Patrik Dahlgren succeeds NCLH's Robin Lindsay who moves to new role

The moves had been expected.

Oversight for three brands

Dahlgren will oversee marine and technical operations, hotel operations, entertainment, cruise programs and security across Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, reporting to NCLH President and CEO-Elect Harry Sommer.

Dahlgren spent more than 23 years in leadership positions at Royal Caribbean Group, most recently as SVP global marine operations from 2016 to 2022.

'Patrik is a dynamic and forward-thinking strategic leader with a profound understanding of all facets of cruise operations, developed over the course of an impressive 20-plus-year career in the industry, making him uniquely qualified to assume this role,' Sommer said.

'His accomplishments also include a track record of successfully building diverse, inclusive and performance-oriented teams, which aligns closely with NCLH’s core values and is an invaluable asset as we grow our fleet and strive to deliver on our business and financial goals.'

Robin Lindsay, far left, at Norwegian Prima's delivery, along with, from left, Fincantieri's Luigi Matarazzo and NCLH's Dan Farkas and Harry Sommer

Sommer also congratulated Lindsay as he focuses on overseeing the company's newbuild program which includes seven ships set for delivery across the three NCLH brands through 2028, as well as refurbishment projects across the fleet.

'Having already led the introduction of 10 groundbreaking vessels during his tenure at the company, Robin was the natural choice for this role,' Sommer said.

Lindsay's transition to the role had been planned for some time pending the appointment of a successor. 

Dahlgren's experience and accomplishments

During Dahlgren's former job at Royal Caribbean Group, he managed maritime operations and fleet optimization across all brands for more than 60 ships, providing direction for more than 10,000 team members. His responsibilities included working on design development of newbuild and innovation projects and steering the energy and decarbonization program.

Dahlgren also was instrumental in the cruise industry’s COVID-19 comeback since he served as a member of the Healthy Sail Panel, a group of world-renowned experts brought together in a collaborative effort between NCLH and Royal Caribbean Group. Specifically, Dahlgren was involved in the panel's work on ventilation and airborne spread of the virus.

Previous roles included VP technical operations (2014-2016) and director of newbuild and innovation (2011-2013). Prior to joining shoreside management, Dahlgren spent over a decade at sea including serving as captain across a range of cruise ships including the Oasis class.

Patrik Dahlgren's seagoing tenure included master of Oasis-class ships

Relationship-driven leader

'It’s a tremendous honor to join the passionate and talented team at NCLH, a trio of brands that offers extraordinary vacations for its guests worldwide and upholds a consistent world-class product across its fleet and private island destinations,' Dahlgren said. Noting he began working on cruise ships in 1999, he said: 'I am excited for the opportunity to write the next chapter of my maritime career at an impressive organization like NCLH.'

Dahlgren continued: 'As a relationship-driven leader, I am a big believer in empowering people and strengthening cross-functional collaboration to accelerate progress and achieve desired outcomes. As we look to the future, I hope to combine tradition, innovation and the power of digitalization and technology to help take NCLH to new heights.

'I am eager to hit the ground running and bring a fresh perspective as we collectively work to deliver exceptional vacation experiences for our guests and drive a positive impact on society and the environment.'