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NCL gets a lift from 'Free at Sea' promotion in UK, Germany

Norwegian Pearl
NCL's Europe capacity is up slightly due to the addition of Norwegian Pearl
Norwegian Cruise Line has been experiencing a 'nice tailwind' in UK- and German-sourced business in the past five weeks after switching to its 'Free at Sea' pricing promotion there.

Free at Sea gives a choice of several amenities such as beverages, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and shore excursions.

Double-digit bookings increase

This has led to a double-digit increase in bookings 'despite the dampening influence of Brexit and other factors,' Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said during Thursday's earnings call.

Earlier, he noted, the 'Premium All Inclusive' go-to-market strategy in the UK and Germany was effective at raising pricing to comparable with what Norwegian was getting from US-sourced business.

Slight capacity increase

NCLH has six ships in Europe this year.

Europe comprises a 23% share of the company's deployment in 2019, up slightly from 20% last year with the addition of Norwegian Pearl, for sailings primarily from Amsterdam.