What's most sad is that NCL was one of the pioneers of the cruise industry. The basically invented Caribbean cruising out of Miami, and they were the first to see the potential for large ships with the SS Norway conversion.

So, here's the question: When did NCL jump the shark? (definition: a term to describe a moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity. Origin of this phrase comes from a Happy Days episode where the Fonz jumped a shark on waterskis. Thus was labeled the lowest point of the show.)

[ 03-07-2009: Message edited by: dougnewman ]

Regarding the Norwegian Epic...the ship esthetically is rediculous...it's a hideous design...but the bottom line is what the consumer thinks, NOT the cruise & ship buffs. I honestly don't think the average cruise consumer gives a rip that the ship looks like a top heavy barge....they do care about the service and value for the money and the quality of the experience onboard.

I think we have not seen the end of NCL...and I think NCL is beginning to rise-up to become a heavy-weight player in the industry. We have already seen most other cruise lines have now implemented their version of Freestyle...times are changing and the top execs are tuned-in to the latest trends, and when it comes to trendy....NCL's newest EPIC I think will be a big hit.

[ 03-08-2009: Message edited by: LeBarryboat ]

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Originally posted by Fairsky:
It seems that everyone is in agreement that the new Norwegian Epic is a terrible looking ship. Many also agree that NCL is in decline, and their freestyle product is not doing the trick.

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NCL in decline? I disagree. They have made some brave decisions (NCLA etc.) and lost on occasions, but the only way to be an innovator is to take risks.

They have one the youngest fleet of modern big ships. 'Epic' signals that NCL are now ready to join the 'big boys' in the ultra-ship league.

There's plenty of ugly modern ship doing rather well, although I do agree Epic wins the 'Gurning' competition. However 'looks' no longer matter! I bet those Villa's in 'Epics' carbuncle are great and will sell like hot cakes.

If I got offerd a tour of one of three news ships: Azura, Queen Liz and Epic, I'd definately pick Epic becuse I am expecting to see some exciting and original ideas, instead of the same old same old.

I also do not see 'Freestyle' as a failure either. It's their unique selling point. It is no coincidence that all the major lines are copying and introducing certain aspects of it. It's not going to go away.

Without doubt NCL are not as good as making money as Carnival, but it terms of innovation they are well ahead of Carnival and are challenging Royal Caribbean. I think it's refreshing that NCL are offering an alternative to the big two.

[ 03-08-2009: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Absolutely they made some crap decisions - NCLA, buying the Big U and Independence must have (or yet to) cost them a packet. Etc.

Yes Freestyle was not nessersarily implemented well, standards varied considerably, some good some appalling but it seems to me that F2 is addressing those problems and one hopes it will be a continuous effort.

I think they kept old tonnage far too long, Dream etc should have been gotten rid much earlier in the game. Star ownership was not always a good thing but it did give them capital to build new ships, I'm not sure the Apollo ownership will work out, in fact given the Fed statements on how Private Equity firms are going to be the next firms to suffer hugely from the downturn it may mean another change in ownership before long.

If I was them they need to focus on the balance sheet, reduce debt, no new ships, get rid of the older ones, and focus on the quality of the product. I think they will then do quite well.

EPIC could really be a make or break defining moment for NCL. It's taking the Freestyle concept to the next level and it will either be embraced or rejected by consumers. It sounds like there will be many fee-based venues, which usually means some nice choices, but the perception is often negative. Cruising has always been about value, pay one price and get a lot of value in return. If consumers don't feel they are getting value from NCL, they will simply take their business elsewhere. There are also many travel partners that are reluctant to sell NCL because the reviews are so mixed. They don't want their clients to return unhappy or they will lose future business as well. A much more "sure bet" is booking clients on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Princess. Those lines have a lot of consistency and for the most part the consumer comes away satisfied.

I think Freestyle is actually an excellent concept, and one that most cruise lines have now adopted in one way or another. The problem with NCL is that they have never executed Freestyle with the expertise and finesse they should have. Simply put, other lines seem to do it better. NCL continues to have consistency issues. The crew training and management structure seems subpar compared to other lines, and it shows in the customer reviews. To this day, NCL receives far more negative comments on the various cruise boards then just about any other line. That is not a good thing, especially when there are so many other choices for the consumer at the same price point.

It's great NCL is getting a new ship, and it does sound interesting, but really NCL needs to concentrate on consistency and service levels to survive.

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Originally posted by cruisemole:
When Arison left.

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quote:

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Originally posted by eroller:
The crew training and management structure seems subpar compared to other lines, and it shows in the customer reviews. To this day, NCL receives far more negative comments on the various cruise boards then just about any other line. That is not a good thing, especially when there are so many other choices for the consumer at the same price point.

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quote:

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Originally posted by timb:

It might show a trend of not only pumping one line but also writing dispairaging reviews about others

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Honestly I don't think these "Royal Champions" have that much of an impact. For starters there are not too many of them, and many people on CC know who they are. Also, you can compare the reviews of any major cruise line to NCL (except MSC Cruises) and the results speak for themselves. My own experiences on NCL only confirm what others have written. I've had really good experiences on NCL (PRIDE OF AMERICA surprisingly enough) and really bad (NORWEGIAN DREAM). The other recent experiences are fairly forgettable which is not a good thing.

NCL lacks attention to detail. I think this has been a problem for many years. This stems from upper management changes (too many to count over the years), poor training, lack of accountability, and onboard management structure.

Ernie