Edition: August 14, 2023
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LATEST NEWS | TACTICAL UPDATES | COMMUNICATION UPDATES |SAILINGS UPDATES | EDUCATION UPDATES | MARKETING ASSETS | PROMOTIONS | RESOURCES
As a reminder, the information outlined in any edition of the Beacon is for internal use only.
Please do not share this link with anyone outside of the NCL organization.
NEW 
Norwegian Viva Debuts in Europe
On August 10, 2023, Norwegian Viva welcomed the very first guests to sail aboard her maiden voyage from Venice (Trieste), Italy. For more details, check out the press release here.
NEW AARP Members Program
From August 8, 2023, through November 30, 2023, active AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) members who are first-time cruisers with NCL can receive a discount coupon for 10% off voyage fare per stateroom. The AARP member must register on AARP's website for the voyage fare coupon which will then be linked to their Latitudes profile. The 10% off will apply to all guests on the same reservation. This offer is valid for all sailings through December 31, 2024, and is combinable with Norwegian's Free at Sea offer. For additional details, visit NCL Help's internal "American Association of Retired Persons" article.
NEW NCL Air Choice Program
For awareness only, as this program is not currently applicable to travel advisor reservations, a new NCL Air Choice Program is now available for NCL Miami reservations. The program targets randomly selected guests who were booked via NCL.com and emails them with the option to customize their flight. Air choice can be added to a reservation and a flight customized 100 days prior to sailing, as long as the air was added in no less than 110 days prior to sailing. Guests will then click the link within their email to book an appointment to speak with one of the Air Choice team members. This link expires after 5 days, and the offer will no longer be available. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
NEW Additional Pre-sell Spa Availability
Pre-sell Spa Service allows guests to book spa services up to three days prior to sailing. After the pre-purchase cut-off, guests may purchase spa service onboard, dependent on availability. All prices are standard both onboard and pre-sell. For more details, go to NCL Help's external "Onboard Spa Service" article. The following additional sailings are now available for pre-sell spa inventory:
NEW Norwegian Joy Elements Performance Date Change
On Thursday, August 10, 2023, these communications were sent to all guests and travel partners with reservations for Elements on August 29, 2023, at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm aboard Norwegian Joy's August 20, 2023 sailing. Due to operational requirements, the performance date for Elements has been changed from August 29 to August 26, 2023. As such, all reservations booked on August 29, 2023, will be moved to August 26, 2023, at their respective show times. To find copies of the letters distributed, visit NCL Help's internal "Itinerary Changes" article and click the link for the respective ship to find copies of the letter provided.
NEW Norwegian Spirit Flight Changes
Due to limited commercial flight availability into Papeete, Tahiti, we have arranged a charter flight from Los Angeles, California, on September 27, 2023. To ensure guests have sufficient time to board the charter flight, their connecting flight will be arriving in Los Angeles, California, on September 26, 2023, and NCL has arranged for complimentary hotel rooms for these impacted guests. Please note, only the guests booked on this charter flight will receive this communication and complimentary hotel.
NEW Auto-Cancel Payment Schedule
As part of our goal to be the best cruise line for travel advisors to work with, we have taken steps to improve the auto-cancel process. On August 8, 2023, NCL updated the auto-cancel schedule to include two new date ranges, referenced below. Prior to this implementation, invoice items added within 30 days or less, caused the reservation to cancel immediately. Now, items added within 15-30 days will have an exact 24-hour grace period before canceling, and items added within 0-14 days will have an exact one-hour grace period. As a reminder, we added language on the booking confirmation that highlights the auto-cancel process to encourage payment for additional invoice items added within the final payment date. We also added an alert notification to NCL.com's shopping cart on June 6, 2023, notifying guests that payment must be collected immediately when adding any vacation add-ons to avoid cancelation. Reference the auto-cancel payment schedule in the image below and go to NCL Help's external "Auto-Cancel Process" article to find a list of invoice items that do not trigger the auto-cancel process.
- 0-14 days: allows for an exact 1-hour window before auto-canceling
- 15-30 days: allows for an exact 24-hour window before auto-canceling
NEW Support for Maui
To support local relief efforts in Maui, NCL is donating $50,000 to Maui United Way, and our team aboard Pride of America has begun to mobilize donations to the Hawaii Communication Foundation. To avoid stressing the local resources in Maui, Pride of America's itineraries beginning August 12, 2023, through the end of the month, are being modified to replace calls to Maui with an overnight to Hilo, Hawaii, and an additional overnight stay in Nawiliwili, Kauai. A personal message from John Chernesky was posted to the Partners First Facebook Page on Friday, August 11, 2023, addressing the Maui Fires. The post has been pinned to the top of the Facebook page for quick access.
NEW September Health and Safety Requirements
On August 10, 2023, this communication was sent to all guests and travel partners with active BK reservations for all sailings from September 1, 2023, through and including September 30, 2023. This communication has important information regarding our updated Health and Safety protocols and travel requirements for the destinations they will be visiting. Please refer travel partners to www.ncl.com/sail-safe and www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country for the most up-to-date protocols and requirements. Visit NCL Help's "Itinerary Changes" article and click the link for the respective ship to find a copy of the letter provided.
NEW Group Recall List
There is a list of sailings, linked here, where an early group recall is necessary. Please note that speculative groups will be cleaned up by the end of the day Friday, August 18, 2023. The deadline for CE, UK, INTL, Affinity, Tour Operators, and Protected Partners is Friday, August 25, 2023.
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TACTICAL UPDATES
NEW Norwegian Jade Displacement
Due to fleet redeployment and product enhancement, Norwegian Jade's April 21, 2025 sailing will be displaced. Communications to guests and impacted travel advisors were sent out today, Monday, August 14, 2023, and reservations are scheduled to be canceled and refunded starting August 16, 2023. Here you can find a spreadsheet, complete with the three affected agencies, agents, clients, and sales manager, along with alternate sailings as a guide to get your travel partner's clients rebooked. Please note that this information is not for sharing broadly, but to allow you to advise your agencies accordingly.
Guests will be provided with a full refund and the following coupon:
- Coupon Class: CHITN-10D - 10% off FCC (good on all products)
- Book and sail by December 31, 2025
NEW
Lowered NCFs for Select Canada and New England SailingsNCL has lowered NCFs on select Canada and New England sailings, referenced in the Canada at Par update below. A Partners First email, linked here, was sent on August 8, 2023, to support this offer.
REMINDER
Resident Rates for California and Hawaii ResidentsThere is a limited-time special savings offer for California and Hawaii residents on select sailings aboard Pride of America. This offer is available to book from July 12, 2023, through September 30, 2023. For more details, go to NCL Help's external "Special Residents Promotion for Pride of America" article. Find discount details and available sailing dates below.
REMINDER
CAD Discount on Select Sailings The current Canada at Par offer has been updated to include sailings aboard Norwegian Sky, Pearl, and Joy. As a reminder this offer allows Canadian clients to book the sailings specified below with no exchange rates, meaning they can save almost 30% off of their voyage fare. There is an updated slide here in Presentation Builder to help you support this limited-time offer. For more information, please access the "Exchange - Canadian (CAD) at Par Promotion" external article on NCL Help.
COMMUNICATION UPDATES
NEW Reactive Statement Regarding Wildfires in Maui (Shared August 11)
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“We are deeply saddened to hear about the wildfires currently impacting the town of Lahaina in Maui. We have a very special relationship with the people and islands of Hawaii, as we sail to the beautiful state year-round. It is a magical destination and one that is highly sought out by our guests for its natural beauty, culture and unparalleled experiences. To support local relief efforts, we are making a donation of $50,000 to Maui United Way and encouraging others to join our efforts by donating at mauiunitedway.org. In addition, our team aboard Pride of America has begun to mobilize donations of surplus inventory including clothes, towels, and diapers, to the Hawaii Community Foundation, while also activating our network of suppliers to support with in-kind donations. To avoid stressing the local resources, we have replaced calls to Maui with an overnight call to Hilo, Hawaii, and an additional overnight stay in Nawiliwili, Kauai for itineraries beginning Aug. 12, 2023, through the end of the month. As always, our top priority is the safety and security of our guests and crew. We will communicate further updates as appropriate.” – Spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line |
UPDATED Upcoming Partners First Communications
For awareness, below is a list of upcoming communications to the NA trade community from Partners First. Please note that content topics and dates are subject to change to support business needs as necessary. If you have any questions or recommendations, please email thebeacon@ncl.com.
| Date | Channel | Description | ||
| August 14, 2023 |
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These emails will address registrants who did and did not attend the webinar, encouraging them to review the recording and highlights. | ||
| August 15, 2023 |
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This campaign will encourage travel partners to book a relaxing vacation aboard Norwegian Viva for their clients in honor of National Relaxation Day by providing them with an overview of Norwegian Viva's spa services, itineraries, and promotional resources. | ||
| August 17, 2023 |
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This campaign will encourage travel partners to take advantage of Norwegian's Global Cruise Sale by providing them with a roundup of itineraries aboard Norwegian Viva and resources to support the current promotion. | ||
| August 18, 2023 |
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This campaign will feature a social media "Takeover" from John to foster positive sentiment amongst the Partners First social media community. |
UPDATED
Partners First File NamesAs a reminder, files are occasionally deleted to create space for new files. To avoid uploading duplicate files, please reference the guide that includes best practices and outlines the process of uploading and searching for existing files in Account Engagement, found in the resources section below. Below are the names of the recent Partners First files. Please note that underscores represent spaces, and parentheses are not part of the names.
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SAILING UPDATES
UPDATED
Sailing ChangesIn case you missed it, updates have been made to sailings on the ships listed below. Find the notification letters on NCL Help's internal "Itinerary Changes" page regarding the respective ship. You can also access this page via the Itinerary Changes button on Norwegian Central's Learn column. Please note that when it comes to cancelations, commissions are protected for reservations that were paid in full, unless noted otherwise.
| Itinerary Changes |
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EDUCATION UPDATES
NEW
August Partners First Webinar InviteEncourage your travel partners to watch the recording of last week's Partners First webinar here to gain helpful insight into NCL's destinations. They can also review the recording on NCLU's webinar page.
NEW
Executive Event Presentation in Presentation BuilderThere is a new Executive Event presentation here in Presentation Builder. It includes a new way to position the NCL Air Program, ways to close the deal, such as CruiseNext opportunities, and much more.
REMINDER
Canada and New England PresentationsFind an updated presentation here in Presentation Builder to support our Canada at Par offer to your travel partners with Canadian clients and here to support Canada and New England to your non-Canadian travel partners.
Global Cruise Sale ToolkitEncourage your travel partners to promote the Global Cruise Sale to their clients by showcasing this toolkit in Marketing Headquarters. It includes customizable social media images, emails, flyers, and much more.
NEW
CM&I FlyerUse the CM&I Flyer here in Marketing Headquarters to encourage your travel partners to promote Norwegian Cruise Line as the ideal event space. It includes an overview of benefits, FAQS, and much more.
NEW
The Haven Social ImageThere is a new customizable image to promote the Haven here in Marketing Headquarters. Travel partners have the option to choose between several headlines and write their own text to personalize their message for their clients.
Upcoming Promotions Cliffs| Promotion | Begins | Ends |
| Global Cruise Sale: 35% Off All Cruises + Free at Sea + $250 CruiseFirst | August 11, 2023 | August 17, 2023 |
| August Pulse 2: 70% Off 2nd Guest + Free At Sea | August 18, 2023 | August 31, 2023 |
| Labor Day Sale: 70% Off 2nd Guest + Free At Sea + $250 CruiseFirst | September 1, 2023 | September 8, 2023 |
| September Pulse 1: 35% Off All Cruises + Free at Sea | September 9, 2023 | September 14, 2023 |
| September Pulse 1: 70% Off 2nd Guest + Free At Sea | September 15, 2023 | September 20, 2023 |
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Use the Sales Operations Requests link for:
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Use the Sales Systems Requests link for:
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