Has FDR done anything to benefit cruisers?

[sparks1093]

You are looking at this from the assumption that NCL decided that they want to keep on offering the extras and therefore need to increase the base fare to fund that offer. That may well be the case.

 

However, another possibility (one that, without any sort of inside knowledge, I think is possibly more likely) is that the starting point is that they want to raise the base fares. Continuing to offer the freebies is a way of sweetening that deal. They will know far better than the majority of us how this affects shipboard spending, and given that many people don't spend much on drinks, the cost to them of the deals will be a lot less than the sales value of the package.

 

In fact, I would guess that it is actually somewhere between the two. Say they want to increase the fares by $300. Keep on the deals as a sweetener, and then that increase doesn't look so bad. In fact, they can now increase the fares by $500 with the no effect on the level of bookings, and the average cost of the package to NCL is less than the $200 so they win all ways. All those numbers are for illustration only, by the way.

 

If Del Rio is going to mimic the marketing strategy of Oceania, which many believe that he is doing, than the freebies are here to stay. It's a strategy that appears to work with Oceania and only time will tell if it is a strategy that will work with NCL's larger fleet and larger ships.

[duchesslt]

Yes, there will be some that would buy what is given away and it absolutely works for them, but NCL's prices have to be raised to cover the most expensive item they are including "free", which is the beverage package. So if a passenger takes one of the other items because that is what they would have been buying then the passenger would be over paying for that item. Another consideration (for me, I realize that everyone doesn't look at things the way that I do:)) is that instead of purchasing the item at a time convenient for the passenger the payment must be made at final payment day.

 

I priced one of the newer ships sailing out of NYC in the spring of 2017 and it came in at $3300 for a balcony cabin. CCL out of Baltimore came in at $1700 (IIRC) and had an eastern Caribbean itinerary (NCL was going to the Bahamas). NCL is better than CCL in many ways, but it's not better enough to make me shell out twice the money and I have seen no changes that would make me think that NCL is worth twice the money (and if I didn't want to go on CCL then RCCL was still at least $800 less than NCL). At least CCL is a known quantity to me and if I wanted to spend that kind of money on a cruise on an unknown I'd probably be checking out Princess or X or HAL.

 

I saw a video of a new HAL ship sailing Caribbean in 2016 and it was the most stunningly beautiful vacation resort I have seen since the early years of the Grand Wailea in Maui.

 

Go check it out. http://koningsdam.hollandamerica.com/

 

The prices seem in line with NCL.

[hondorner]

How was the food in the MDR? I know your service was good, just wondering about the taste?

 

Glad you had a great time!

Of course, food is a very subjective subject, and is all about individual taste. However, there are a few facts in the subject, somewhere. One fact is that Oceania has the reputation of the best food at sea. Of course, a reputation at best is just a conglomeration of opinions, but they are acclaimed. A fact, however, is that Oceania spends more dollars per passenger for food than almost any other cruise line (I stuck the "almost" in there as a qualifier; I hate to be wrong). Another fact is that this is a direct result of Frank Del Rio; when he started Oceania in 2003, he had to do something to make the new cruise line stand out in the crowd -- and he chose to do it with food.

 

What does this have to do with my recent cruise on NCL? I'm getting there. First, I have to say the quality of the food on Oceania is over the top. For example, check out Iberico pork here and here. It's reputed to be among the best pork in the world. It's available every night in more than one of Oceania's restaurants,, along with lobster -- freshly grilled every night in the buffet and served with a small filet as a surf & turf sandwich at the pool grill, of all places! BTW, the surf & turf sandwich is Frank's creation -- I had one of the very first ones while having lunch with him on board, before the ship sailed, in Miami.

 

So. On to NCL. Is the food as good? The answer is "yes and no". No, because there is no Iberica Pork (my favorite), for example. But Yes, because the food was very good quality (I did get one bad steak), the preparation was every bit as good as Oceania, and the presentation and service was nearly perfect. The recipes were a great mix of comfort food and gourmet offerings.

 

But, here is where NCL really works better for me -- I have an uneducated palate (living in rural Okeechobee, Florida, I don't get much of a chance to dine in the finer restaurants) I'm more of a comfort food guy, and the gourmet offerings on Oceania are sometimes too "wacky" for me. Fortunately, when they get too "over the top", there's always pasta. On NCL, I found two or three offerings on the MDR menu every night that made my choice more difficult because I would have liked them all -- that rarely happens on Oceania. At the same time, there were always offerings that had a more gourmet tendency. It was the best mix of options that I've experienced on any cruise line, except possibly the American Queen steam paddlewheeler, which specializes in Southern American cuisine.

 

Over 11 nights, we dined in the Summer Palace MDR 8 times, once in the complimentary Asian restaurant (it was OK, once was enough and I'm glad we didn't have to pay for it), one in the complimentary O'Sheehan's (it was spare ribs night -- again, they were OK, but no ship, including Oceania, does American ribs really great) and once in Moderno, using our Platinum vouchers for us and our friends. Moderno was fabulous -- but again, once is enough, in this case because it was too good, and we overate).

 

We ate in the MDR 11 out of 11 breakfasts (we like to be served, and hate searching for a table). We had lunch in the MDR 3 times -- twice on the pool deck -- and the rest were on tour. We never ate in the buffet (again, it's not worth searching for a table. We do not often eat in the buffet on Oceania for the same reason).

 

Bottom line, I do sail NCL for the food, because it suits my taste, is decent quality, prepared well (hot when it's supposed to be, cold when that's called for, doneness pretty close to what's requested), and served with class and a touch of humor (remember, I said the crew was fantastic). I sailed NCL for those reasons before FDR became involved, but I feel he will eventually make it even better, unless he gets too "foodie" -- I'll leave that to Oceania. Has he had any effect yet? Too soon to tell.

[hondorner]

Actually the shore excursions likely would endear you to the leaders. [\quote]

Sure, but what really endears them is on-board spending, especially on a low-fare line like NCL, and that's where I beat them -- I rarely spend much on board. Besides, NCL excursions are much less expensive than Oceania, often for the same excursions!

 

Harder to critique a friend negatively or his policies.

 

That's where you're wrong, but that's because you don't know me. In fact, here goes -- there's a difference between the "old" Frank and the "new" Frank. The old Frank built Oceania with a personal touch, often stepping into cruise critic to correct something that shouldn't have happened, and making the experience on board personal. People loved the old Frank even more than NCL folks liked Sheehan.

 

The "new" Frank is now more distant, has much more on his plate, and has a lot more riding on his overall management. Occasionally there are signs of the old Frank -- he would have been appalled if there were plates in the hall with leftover food on Oceania -- but for the most part, he has to be less "hands on", and I'm sure that bothers him.

[hondorner]

...However, another possibility (one that, without any sort of inside knowledge, I think is possibly more likely) is that the starting point is that they want to raise the base fares. Continuing to offer the freebies is a way of sweetening that deal....

I think that's the closest analysis. I don't have any inside information, but I do have history. For example, during the last recession, when everyone was lowering prices to fill ships, Regent kept their fares at the same rate but began to offer free excursions. The bottom cost was probably the same as lowering fares, but anyone who has ever been in business for themselves knows that if you lower your prices, you lower your reputation.

 

In a similar fashion, Oceania has always offered their lowest prices at the beginning of the booking season. As each cruise nears, they may actually raise the fare but offer more incentives.

 

It's what FDR refers to as a "market to fill" policy. Their marketing is geared to fill the ship as early as possible, and never lower the fares just to fill the ship. The fare is sacred; there are other ways to market the cruise.

 

So, what's the difference? Filling the ship early is much more reliable than desperation to fill the ship at the last moment. Under this policy, those who wait until the last moment to book in hopes of getting a crazy deal are going to be the most disappointed.

 

That's how Oceania grew from a $14 Million company to almost $1 Billion in just 4 years, and how Regent was moved from half-full and neglected ships under the previous owner to at or near the top in luxury bookings. There's little reason it won't work for NCL as well.

[rg24601]

Actually the shore excursions likely would endear you to the leaders. [\quote]

Sure, but what really endears them is on-board spending, especially on a low-fare line like NCL, and that's where I beat them -- I rarely spend much on board. Besides, NCL excursions are much less expensive than Oceania, often for the same excursions!

 

 

 

 

That's where you're wrong, but that's because you don't know me. In fact, here goes -- there's a difference between the "old" Frank and the "new" Frank. The old Frank built Oceania with a personal touch, often stepping into cruise critic to correct something that shouldn't have happened, and making the experience on board personal. People loved the old Frank even more than NCL folks liked Sheehan.

 

The "new" Frank is now more distant, has much more on his plate, and has a lot more riding on his overall management. Occasionally there are signs of the old Frank -- he would have been appalled if there were plates in the hall with leftover food on Oceania -- but for the most part, he has to be less "hands on", and I'm sure that bothers him.

 

Perhaps.

 

Old Frank and new Frank - one who likes to be hands on isn't likely to be even partially disengaged.

 

Leopard and spots comes to mind.

 

But will accept what you say.

 

So we should expect Oceania light with mega ships?

Edited December 13, 2015 by rg24601

[sparks1093]

There's little reason it won't work for NCL as well.

 

When one of NCL's ships holds the entire Oceania's fleet capacity by itself or danged close to it I really wonder if his techniques will work. Only time is going to tell of course, but I'd rather see him succeed than to see NCL fail (which I fear is the result if he doesn't succeed).

Edited December 13, 2015 by sparks1093

[biker@sea]

I think that's the closest analysis. I don't have any inside information, but I do have history. For example, during the last recession, when everyone was lowering prices to fill ships, Regent kept their fares at the same rate but began to offer free excursions. The bottom cost was probably the same as lowering fares, but anyone who has ever been in business for themselves knows that if you lower your prices, you lower your reputation.

 

In a similar fashion, Oceania has always offered their lowest prices at the beginning of the booking season. As each cruise nears, they may actually raise the fare but offer more incentives.

 

It's what FDR refers to as a "market to fill" policy. Their marketing is geared to fill the ship as early as possible, and never lower the fares just to fill the ship. The fare is sacred; there are other ways to market the cruise.

 

So, what's the difference? Filling the ship early is much more reliable than desperation to fill the ship at the last moment. Under this policy, those who wait until the last moment to book in hopes of getting a crazy deal are going to be the most disappointed.

 

That's how Oceania grew from a $14 Million company to almost $1 Billion in just 4 years, and how Regent was moved from half-full and neglected ships under the previous owner to at or near the top in luxury bookings. There's little reason it won't work for NCL as well.

 

It's not working Now.

 

You can book a cruise on most NCL ships for the next sailing coming up.

Empty cabins make zero $$ .

 

Pick any NCL ship and look they are NOT sold out!!!!

Edited December 13, 2015 by biker@sea

[SuiteCruiser]

Of course, food is a very subjective subject, and is all about individual taste. However, there are a few facts in the subject, somewhere. One fact is that Oceania has the reputation of the best food at sea. Of course, a reputation at best is just a conglomeration of opinions, but they are acclaimed. A fact, however, is that Oceania spends more dollars per passenger for food than almost any other cruise line (I stuck the "almost" in there as a qualifier; I hate to be wrong). Another fact is that this is a direct result of Frank Del Rio; when he started Oceania in 2003, he had to do something to make the new cruise line stand out in the crowd -- and he chose to do it with food.

 

What does this have to do with my recent cruise on NCL? I'm getting there. First, I have to say the quality of the food on Oceania is over the top. For example, check out Iberico pork here and here. It's reputed to be among the best pork in the world. It's available every night in more than one of Oceania's restaurants,, along with lobster -- freshly grilled every night in the buffet and served with a small filet as a surf & turf sandwich at the pool grill, of all places! BTW, the surf & turf sandwich is Frank's creation -- I had one of the very first ones while having lunch with him on board, before the ship sailed, in Miami.

 

So. On to NCL. Is the food as good? The answer is "yes and no". No, because there is no Iberica Pork (my favorite), for example. But Yes, because the food was very good quality (I did get one bad steak), the preparation was every bit as good as Oceania, and the presentation and service was nearly perfect. The recipes were a great mix of comfort food and gourmet offerings.

 

But, here is where NCL really works better for me -- I have an uneducated palate (living in rural Okeechobee, Florida, I don't get much of a chance to dine in the finer restaurants) I'm more of a comfort food guy, and the gourmet offerings on Oceania are sometimes too "wacky" for me. Fortunately, when they get too "over the top", there's always pasta. On NCL, I found two or three offerings on the MDR menu every night that made my choice more difficult because I would have liked them all -- that rarely happens on Oceania. At the same time, there were always offerings that had a more gourmet tendency. It was the best mix of options that I've experienced on any cruise line, except possibly the American Queen steam paddlewheeler, which specializes in Southern American cuisine.

 

Over 11 nights, we dined in the Summer Palace MDR 8 times, once in the complimentary Asian restaurant (it was OK, once was enough and I'm glad we didn't have to pay for it), one in the complimentary O'Sheehan's (it was spare ribs night -- again, they were OK, but no ship, including Oceania, does American ribs really great) and once in Moderno, using our Platinum vouchers for us and our friends. Moderno was fabulous -- but again, once is enough, in this case because it was too good, and we overate).

 

We ate in the MDR 11 out of 11 breakfasts (we like to be served, and hate searching for a table). We had lunch in the MDR 3 times -- twice on the pool deck -- and the rest were on tour. We never ate in the buffet (again, it's not worth searching for a table. We do not often eat in the buffet on Oceania for the same reason).

 

Bottom line, I do sail NCL for the food, because it suits my taste, is decent quality, prepared well (hot when it's supposed to be, cold when that's called for, doneness pretty close to what's requested), and served with class and a touch of humor (remember, I said the crew was fantastic). I sailed NCL for those reasons before FDR became involved, but I feel he will eventually make it even better, unless he gets too "foodie" -- I'll leave that to Oceania. Has he had any effect yet? Too soon to tell.

 

Thanks, that's a very fair answer :) I can understand that, I'm not a really picky eater, but I've had times at a fancy restaurant where I finally find something that sounds great and then they throw something in there that I don't like (such as foie gras), so I get it.

 

I wondered because I keep hearing that the food is improving by people "in the know" but I hadn't seen that in the compimentary venues. I agree the specialties have improved, on the Dawn and the Escape the food in Le Bistro and Cagneys was much better than before. Perhaps they've just started in the specialites and will work on the complimentary restaurants soon. If it does change over all, I will say that would be a very big positive that FDR brought to NCL.

[hondorner]

...

So we should expect Oceania light with mega ships?

No. The same question was asked when Regent and Oceania became sister cruise lines. They are similar in many ways, and folks wondered if they'd be merged into one cruise line.

 

The answer was absolutely not -- they each had their own demographic and attraction for a particular clientele. The same is true of Oceania and NCL, except the distance is perhaps wider. I'm a rare bird -- I've sailed Regent, I've sailed Oceania and I've sailed NCL, and will continue to do so.

 

Each has it's unique place in the spectrum, and FDR and the other leaders would be foolish to try to blend them -- there would be no reason for the merger, in that case. Oceania could have easily created their own version of Oceania Light if that's what they wanted.

 

No, each cruise line will continue to have it's own identity. An Oceania Light would be boring for most NCL cruisers -- no late night entertainment, no rock climbing or water slides, no loud music on the pool deck, few children.

 

On the other hand, there's always room for improvement on any cruise line. Oceania and Regent, never reputed to have the best entertainment, will benefit from NCL's studios. NCL will benefit with better food sourcing and better ship refurbishments. Both lines have already benefitted from back office synergies.

Edited December 13, 2015 by hondorner

[hondorner]

When one of NCL's ships holds the entire Oceania's fleet capacity by itself or danged close to it I really wonder if his techniques will work. Only time is going to tell of course, but I'd rather see him succeed than to see NCL fail (which I fear is the result if he doesn't succeed).

 

It's not working Now.

 

You can book a cruise on most NCL ships for the next sailing coming up.

Empty cabins make zero $$ .

 

Pick any NCL ship and look they are NOT sold out!!!!

biker@sea, sparkes1093 said it better than I could -- "Only time is going to tell..." Changes like this don't happen overnight, or even in a year. Come back in 4 years and decide.

[sparks1093]

No. The same question was asked when Regent and Oceania became sister cruise lines. They are similar in many ways, and folks wondered if they'd be merged into one cruise line.

 

The answer was absolutely not -- they each had their own demographic and attraction for a particular clientele. The same is true of Oceania and NCL, except the distance is perhaps wider. I'm a rare bird -- I've sailed Regent, I've sailed Oceania and I've sailed NCL, and will continue to do so.

 

Each has it's unique place in the spectrum, and FDR and the other leaders would be foolish to try to blend them -- there would be no reason for the merger, in that case. Oceania could have easily created their own version of Oceania Light if that's what they wanted.

 

No, each cruise line will continue to have it's own identity. An Oceania Light would be boring for most NCL cruisers -- no late night entertainment, no rock climbing or water slides, no loud music on the pool deck, few children.

 

On the other hand, there's always room for improvement on any cruise line. Oceania and Regent, never reputed to have the best entertainment, will benefit from NCL's studios. NCL will benefit with better food sourcing and better ship refurbishments. Both lines have already benefitted from back office synergies.

 

Call it Oceania lite or whatever you want, Del Rio wants to move NCL up on the cruise line food chain so that CCL and RCCL aren't NCL's competitors but Celebrity and HAL are. Trouble is to get there he needs to spend a lot of money on upgrades while still filling the ships in the meantime. As I said earlier why should I spend money on an unknown when there is an established line providing a known product. And at the end of the day he will need to attract a different demographic (yes, I know there are people that sail all of the lines but many people tend to favor one line over another and they are usually fiercely loyal to their own line).

[SuiteCruiser]

Both lines have already benefitted from back office synergies.

 

I haven't seen this in any of my dealings with the land based operations, I know a lot of people were let go, and in my business life, I would let go of the deadwood, and keep the best. I'm a bit worried for NCLH if what they've left themselves with (at least on the customer service side) is really the cream of the crop. I've heard several times that many friends and family were brought in to replace the workers, which is usually a bad move.

 

I had an "incident" on my last cruise which I felt needed follow up and I wrote directly to FDR and Andy Stuart and Guest Services. I heard back from Guest Services several days later giving me a case number and telling me it would be 8 weeks before I would hear anything. I think that is apalling. If it's 8 weeks to get back to a customer (especially given that I've cruised with them 26 times) that tells me there is either not enough staff or not enough qualified staff.

[rg24601]

Celebrity and Hal were good cruises but were more adult in nature. I would not likely take a family with kids on those cruises. I know families sail those lines but eh, not much going on.

 

NCL looks more geared like CCL and RCCL, which were great cruises too.

 

Not sure NCL will ever unshackle themselves from the Carnivals and Royals or climb to the HAL / Princess/ Celebrity level.

Time will tell.

 

Should be interesting to watch. Might not be as interesting to endure.

[coka]

As to the original question...For me, yes. By the end of this year I will have an extra 8 grand or so!

 

coka:D

Edited December 13, 2015 by coka

[SuiteCruiser]

As to the original question...For me, yes. By the end of this year I will have an extra 8 grand or so!

 

coka:D

 

LOL Coka! I always love it when you pop back on here. You were the biggest NCL fan before. I searched something the other day and saw posts by so many people who used to be on these boards and aren't anymore. They've quietly moved away to other lines and I miss them, you're on the top of that list.

[jmele999]

Call it Oceania lite or whatever you want, Del Rio wants to move NCL up on the cruise line food chain so that CCL and RCCL aren't NCL's competitors but Celebrity and HAL are. Trouble is to get there he needs to spend a lot of money on upgrades while still filling the ships in the meantime. As I said earlier why should I spend money on an unknown when there is an established line providing a known product. And at the end of the day he will need to attract a different demographic (yes, I know there are people that sail all of the lines but many people tend to favor one line over another and they are usually fiercely loyal to their own line).

 

Loyal NCL cruiser here and have never cruised HAL or Celebrity. Can you comment on what upgrades NCL needs to be at the same level as Celebrity. I also wonder how much NCL will need to upgrade smaller ships (Star, Dawn, Spirit, Sun and even some of the Jewel-class ships) to complete with celebrity-like ships.

Edited December 13, 2015 by jmele999

[CruiserRob]

I wondered because I keep hearing that the food is improving by people "in the know" but I hadn't seen that in the compimentary venues. I agree the specialties have improved, on the Dawn and the Escape the food in Le Bistro and Cagneys was much better than before. Perhaps they've just started in the specialites and will work on the complimentary restaurants soon. If it does change over all, I will say that would be a very big positive that FDR brought to NCL.

 

I agree, I would see improved food as a big positive.

 

Robert

[Loonbeam]

Yes. That's their job. Not to flat out oppose per se, but make sure the decisions make sense for their business unit. For the salary a typical COO gets especially since his seems to be high in relation to peers (per Bloomberg), yes.

 

Stuart has been with NCL for 27 years so I doubt he fits in the Friends and Family. And if Apollo made board changes to promote that culture, they are violating the tenets of care to their principals.

 

And again, my point still stands. Even in the most dysfunctional large corporations, especially holding company based structures, its never one man than makes all the calls, you have to look at the entire team.

 

 

 

Did you forget that Del Rio dismissed a lot of corporate people and replaced them with friends and family ? Also, remember that Apollo caused some changes in the board and helped some of the board members out the door. Would you expect those who remained to oppose the CEO ???

[sparks1093]

Loyal NCL cruiser here and have never cruised HAL or Celebrity. Can you comment on what upgrades NCL needs to be at the same level as Celebrity. I also wonder how much NCL will need to upgrade smaller ships (Star, Dawn, Spirit, Sun and even some of the Jewel-class ships) to complete with celebrity-like ships.

 

I have never sailed X so cannot say, but Del Rio is investing big time over the next couple of years to do major upgrades on all but the newest ships. Upgrading the décor, the linens, bedding, etc. As many have commented the food is already on the upswing. Will this make them comparable at the end of the day? I don't know. I do know that if I had to choose between X and the new NCL I would choose X since they are hitting on all cylinders and NCL seems to be hit or miss (and hopefully time will make it more hit than miss).

[njhorseman]

Yes. That's their job. Not to flat out oppose per se, but make sure the decisions make sense for their business unit. For the salary a typical COO gets especially since his seems to be high in relation to peers (per Bloomberg), yes.

 

Stuart has been with NCL for 27 years so I doubt he fits in the Friends and Family. And if Apollo made board changes to promote that culture, they are violating the tenets of care to their principals.

 

And again, my point still stands. Even in the most dysfunctional large corporations, especially holding company based structures, its never one man than makes all the calls, you have to look at the entire team.

 

Apollo and TPG were the controlling stockholders of both NCLH and PCH before the merger and remain in control of NCLH after the merger. Exactly what "principals" are having their "tenents of care" violated? Only a small percentage of NCLH stock is held by the public. NCLH is a closely held corporation and its bylaws make it virtually impossible for a director to be elected to the board without insider approval.

[swedish weave]

I think that's the closest analysis. I don't have any inside information, but I do have history. For example, during the last recession, when everyone was lowering prices to fill ships, Regent kept their fares at the same rate but began to offer free excursions. The bottom cost was probably the same as lowering fares, but anyone who has ever been in business for themselves knows that if you lower your prices, you lower your reputation.

 

In a similar fashion, Oceania has always offered their lowest prices at the beginning of the booking season. As each cruise nears, they may actually raise the fare but offer more incentives.

 

It's what FDR refers to as a "market to fill" policy. Their marketing is geared to fill the ship as early as possible, and never lower the fares just to fill the ship. The fare is sacred; there are other ways to market the cruise.

 

So, what's the difference? Filling the ship early is much more reliable than desperation to fill the ship at the last moment. Under this policy, those who wait until the last moment to book in hopes of getting a crazy deal are going to be the most disappointed.

 

That's how Oceania grew from a $14 Million company to almost $1 Billion in just 4 years, and how Regent was moved from half-full and neglected ships under the previous owner to at or near the top in luxury bookings. There's little reason it won't work for NCL as well.

 

I believe it is time AGAIN to interject some facts into this discussion.

 

The fares do not appear to be as sacred as you state, since I see ads from TA's offering 50 to 75 percent discounted fares for both Oceania and Regent. (Save up to 75% on Oceania Cruises!) Excerpt from a current ad.

 

 

The statement about Oceania growing from a 14 million dollar company to almost one Billion in four years needs some clarification. The Billion dollar figure may be correct, but most of that was debt. That is why NCLH assumed over one and one half BILLION in debt when Apollo engineered the transaction.

 

Your rosy outlook of Del Rio's management skills doesn't fly when you peruse the SEC filings and get a look at the true story.

Edited December 13, 2015 by swedish weave

[NLH Arizona]

Why doesn't it benefit you? Can't get in? Other venues will be less crowded, yes?

 

It doesn't benefit me, because it is not a venue I would eat at.

[CruiserRob]

I have never sailed X so cannot say, but Del Rio is investing big time over the next couple of years to do major upgrades on all but the newest ships. Upgrading the décor, the linens, bedding, etc. As many have commented the food is already on the upswing. Will this make them comparable at the end of the day? I don't know. I do know that if I had to choose between X and the new NCL I would choose X since they are hitting on all cylinders and NCL seems to be hit or miss (and hopefully time will make it more hit than miss).

 

Over on the X board, they are full of angst over degrading product and perception that value for loyal customers is disappearing as the line chases a new demographic (sound familiar?). That said I have one X cruise booked on am looking at two NCL.

 

Robert

[swedish weave]

Yes. That's their job. Not to flat out oppose per se, but make sure the decisions make sense for their business unit. For the salary a typical COO gets especially since his seems to be high in relation to peers (per Bloomberg), yes.

 

Stuart has been with NCL for 27 years so I doubt he fits in the Friends and Family. And if Apollo made board changes to promote that culture, they are violating the tenets of care to their principals.

 

And again, my point still stands. Even in the most dysfunctional large corporations, especially holding company based structures, its never one man than makes all the calls, you have to look at the entire team.

 

Perhaps your vast knowledge of the corporate structure and responsibilities will allow you to determine why Genting board members were "encouraged" to leave, and why Genting is divesting their holdings in NCLH as rapidly as they can. An in depth look at the SEC filings may furnish the information you are missing.