We are so excited to kick off the wave season as a partner of the month with Norwegian. As announced in November last year, Norwegian is now paying commissions on NCFs to the agencies that submitted a marketing plan by 12/31/2022. Aside from a strong value proposition and great customer service, that should put Norwegian on your list of preferred cruise partners. And to top it off and make sure we have strong sales this January as Partner of the Month, Norwegian is offering a two-week Pre-paid Gratuities offer exclusive to Nexion! Book your clients from 1/16 through 1/31 to take advantage of this great offer that you can also combine with Free At Sea and the 50% off All Cruises published offer!

Sales Tip #1: Why Sell Norwegian

NCL’s Guest First philosophy puts the guest at the heart of every decision, and what that means for you is your client’s satisfaction with the vacation you help them plan will be extremely high, and they will most likely be a repeat customer you and us). When the guest is front and center, everyone wins.

With Norwegian Free at Sea, guests have the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal cruise vacation and you can help them plan for everything before their cruise. That means when they are onboard is all about enjoying their time and making memories.

We offer more destinations than other contemporary lines, sailing to over 400 incredible ports across 7 continents in 17 different ships – the youngest fleet sailing the oceans. What difference does that make for you? We are bound to have the perfect itinerary and onboard experience that fits your most diverse clients. From a client that just wants to do their annual Caribbean trip, to those that want to explore every inch of the world, we have what they need.

NCL offers unique experiences that resonate with everyone from adults to children to solo travelers. We are continuously raising the standards of contemporary cruising with award-winning and varied food and beverage concepts and world-class, Broadway-style entertainment, live music and themed parties that cater to a mature audience, while also offering innovative recreations and youth programs that will keep kids any age wanting to sail all the time. Plus, our Solo studios and Solo Lounges are the best way to see the world and mingle with other like-minded adults traveling on their own.

Sales Tip #2: Who Sails with Norwegian?

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a product that appeals to a very varied audience. Although baby boomers still account for most cruisers, by 2025 Gen X is expected to outpace them in mix and volume, and in 10 years Millennials will comprise 30 – 47% of the cruise population. Our Prima class of ships sets Norwegian apart by highlighting cutting-edge design and meaningful enhancements throughout the entire cruise experience that position us to appeal to all audience segments.

Millennials are the largest living generation and are aging into Norwegian’s key demographic target, although GenX and Boomers are still very important given their age, budget, and wealth. It’s worth pointing out that Millennials are amongst the segment that spends the most.

Regardless of their generation, here are the segments that are most likely to sail with us:

Affluent Travelers

Classified as a little older, lovers of travel and exploring new places, Affluent Travelers spend most on cruises and dislike traditional cruises.

For them, we offer an exclusive experience, hidden away at the top of select ships. THE HAVEN BY NORWEGIAN® is an exclusive enclave with private keycard access featuring our most luxurious, well-appointed, and spacious accommodations. Guests of The Haven enjoy white tablecloth in-suite dining served by certified butlers available 24 hours a day. The Haven guest can enjoy all the experiences and venues that our ships offer and mingle with other guests, but they also have an exclusive area, THE HAVEN COURTYARD, that offers a private beach club ambiance, whenever they want their privacy and tranquility.

Affluent travelers tend to be well-traveled and most likely have already visited most common cruise destinations several times, and because they like to explore that gives you the perfect opportunity to offer them our more exotic destinations like Hawaii, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, and South America.

Active Families

These are younger families with kids, very active, and willing to spend more. They love large ships with lots to do and are very willing to sail on Norwegian when you position us as the best option to provide great activities and experiences for everyone. For them, we offer our flexible family accommodations which feature a world of comfort whether their crew is small or large. With adjoining staterooms, FAMILY CLUB BALCONY SUITES, or multi-room SUITES offering more room, there are plenty of ways for families to wind down.

While we offer youth programs for all ages and many activities throughout the ship, like the racetrack, water, and dry slides, splash pools, and hi-tech gaming entertainment, it’s the adults that thrive aboard our ships. With so many options of bars and lounges, nightclubs, and award-winning entertainment, parents can have “a night out in town” every night of their cruise. And if relaxation is the goal of the trip, they can choose to have a romantic dinner in one of our many restaurants and perhaps get a massage at the Mandara spa or just enjoy the thermal suites for the day.

Cruising with Norwegian is really a win-win for the entire family!

Solo Travelers

Norwegian has really positioned itself to be the cruise of choice for solo travelers. We offer them our award-winning, well-appointed Studios with exclusive keycard access to the shared, private, and relaxing Studio Lounge, where a delicious continental breakfast is available daily. They can also enjoy happy hour in the evenings and meet other solo cruisers on board. Solo travelers also enjoy the resplendent views at the adults-only retreat, Vibe Beach Club, which features an oversized hot tub, inviting lounge chairs, daybeds, and a full-service bar. Solo travelers might enter the ship on their own, but they are most likely going to leave with new friendships and great memories of a fun-filled vacation.

Groups (Families, Friends, and Affinity)

These groups can be centered around a celebration, like a grandma’s 80th birthday and a friend’s bachelor party, or just simply be a celebration of life and common interests, like a group of wine aficionados discovering the Sonoma Wine Country together in one of our Pacific Coast voyages.

Because of our wide range of dining, bar, and lounges as well as the different activities and entertainment options aboard our ships, it is easy to see why groups are so popular for us: we offer something great for everyone!

We welcome you to learn more about the types of groups we offer and contact your sales managers if you need help growing your group business.

Sales Tip #3: Getting New Clients with Cruise Events

When you invite prospective clients to a well-planned event and inspire them to dream about their next vacation by explaining the value proposition a cruise with Norwegian brings them, you are sure to reap the benefits.

Planning a successful cruise event can take time and effort on your part, but we are here to help you! Our Cruise Events toolkits available in marketing Headquarters were created to assist you every step of the way, from the planning to the execution, and most importantly the follow-up.

We have created invitations for you to promote your event, emails that can be sent to your database, and social media posts that you can as your network to share to reach new clients! Also, a first for us, we are making consumer-facing presentations available to you so you don’t even have to worry about what content you will present – we have it all ready. If you are doing a virtual event, we have several different zoom backgrounds available for download, to ensure you look the part. And if you are doing an in-person event, your sales managers can help you with tchotchkes that you can give to attendees.

Start planning your next Norwegian Cruise event now! Submit a request here and gain access to all the tools we have at your disposal. Learn more.

Sales Tip #4: Maximizing your Earnings with Groups

One of the most effective ways to increase your NCL business and be more profitable is to focus on developing group sales. An advisor can pursue several different groups, but we feel the best return for our partners happens when you focus on Affinity Groups.

Affinity groups are clients who have a common interest or share a unique connection. Most groups sailing with Norwegian are in the affinity category. Some examples include:

Friends traveling together, Family reunions, Wedding parties, Hobby groups, Music performance groups, Organizations, clubs, and associations

Affinity groups can also be conventions, trade shows, business meetings, executive retreats, conferences, fundraisers, and alumni programs.

Our Affinity groups program was created to be flexible enough that you can customize the amenities for your group based on their needs. There is also an option to increase your profits through bonus commission and tour conductor credits. And for the advisors that plan far out, they also get the best fare, with a discount of up to 15% on voyages that are farther away from sailing. Learn More.