCL) has opened an office in Singapore earlier this week to serve as a regional base and in an effort to support the company’s three existing brands in South-east Asia.
Mumbai and New Delhi are the next cities to receive NCL offices as part of the cruise company’s ongoing expansion into Asia.
“Singapore is one of the final pieces of the puzzle,” said Steve Odell, senior vice president and managing director for Asia-Pacific at NCL.
“We’re here for a regional hub for ASEAN. Singapore is the most important market, but there are also big source markets for us around the region. To have a base here, which is the centre of Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, makes a lot of sense for us.”
He added that the new office, staffed to establish a cultural fit with the region’s markets, can more effectively communicate NCL’s offerings to potential clients.
Still, Odell is positive that the American- and European-centric offerings under its three cruise brands will not get lost due to cultural nuances in the region.
In December this year, NCL will return to Asia for the first time since 2002 with the Norwegian Star liner departing Singapore and Hong Kong. It is expected to set sail from Singapore on December 11 and arrive in Hong Kong on December 22.
“I think the good thing about these markets is that culturally, people can assimilate quite well in terms of food and entertainment.”
“There are always individual nuances that you can offer for individual markets. But in general in the ASEAN market, it is easy to give people what we normally offer as a standard product.”
This is contrary to efforts made to cater to the Chinese market, which Odell said requires “more customisation to the customers’ needs”.
NCL is expecting to launch the widely-anticipated Norwegian Joy for the Chinese market next year.
