NORWEGIAN Cruise Line is this season positioning its Australian-based ship Norwegian Spirit as “premium cruising, curated for adults”, as the brand witnesses a more mature market seeking out its local voyages. In the words of Norwegian, Spirit has been “crafted for calm”, and is designed with a more refined cruising...
NORWEGIAN Cruise Line is this season positioning its Australian-based ship Norwegian Spirit as “premium cruising, curated for adults”, as the brand witnesses a more mature market seeking out its local voyages.
In the words of Norwegian, Spirit has been “crafted for calm”, and is designed with a more refined cruising experience in mind, with no waterslides or kids’ clubs, unlike some of the cruise line’s newer builds.
There is also a focus on quieter decks, upscale dining, and an intimate onboard atmosphere ideal for couples and solos.
This comes as older passengers flock to Norwegian’s local product, Vice President & Managing Director Ben Angell told Cruise Weekly recently.
Norwegian’s local passenger demographics are defying global trends, he said.
“Our average age is staying the same, but in some destinations – the South Pacific is a good example – we’re still older.
“We might skew from high fifties up into even the sixties, and what we’re hearing is that there is a gap in the market that no one’s filling here,” he told CW.
“It’s older couples primarily that have a lot of free time, they’re often retired, they have a lot of disposable income, and they want a cruise experience on a smaller ship with a huge amount of variety.”
Other cruise lines are not meeting the needs of these passengers with their local programs, Angell offered.
“If you look at the large ship cruising in this market, they’re skewing younger and younger in the guests they are marketing to,” he said.
Spirit is currently sailing her first departure from the eastern states this season – a three-night sector from Melbourne to Sydney, visiting Burnie and Eden. MS
