NCL Senior Vice President Andy Stewart talks about the future of cruising.



On our recent cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl, Patti and I had the good fortune to meet NCL's Andy Stewart, Senior VP of Sales and Onboard Operations, at a cocktail party. When asked about where the industry can go next in cruise ship design after rock climbing walls, gyroscopically stabilized sports venues, and Free Style Dining, he gave us a few details on the next generation of NCL ships.


The new generation of ships is still known by the code name F3 to denote the third generation of freestyle ships. Andy didn't drop a hint about names, but gave us these great design tidbits:

• The F3 will be as large as the current largest ships (over 150,000 tons)


• She'll be post PANAMAX (translation: too big for the Panama Canal)


• 100% of the ocean view cabins will have balconies!


• Passenger capacity will be 4200 passengers in double occupancy, and up to 800 in 3rd and 4th bunks. We asked whether this would strain port capacity, and he replied that upgrading ports was one of their top priorities (See next bullet)


• Tendering will not be required at any ports visited by the new ships. Large investments are being made in building new docks and adequate shoreside excursion capacity.


• Andy said that the most exciting changes would be a complete re-engineering of entertainment similar to what was done to dining in the free-style changeover. My imagination went wild at this point: Would large showrooms shrink? Will there be theater in the round? Is their wonderful arial ballet (Cirque de Soleil-like) show a window to the future? Will the entertainment be distributed around the ship as dining has been, so that the big-ship feeling gives way to intimate interactive shows. Will the present Second City improv comedy troupe be a mainstay of future entertainment. In our case, the troupe learned about our group, and designed hilarious skits about us right on the spot.


• With the exchange rate woes of the dollar, the first F3 ship could cost $1.8 Billion when delivered in 2010.


• Our Vivian and Joe Ewert (Senior management of CruiseOne) actually signed one of the first steel plates at the shipyard in October.


• I hope to be able to get some more information on the actual build. Andy showed us some pictures of how the steel plates are laser-cut under water. This would make a great documentary, and I'm sure someone will do it.

Andy also planted the seeds for this blog when he described changes in how cruisers choose their cruises. "Although almost all cruisers do some research on the web, they strongly prefer to buy from real people who are experts in the thousands of options and combinations available in today's cruise industry." Price is only a small piece of value; WHAT YOU GET for your money defines value. 83% of Americans haven't cruised, and need professional advice, and the other 13% have wonderful knowledge that becomes more obsolete each day in this fast changing business.

We feel that published cruise reviews are a blessing and a curse. They allow you to see how a ship satisfies a large group of passengers ON THE AVERAGE. Actual ship conditions are clouded by chronic complainers, and negative reviews are often based on things not important to YOU. Develop a relationship with a CLIA accredited cruise counselor, and work with him or her to find the ship, date, and itinerary for you. Don't let an impersonal booking engine or a minimum wage clerk put you on someone else's favorite cruise.