With two new ships Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva sailing up on the
horizon, 2022 is shaping up to be a packed year for Norwegian Cruise
Line (NCL) as Asia's reopening pace picks up.
The
3215-passenger Norwegian Prima, which debuts in August 2022, is "going
to elevate the whole halo effect of the brand", Braydon Holland, NCL's
senior director sales for Asia told Travel Weekly Asia.
Already, the first Prima class ship has become the cruise line's most
in-demand ship ever, attracting record bookings when the sales launched
in May last year. Most recently, pop star Katy Perry has been named
godmother of Norwegian Prima.
But Holland believes what will attract Asian cruise travellers most
will be Norwegian Prima's abundance of amenities and space. The ship
will place a lot of emphasis on open space, evident in the Ocean
Boulevard, with an outdoor sculpture garden and two infinity pools, as
well as alfresco dining.
In particular, the freestyle cruising that the NCL brand is known for
will extend into its wide array of F&B options on board Norwegian
Prima, offering guests the freedom to dine as and when they wish.
"I've
been in Asia long enough to know that food's important for Asians,"
quipped Holland, who assumed his role with NCL last year.
"There's
excitement, there's variety, and there's a lot of freedom to do the
things you want to do all the things you want. And for the multi
cultures of Asia I think Norwegian Prima's a perfect fit."
Holland is also encouraged by "positive signs" that the cruise line is now seeing across Asia.
India
is one bright spot, whose reopening several months back has become a
driver of strong fly-cruise demand for NCL. Likewise, Singapore's VTLs
has had a positive impact on fly-cruises too.
A growing pent-up demand for travel among Asian cruisers is driving
the uptick in bookings for Q2 and Q3, although a segment are also
booking further out into next year too, Holland shared.
But what remains unchanged is Europe's evergreen appeal as a cruise
destination for Asian fly-cruisers, who are drawn to the variety of
itineraries, as well as the appeal of the ports of calls and the
countries visited in the continent, he added. The Mediterranean, for
instance, is still a top favourite.
In Asia, the Norwegian Sun is due to arrive in Japan from October
2022 for its seasonal deployment, followed by sailings from Hong Kong
and Singapore respectively.
While NCL has yet to confirm any deployment plans in Asia other than
Norwegian Sun, what is clear is that Asia as a source market as well as
destination will figure more prominently in the cruise line's future
plans.
Travel agents, meanwhile, remain an indispensable partner for NCL,
and the cruise line is doubling down on its commitment to the agent
community, including having a dedicated trade portal Norwegian Central
Asia, and Norwegian Cruise Line University, which offers training
modules for agents.