Norwegian Cruise Line President Reflects on 2023, Looks Ahead to 2024

Image: Norwegian Viva on the water. (Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line)

by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 8:30 AM ET, Fri January 19, 2024

It’s been a busy year for David J. Herrera. Since he took the helm in April, Norwegian Cruise Line has launched a new ship, returned to the Asian market and added more solo staterooms across its entire fleet, among other developments. And, amid continued strong demand for cruising, Herrera is optimistic about the future.

“The cruise industry is certainly on an upward trajectory,” he says. “It’s an exciting time, as there is more capacity in the industry than ever before with each of the cruise lines launching new ships every year.”

But before he puts 2023 totally in the rearview mirror, Herrera is taking some time to reflect on the year’s accomplishments—and share a preview of what’s to come for the line in 2024.?

Herrera named NCL's Chief Consumer Sales and Marketing Officer

Milestones and Achievements of 2023?

Last year was special for Herrera personally, since he was promoted to president of Norwegian Cruise Line after serving as its chief consumer sales and marketing officer since 2021. But it was also a “banner year” for the company more broadly, he says.

The line made its long-awaited return to Asia after staying away for three years because of the pandemic. In October, Norwegian Jewel sailed into Tokyo to launch an extended six-month season. Though all of Norwegian’s ships had returned to post-pandemic service by 2022, the re-launch in Asia symbolized a “milestone moment,” he says.

“The timing couldn’t have been better to return to that bucket-list destination, as we’ve seen a significant demand for cruising and travel overall this year,” Herrera adds.

A month later, in November, Norwegian christened its newest ship, Norwegian Viva. The new vessel—the second in Norwegian’s Prima Class—had entered service in August in Italy, but made the voyage across the Atlantic for the celebration in Miami, where the cruise line is headquartered.

“It was a truly special moment for all of us at NCL,” Herrera says of the christening. “It was a showstopping event featuring an all-star lineup of Latin entertainers, including the Norwegian Viva’s godfather, Latin Grammy Award-winner and global music sensation, Luis Fonsi.”

The company also announced the next chapter of its fleet, the Prima Plus Class. It opened bookings for Norwegian Aqua, a new ship that’s under construction at the Fincantieri shipyards in Italy and scheduled to make its debut in April 2025.

“The ship will offer more space, more experiences and industry-first attractions, including the world’s first hybrid water slide and roller coaster, the Aqua Slidecoaster,” he says. “More features and guest experiences will be revealed throughout 2024, so stay tuned.”

Norwegian Aqua is the first of the expanded Prima Plus Class.

The company also celebrated the one-year anniversary of its new military appreciation program, which gives active and retired service members a 10 percent discount on cruises. Norwegian also welcomes those guests on board with a special welcome kit and challenge coin. As a veteran himself, Herrera says watching that program flourish has been “very special.”

Norwegian Cruise Line—and its parent company—also made several key leadership changes. Most notably, Harry Sommer became president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—the two other cruise lines in the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings family—also welcomed new leadership.

“What’s truly unique about these changes is that none of us were new to the company or to each other,” Herrera says. “We are like family. We’ve been by each other’s side for years now, working together to collectively grow our individual brands with the underlying commitment of providing the best vacations all over the world for our guests.”

Herrera was also “extremely pumped” about the appointment of John Chernesky as head of North America sales for Norwegian Cruise Line, he adds.

Zooming out, Herrera attributes much of the cruise line’s success in 2023 to its employees, especially the onboard crew members who interact directly with guests.

“We have the best team in the industry,” he says. “I am truly honored to have the opportunity to work alongside this incredible group of individuals.”

Looking Ahead to 2024

Herrera hopes to build on last year’s successes in 2024, with a continued focus on enhancing the overall guest experience. To that end, Norwegian will continue to prioritize longer, more immersive itineraries that give guests extra time in port.?

Over the last year, Norwegian has been rolling out more cruise tour options around the world—and plans to continue focusing on those offerings.

“Travelers today are more focused on investing in experiences, spending time with those who matter most to them and have a greater emphasis on value, especially as it relates to their time,” he says. ?

The company is also taking a closer look at the variety of product mix in some of its most popular destinations, including bucket list-worthy locations in Europe and Alaska. Norwegian will have 10 ships sailing in Europe throughout this year, with a variety of itinerary lengths and departure ports. Herrera is also looking forward to another extended season in Alaska, where Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Jewel will be sailing from April to October.

As this year gets underway, Herrera is also keeping an eye on several trends in the industry, including the rise of solo and multi-generational travel. And 2024 is shaping up to be a big one for solo travel for Norwegian: In October, in direct response to guest feedback, the line introduced 1,000 dedicated solo stateroom categories across all 19 of its ships. Those offerings became available for sailings starting on Jan. 2.

Now, solo travelers can visit destinations like Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, where Norwegian did not previously offer solo staterooms. And, if they so choose, they can meet and mingle with fellow like-minded travelers by visiting private, keycard access-only lounges onboard.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Spirit.

Of course, 2024 will not be without its challenges, some of which—like geopolitical issues and inflation—have carried over from 2023.

“We will work hard to get through them as we always do—the cruise industry is very resilient,” he says. “On a positive note, the beauty of cruising is that we are nimble and have the ability to reposition and redeploy our ships as needed.”

Norwegian—and the cruise industry more broadly—will also face continued competition from land-based vacations, Herrera says. For help attracting new-to-cruise guests, Norwegian will lean heavily on the support of its partners, including travel advisors.?

“They are having the one-on-one conversations with their clients and can really help them understand the cruise experience and the incredible value it offers,” he says. “Our partners are an extension of our team and their expertise in educating clients on the NCL experience and helping them maximize the value of their overall vacation does not go unnoticed.”

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