'Spotless ships': High standards drive Norwegian Cruise CEO

[Chan_T]

'Spotless ships': High standards drive Norwegian Cruise CEO

[AZ ParrotHead]

Wow. Either he really IS that arrogant or he just gave USA Today a bunch of priceless quotes.

 

From the article:

 

"I guarantee to you that prior to us (me) having arrived at Norwegian you wouldn't have had the lunch that you had on the ship (today),"

 

God's gift to cruising:

 

"We didn't change any steel," he notes, referring to the sort of big changes in design that require already-underway public spaces to be reconfigured. "It was too late. (But) the next vessels will have my finger prints all over them."

 

Personally saving the fleet:

 

"We (I) spent a lot of money on them, and Epic today is better than she was the day she left (the shipyard) five years ago,"

 

My opinion:

 

I'm not for "Donald" type CEOs--I've worked for several and it always ends up having a negative effect on customer service and employee satisfaction. It's not cool to continue to throw previous management under the bus when he is tweaking a program started under Sheehan.

 

Eventually his boasting will come back to bite him (and NCL) in the butt. Might be a while though....

[LMaxwell]

Frankie, when I get into an elevator that isn't covered with puke I'll consider your corporate sales speak a success. I'd have settled for my oceanview window not looking like a kaleidoscope.

[Golfin55]

IMHO, I believe FDR is 100% correct, and that time will prove this. He is not saying anything different the Richard Fain or Arnold Donald have all said recently.

 

What I do think is that FDR has diarrhea of the mouth. And some of his comments are the type that are not for public ears. He is a little too out spoken for a CEO of a company that caters to the leisure vacation market.

This is probably why Andy Stuart is so high profile recently.

 

Although, he is a very smart and savvy business man, he lacks the polished public image of most of his contemporaries.

 

We all know, but just don't like to admit that all costs are almost always pasted down to the paying customer, regardless of the business. It is foolish to believe otherwise. When Burger king re brands and remodels their restaurants. Prices go p to pay the cost, right???

 

Lets see what happens when the (Bliss) and refurbs are built to his vision. Then we can judge him by his actions.

[hypercafe]

He is telling the truth. When you go on a 15 year old Oceania ship it looks new. I love the NCL concept of free style with lots to do. On Oceania we feel board as there is little to do. If NCL standards rise I am happy to pay more. You get what you pay for. I always find it odd that people who pay 100 per day complain there is no lobster.

 

Sent from my SM-T320 using Forums mobile app

[roger001]

Personally thought the pics of the Escape's Haven Suite looked sterile, uncomfortable, unfriendly, much like a corporate office.....but, then again...I sure can't afford it anyhow. And if NCL does decide to upgrade to a level of elegance and perfection that removes it out of the comfortable and affordable level it now has (love the Pearl, Sun, Jewel...even the Getaway), I wish them the best...and I'll be shopping elsewhere.

[dexddd]

I'll be excited to see how spotless the ship is when we go in about 45 days - we'll see. I'll also be interested in seeing how great lunch will be.

 

I do have to give him credit for acknowledging the service level in the Haven is not where it should be based on what you pay.

[sparks1093]

It looks like NCL will continue to be priced higher than RCCL and CCL. Well, it was good while it lasted I guess.

[Jenorama]

I've certainly noticed a difference. We went on the BA to Bermuda on her second Bermuda trip in 2013. There were a ton of room service dishes and trays outside of the rooms, some that would stay there practically all day. This year we did 7 day Alaska on the Sun and 3 day CA Coastal on the Pearl. We saw a couple of trays, but not nearly as many as we'd seen on the BA two years ago. I don't know if that's because of the new room service fee or if it's because they're leaning on the crew to clean things up more promptly. Either way, it was a much better experience.

 

Jen

[njhorseman]

Wow. Either he really IS that arrogant or he just gave USA Today a bunch of priceless quotes.

 

From the article:

 

"I guarantee to you that prior to us (me) having arrived at Norwegian you wouldn't have had the lunch that you had on the ship (today),"

 

 

You missed what the quote was about. He was referring specifically to the Food Republic, not to lunch on the ship in general. Here's eaxctly what the article says:

 

"I guarantee to you that prior to us having arrived at Norwegian you wouldn't have had the lunch that you had on the ship (today)," Del Rio declares, referring to an eatery called Food Republic where earlier in the day he had spotted this reporter sampling an array of elegant and inspired tapas-like dishes. The a la carte outlet was created in partnership with the Pubbelly Boys, the culinary team that has reinvented the dining scene in Miami's South Beach in recent years.

[njhorseman]

I'll be excited to see how spotless the ship is when we go in about 45 days - we'll see. I'll also be interested in seeing how great lunch will be.

 

I do have to give him credit for acknowledging the service level in the Haven is not where it should be based on what you pay.

 

FDR was specifically referring to Food Republic, not lunch in general (see my previous post for the exact quote), so unless you're on the Escape you're not going to experience what he was talking about.

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm pretty new to NCL w/only 1 cruise under my belt with them. I've been on Allure & all of Disney's ships. I don't know much about the various NCL CEOs. Have zero opinion or sway on that. So, from fairly fresh ears and zero emotional attachment in any way, when I read this article I didn't feel like he was being overly arrogant or anything like that. I got confidence and determination from what I read. It felt like here's a guy trying to push the line to a new level, to reset the bar above the competition. If it's a better product than the competition I have no problem paying extra for that. Del Rio is making this push at a very interesting time......as the competition also has been making changes that set them more in-line with industry standards than above. It's interesting. What will people pay a premium for? Hmmmmmm.....

[sweetpee_1993]

 

I do have to give him credit for acknowledging the service level in the Haven is not where it should be based on what you pay.

 

I thought the comments on the Haven were interesting. It hinted that there would be more to come or some sort of stepping up. Veeeery interesting.

[barnacle_boy]

Del Rio is making this push at a very interesting time......as the competition also has been making changes that set them more in-line with industry standards than above. It's interesting. What will people pay a premium for? Hmmmmmm.....

 

I'm curious, what are you basing that on?

 

Having sailed on Quantum, it's pretty clear that RCI is also trying to push into premium territory. She's very similar to the Solstice Class ships in their Celebrity brand.

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm curious, what are you basing that on?

 

Having sailed on Quantum, it's pretty clear that RCI is also trying to push into premium territory. She's very similar to the Solstice Class ships in their Celebrity brand.

 

Disney. I've almost exclusively sailed Disney for years but that's rapidly changing. They're not really doing much innovating. Prices soar but I see less and less to justify that. Now they are restricting their carry-on alcohol policy. Even the Disney cheerleaders are having to bite their lips when it comes to the "pay more for no nickel-n-diming" argument because upcharge options are appearing more and more. That climate is only multiplying at a faster rate. There's less and less value for the same-ol' same-ol'. Food quality isn't going up. Ports aren't changing. Service isn't really all that different from other mass lines who charge far less. In an industry with cruise lines pumping out new, exciting, innovating options to more diverse destinations for a fraction of the cost to consumers.....it's like watching a race in opposite directions. Like my dad used to say it was like when he raced his muscle car way back in the day: you could watch the speedometer go in one direction while the gas gauge went the other way. LOL!

 

So yeah, I see this guy driving for better and to set NCL apart. If price increases come with that, at least you see where your dollars are going and there's a reason, a value for those extra dollars. Not all cruise lines are working in that direction. I've had my fill of paying way too much to get less. Ya know? That's just what I'm feeling. Just me. Probly not very on-topic. My apologies. :)

[scott in maine]

It looks like NCL will continue to be priced higher than RCCL and CCL. Well, it was good while it lasted I guess.

 

That's a curious position given that NCL has been the JCPenney in the cruise marketplace for a decade now. There may be the very occasional sailing where NCL has priced higher, but let's face it, NCL has been the value line now for quite some time.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm pretty new to NCL w/only 1 cruise under my belt with them. I've been on Allure & all of Disney's ships. I don't know much about the various NCL CEOs. Have zero opinion or sway on that. So, from fairly fresh ears and zero emotional attachment in any way, when I read this article I didn't feel like he was being overly arrogant or anything like that. I got confidence and determination from what I read. It felt like here's a guy trying to push the line to a new level, to reset the bar above the competition. If it's a better product than the competition I have no problem paying extra for that. Del Rio is making this push at a very interesting time......as the competition also has been making changes that set them more in-line with industry standards than above. It's interesting. What will people pay a premium for? Hmmmmmm.....

I have over 35 cruises under my belt (not all on NCL) and I agree with you.

 

I would love to see the ships looking better than they where when they were first introduced and time will tell if that will garner them more customers and how much more they are willing to pay. I think some of my friends, that will not sail on NCL now, would consider them if they noticed an improvement in interior appearance, food, etc.

 

It is just like Crystal Cruises, they are adding a yacht ship and a river cruising ship, which will improve their customer base. A cruise line can't stay the same and continue to bring in new customers, there needs to be change and improvements.

Edited October 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[SeaShark]

My favorite :rolleyes: part of the whole article is

 

"I insist on spotless ships," Del Rio says as one example when asked about things he's changing at Norwegian since taking over nine months ago. "So there's a whole newfound appreciation for clean ships at Norwegian."

 

I think we should take it upon ourselves to start a new thread titled "I insist on spotless ships" where we post nothing but photos of each and every instance of "spots" we find during our cruises.

 

See how he feels after a few dozen pages of dirty dishes in the hallways photos.

Edited October 26, 2015 by SeaShark

[sparks1093]

That's a curious position given that NCL has been the JCPenney in the cruise marketplace for a decade now. There may be the very occasional sailing where NCL has priced higher, but let's face it, NCL has been the value line now for quite some time.

 

Del Rio wants to change that. When we priced our October cruise NCL was $800 more than Ccl. Spring of 2017 they were $400 more. I will continue to price NCL for now but if they continue to be that much higher i won't be booking with them no matter how much "free" stuff they throw at me.

[scott in maine]

Del Rio wants to change that. When we priced our October cruise NCL was $800 more than Ccl. Spring of 2017 they were $400 more. I will continue to price NCL for now but if they continue to be that much higher i won't be booking with them no matter how much "free" stuff they throw at me.

 

Interesting. We're considering a number of sailings for late 2016 and we've not seen that in our experience, but it's interesting to hear that it's happening. I can't recall ever seeing a pattern (historically) where NCL ever priced out higher than the competition.

 

With all of that said, I certainly salute Del Rio for his efforts. I think NCL needs to step up its game somewhat with a better food program and a little more emphasis on execution across the board. But, everything I've read about his strategy is all about pricing the product at marketplace norms, but then offering enticements to fill the ships as needed. I think we can all agree this is what Princess, RCCL, and Celebrity have done for a very long time, right?

[maywell]

Del Rio wants to change that. When we priced our October cruise NCL was $800 more than Ccl. Spring of 2017 they were $400 more. I will continue to price NCL for now but if they continue to be that much higher i won't be booking with them no matter how much "free" stuff they throw at me.

Wait - don't you sail in suites on NCL? Isn't the suites / Haven on NCL more expensive than other mass /premium lines? Because the interiors, oceanviews, different verisions of balconies are cheaper on NCL; only Carnival is more cheaper depending on the number of people sailing. If it's just 2 people, you're going to get a good price; if it's less or more, it's luck of the draw with Carnival....

 

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Edited October 27, 2015 by maywell

[sparks1093]

Interesting. We're considering a number of sailings for late 2016 and we've not seen that in our experience, but it's interesting to hear that it's happening. I can't recall ever seeing a pattern (historically) where NCL ever priced out higher than the competition.

 

With all of that said, I certainly salute Del Rio for his efforts. I think NCL needs to step up its game somewhat with a better food program and a little more emphasis on execution across the board. But, everything I've read about his strategy is all about pricing the product at marketplace norms, but then offering enticements to fill the ships as needed. I think we can all agree this is what Princess, RCCL, and Celebrity have done for a very long time, right?

 

Yes, all cruise lines do try to do that. It's all a matter of when you can sail and when you can book your cruise- we booked next October's cruise 6 months ago. Some day we may be able to book cruises within 6 months of leaving and that might change the paradigm enough to find NCL's prices the same as the competition's. Only time will tell.

[SissasMomE]

It looks like NCL will continue to be priced higher than RCCL and CCL. Well, it was good while it lasted I guess.

 

I just booked on the Harmony of the Seas, and it was a little higher than my Escape cruise, and no free booze.

[sparks1093]

Wait - don't you sail in suites on NCL? Isn't the suites / Haven on NCL more expensive than other mass /premium lines? Because the interiors, oceanviews, different verisions of balconies are cheaper on NCL; only Carnival is more cheaper depending on the number of people sailing. If it's just 2 people, you're going to get a good price; if it's less or more, it's luck of the draw with Carnival....

 

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

 

I think you are thinking of someone else:). We prefer balconies but will sail in an ocean view or inside if necessity dictates. Royal has been within $100 of CCL the last two times I looked at booking and NCL was hundreds more than both of them. I understand that this may not be the case all of the time but for when we've been looking that has been the case.

[abe3]

I am just glad he added room service fees so it will help eliminate some of the slobs that think the hallway is the place to put out their dirty dishes.