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Steve Odell, as senior vice president and managing director of APAC and China for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), is responsible for the strategic expansion, vision and continued growth of the company in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific market. TravelDaily Media sat down with Steve to discuss NCL’s Asian strategy, Chinese tourists’ growing interest in cruises, new ship Norwegian Bliss, future plans and a whole lot more. TD: What are the main market segments that will accelerate company growth in Asia? SO: Leisure and family travel remains an important segment for NCL. Across Asia we are seeing a tendency for multi-generational family groups to travel together. TD: What are the strategies and tactics are Norwegian Cruise Line adopting to boost sales in both the Southeast Asia and China markets? SO: To help solidify NCL’s leading position within the cruising industry in Southeast Asia and China, we have committed a significant multi-million dollar investment, with the Norwegian Edge refurbishment programme. The most recent ship refurbishment coming up is Norwegian Jewel, which will come back to Asia in Q4 2018 straight after dry dock. Norwegian Spirit will also undergo refurbishments before being seasonally redeployed to China in 2020. TD: With Norwegian Joy completing its first year in service in China, how would you rate its time there? SO: We see opportunity in China and are still committed to the Chinese cruise market for the long-term. In summer 2020 Norwegian Spirit will redeploy seasonally to China. The recent realignment and optimisation of ship assets has allowed us to rightsize our capacity in China while maintaining our commitment to this promising cruise market.
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