Norwegian Cruiseships, "Pride of Hawaii", left, "Spirit", right.
Norwegian Cruise lines announced the largest European deployment of cruise ships in the company’s 45-year history.
The four new Freestyle Cruising ships will set sail beginning April 2012. The idea of freestyle cruising embraces the guest’s desire for self-government. During freestyle cruises, Norwegian forbears ashore schedules and formalities, offering guests more freedom to do what the want.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has lined up the Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Sun and the Norwegian Spirit to sail year round. Although European cruises are high demand, Norwegian’s largest and most contemporary liner, the Norwegian Epic will continue to sail during set times of the year on routes between Barcelona and Copenhagen.
Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Chief Executive Office, spoke of the hike in demand of European cruise in an interview with Travel Weekly. Sheehan said, “Europe is one of the world’s fastest growing cruise markets and one where Freestyle Cruising is very well received. In addition to this we have seen a massive initial demand in our European bookings for the 2011/2012, we felt it was the right time to deploy four ships, including two year-round, in Europe, marking our largest European deployment in the company’s history.”
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Sheehan, recently experienced working on the cruise lines innovation first hand. Sheehan worked feverishly on the Norwegian Epic and the Pride of America cruise ships. CBS’s hit television show Undercover Boss, featured Sheehan waiting tables, working as a maintenance technician and “swabbing the deck”.
Norwegian Cruise Lines, founded in 1966, is an industry leader in cruise line innovation.