Asia is both a vital source market, and an increasingly popular destination among Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) global clientele, and is making waves in the region with its strategic focus on the fly-cruise market.
During a recent visit to Singapore, Ben Angell, NCL’s vice president and managing director, shared with TTG Asia: “We are primarily focused on attracting guests from Asia who wish to travel overseas to cruise with us in destinations like Europe, Alaska, or Hawaii. We’re different compared to our competitors in this part of the world who are focused on deploying a ship in Asia with itineraries built for Asians.”
From left: NCL’s Ben Angell and Damian Borg; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
Typically, most Asian guests fly to Europe, sail for seven to 10 nights with NCL, before returning to Asia, but there is much room for this sector to grow. As such, during his visit to Singapore, Angell made it a point to meet with the travel trade, to share with them the benefits of NCL’s fly-cruise model.
“We believe we’ve got the best value proposition, and are confident in the quality of our product experience. This value (of how cruises can measure up to a land tour) can be measured very clearly when broken down, but not every travel agency has the time to do that,” said Angell.
To facilitate this, NCL has developed tools for their travel agent partners, and urges them to use those tools to help them win more business.
Damian Borg, director of sales strategy and operations – Asia Pacific, NCL, added: “We want our travel agents to also bring cruising into their conversations with their customers. For example, if their customer is thinking of, say four nights in Venice, and four nights in Rome, the agent can share with them the benefits of cruising so that they can enjoy both countries conveniently and comfortably.”
Aside from wanting to “be famous” for its fly-cruise offering, Angell also stressed the company’s “interest in Asia as a destination”.
In May 2024, NCL announced that it will be deploying 24 new port-intensive cruises across Asia, which amounts to a total of 85 Asia-Pacific voyages across Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun, and Norwegian Sky. The itineraries from September 2024 through to March 2026, have been “selling very well” both among its global clientele, and “Asian travellers who prefer to cruise closer to home”, Angell pointed out.
During the Asia season, NCL will ensure an average of 10 hours in every port and 40 overnight stays, offering guests a deeper immersion in local cultures, added Borg. When planning itineraries, NCL also ensures there is a mix of lesser-known boutique ports, alongside landmark and bucket list destinations.
According to Angell, cruising only represents one per cent of international holidays globally, meaning that all cruise lines have a “huge opportunity to tap on”.
Looking ahead, NCL will have eight new ships joining the fleet by 2036, which comprises four premium class ships, and the introduction of a new, not-yet-disclosed class.
Angell shared: “This is going to lead to some really exciting developments for NCL as we decide where we want to deploy those ships, and till then, we’ll continue to work with our partners to watch this recovery continue to gain momentum.”
Asia is both a vital source market, and an increasingly popular destination among Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) global clientele, and is making waves in the region with its strategic focus on the fly-cruise market.
During a recent visit to Singapore, Ben Angell, NCL’s vice president and managing director, shared with TTG Asia: “We are primarily focused on attracting guests from Asia who wish to travel overseas to cruise with us in destinations like Europe, Alaska, or Hawaii. We’re different compared to our competitors in this part of the world who are focused on deploying a ship in Asia with itineraries built for Asians.”
Typically, most Asian guests fly to Europe, sail for seven to 10 nights with NCL, before returning to Asia, but there is much room for this sector to grow. As such, during his visit to Singapore, Angell made it a point to meet with the travel trade, to share with them the benefits of NCL’s fly-cruise model.
“We believe we’ve got the best value proposition, and are confident in the quality of our product experience. This value (of how cruises can measure up to a land tour) can be measured very clearly when broken down, but not every travel agency has the time to do that,” said Angell.
To facilitate this, NCL has developed tools for their travel agent partners, and urges them to use those tools to help them win more business.
Damian Borg, director of sales strategy and operations – Asia Pacific, NCL, added: “We want our travel agents to also bring cruising into their conversations with their customers. For example, if their customer is thinking of, say four nights in Venice, and four nights in Rome, the agent can share with them the benefits of cruising so that they can enjoy both countries conveniently and comfortably.”
Aside from wanting to “be famous” for its fly-cruise offering, Angell also stressed the company’s “interest in Asia as a destination”.
In May 2024, NCL announced that it will be deploying 24 new port-intensive cruises across Asia, which amounts to a total of 85 Asia-Pacific voyages across Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun, and Norwegian Sky. The itineraries from September 2024 through to March 2026, have been “selling very well” both among its global clientele, and “Asian travellers who prefer to cruise closer to home”, Angell pointed out.
During the Asia season, NCL will ensure an average of 10 hours in every port and 40 overnight stays, offering guests a deeper immersion in local cultures, added Borg. When planning itineraries, NCL also ensures there is a mix of lesser-known boutique ports, alongside landmark and bucket list destinations.
According to Angell, cruising only represents one per cent of international holidays globally, meaning that all cruise lines have a “huge opportunity to tap on”.
Looking ahead, NCL will have eight new ships joining the fleet by 2036, which comprises four premium class ships, and the introduction of a new, not-yet-disclosed class.
Angell shared: “This is going to lead to some really exciting developments for NCL as we decide where we want to deploy those ships, and till then, we’ll continue to work with our partners to watch this recovery continue to gain momentum.”