Royal Caribbean International (RCL) and Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) have built their businesses around shorter cruises, at least when it comes to sailings from US ports on its newest ships.
Royal Caribbean uses its newer, larger ships (Oasis and Quantum Class) for six- to eight-day itineraries from Florida. Carnival has done the same with its newest and largest ship, the Mardi Gras, which has sailed mostly on seven-day itineraries.
And when Carnival adds its newest Excel-class ship, Celebration (a sister ship to Mardi Gras), she will also sail mostly seven-day voyages from Miami.
In addition to using its newest and largest ships primarily for voyages lasting about a week, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have multiple ships that sail three-day weekends (Friday through Monday) and four-day weeks. (Monday through Friday) from many Florida Ports.
As family-based cruise lines, both companies have embraced the idea of quick getaways and week-long vacations as the core of their businesses.
Now, rival Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) has decided to do something different with its latest ships.
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Norwegian Cruise Line Embraces Luxury
With its first new class in more than a decade, Norwegian has decided not to enter an arms race with Royal Caribbean and Carnival. The new Prima class will sail with 3,215 passengers at full capacity. This is about half the passenger load on an Oasis or Excel-Class ship sailing with a full passenger load.
Norway was deliberately scaled back because it will enable the Prima-class ships — six are under construction — to dock in more places. Some cruise ports simply don’t want ships carrying 6,000 passengers, and others lack docks large enough to accommodate them.
By building midsize ships, Norwegian has given itself more port options and that will enable it to embrace longer voyages, Norwegian senior vice president of sales Todd Hamilton told Travel Weekly.
“Time” is no longer a constraint. People are willing to put in the time to do it and really get the best experience they can get,” he said. “When we put the long itineraries on sale, they sell like hotcakes.”
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Norway Prima, the first of its class, will sail primarily seven- to 12-day itineraries. Hamilton also took a swipe at his company’s rivals.
“What we’re offering is not a mass-market three-day cruise,” he said. “We are offering a total holiday package and Prima and Viva are the next logical step for that.”
A look at Norwegian Prima
Norwegian wants the ship and onboard experience to be at a higher level than its current cruise offering on Prima and, later, on the other five ships in the Prima class.
“Norwegian Prima will offer the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise category, providing an unmatched guest experience,” the company said.
The cruise line has also taken several steps to make its newest ships even more comfortable for passengers, in an area where cruise lines have traditionally valued function over form.
The Prima-class ships will offer Norway’s largest-ever bathrooms for standard staterooms and more “outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship, including more pool deck space than any other vessel in the NCL fleet”.
Norwegian also plans to offer an updated look at a buffet — one that looks quite similar to what Virgin Voyages offers on its ships:
“As part of the multifaceted experiences offered at Ocean Boulevard, NCL introduced the brand’s first luxury open-air market with Indulge Food Hall. Created to elevate guests’ sensory experience at Norwegian Prima, Indulge Food Hall offers visitors items of different menus from 11 kitchen locations with indoor and outdoor seating”
The ship will also offer the 44,000-square-foot Ocean Boulevard, which wraps around the entire deck of the ship. This area of the ship also offers “three additional dining venues offering indoor and outdoor seating including Onda By Scarpetta, Los Lobos and The Local Bar & Grill.”
Prima will also offer an outdoor sculpture garden with seven installations that change as the sun sets and Infinity Beach, which offers two infinity pools, one located on each side of the ship and close to the waterline.
