The Norway was at the time significantly larger than any existing cruise ship, and exploited the extra space available by adding a greater than usual variety of onboard entertainment. Her success paved the way for a new era of giant cruise ships. A boiler explosion in May 2003 forced Norwegian to withdraw the Norway from.

MIAMI — Behind a locked door aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship is a world most of the vessel’s 4,200 passengers will never see. And that is exactly the point. In the Haven, as this ship within a ship is called, about 275 elite guests enjoy not only a concierge and 24-hour butler service, but also a private pool, sun deck and restaurant, creating an oasis free from the crowds elsewhere on the Norwegian Escape. If Haven passengers venture out of their aerie to see a show, a flash of their gold key card gets them the best seats in the house. When the ship returns to port, they disembark before everyone else.

“It was always the intention to make the Haven somewhat obscure so it wasn’t in the face of the masses,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s former chief executive, who helped design the Escape with the hope of attracting a richer clientele. “That segment of the population wants to be surrounded by people with similar characteristics.”. What is different today, though, is that companies have become much more adept at identifying their top customers and knowing which psychological buttons to push.

The goal is to create extravagance and exclusivity for the select few, even if it stirs up resentment elsewhere. In fact, research has shown, a little envy can be good for the bottom line. When top-dollar travelers switch planes in Atlanta, New York and other cities, Delta ferries them between terminals in a Porsche, what the airline calls a “surprise-and-delight service.” Last month, Walt Disney World began offering after-hours access to visitors who want to avoid the crowds. In other words, you basically get the Magic Kingdom to yourself. When Royal Caribbean ships call at Labadee, the cruise line’s private resort in Haiti, elite guests get their own special beach club away from fellow travelers — an enclave within an enclave. “We are living much more cloistered lives in terms of class,” said Thomas Sander, who directs a project on civic engagement at the Kennedy School at Harvard. “We are doing a much worse job of living out the egalitarian dream that has been our hallmark.” Emmanuel Saez, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, estimates that the top 1 percent of American households now controls 42 percent of the nation’s wealth, up from less than 30 percent two decades ago.

The top 0.1 percent accounts for 22 percent, nearly double the 1995 proportion. But even as income inequality and the wealth gap stoke the discontent that has emerged as a powerful force in this year’s presidential election, for American business it represents something else entirely. From cruise ship operators and casinos to amusement parks and airlines, the rise of the 1 percent spells opportunity and profit.

Advertisement From 2010 to 2014, the number of American households with at least $1 million in financial assets jumped by nearly one-third, to just under seven million, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group. For the $1 million-plus cohort, estimated wealth grew by 7.2 percent annually from 2010 to 2014, eight times the pace of gains for families with less than $1 million.

The High Life For the affluent, spending on high-end experiences like travel and dining now nearly equals outlays on luxury goods like cars and fashion. APRIL 23, 2016 By THE NEW YORK TIMES “You go where the money is,” said Steven Fazzari, a professor of economics at Washington University in St. “This is where companies are innovating and where there is demand.” Class Divisions In many ways, the rise of the velvet rope reverses the great democratization of travel and leisure, and other elements of American life, in the post-World War II era. As the Jet Set gave way to budget airlines, in places like airports and theme parks even the wealthiest often rubbed shoulders with hoi polloi. These days, whether the provider is a private company or a public agency, special treatment for the very rich isn’t personal, it’s business.

Late last year, public officials in Los Angeles agreed to lease a separate facility at LAX to a private firm that would serve celebrities or anyone else willing to pay $1,800 to skip the traffic jams and lines at the main terminals. Of course, it could be more extreme, and in the past it was. The Titanic, in the early 20th century, separated the different classes of travelers with metal gates. In the 19th century, French railways refrained from putting roofs on third-class wagons so that passengers who could afford more expensive second-class seats would not hesitate to spend a few extra francs. Advertisement At SeaWorld, a family of four can jump to the front of the line and score the best seats for rides and shows for an extra $80, in addition to the basic $320 admission. For people in the market for something more exclusive, there is Discovery Cove, next door to SeaWorld’s traditional park in Orlando.

Forget merely swimming with the dolphins. Today, parents can relax at a cabana and beach of their own, while their budding marine biologists spend the day with a trainer, feed the park’s birds, otters, nurse sharks and other creatures and, of course, frolic with the dolphins as well.

There are no lines to cut here: Daily attendance is capped at 1,300. A day at Discovery Cove can easily cost $1,000 for a family of four. Next year, Crystal Cruises will begin an airborne version of one of its luxury ships: a customized Boeing 777 that ferries passengers on 14- or 28-day trips around the world. In theory, according to Steve Tadelis, a professor of economics at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley, “when an industry is able to create a richer line of products for people looking to spend their money, that makes everybody happier. But getting it right in reality is very, very hard.” As companies separate their clientele, a debate has developed over just how obvious the distinctions should be.

Some experts, like David Clarke, who works with leisure industry giants as a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers, say that it is best to be open about what amounts to a money-based caste system. “It’s about transparency,” he said. “What customers hate is when you’re trying to hide stuff and are not being honest with them.” Many companies, though, have discovered that offering ordinary customers just a whiff of the rarefied air can actually enhance the bottom line, even if it stirs a certain amount of envy and resentment. Advertisement Choice, for a Price While choices for the rich are expanding, poorer Americans are benefiting less from product innovation, according to new research by Xavier Jaravel, a graduate student in economics at Harvard. Whether they are selling fancy cookware, natural cheeses or single malt Scotch, purveyors of goods aimed at the wealthy are competing more and offering new products. Downscale items like canned meat or tobacco aren’t drawing as many new entrants into the market.

There is also increasing demand from the most affluent shoppers. Spending by the top 5 percent of earners rose nearly 35 percent from 2003 to 2012 after adjusting for inflation, according to a study by Mr. Fazzari and Barry Z. Cynamon of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. For everyone else, spending grew less than 10 percent.

A Growing Divide In recent decades, spending by those at the top of the income scale has sharply outpaced consumption gains by everyone else. APRIL 23, 2016 By THE NEW YORK TIMES And with the rise of the Internet and big data, companies can pinpoint and favor these wealthiest customers in ways unimaginable even a decade ago. “At the high end, we can get into real psychographics and know who spends more time at the concierge or goes skiing in February,” said Bjorn Hanson, who teaches courses on tourism and hospitality management at New York University. For companies trying to entice moneyed customers, that means identifying and anticipating what they want. “The premium customer doesn’t want to be asked questions,” said Mr. Clarke of PricewaterhouseCoopers. “They don’t want friction.

They want things to happen through osmosis.” But for people at the lower end of the market, as well as in the middle, plenty of friction remains. The trade-off is that the amount of hassle is precisely calibrated to just how much you are willing to pay.

“At the low end, people’s expectations have fundamentally changed,” Mr. “Because it’s a fraction of the cost, people say, ‘I’m willing to take some discomfort because my wallet is staying full.’” No More Tourist Upgrades Executives describe the virtues of elite segmentation with a directness that might well serve as fodder for supporters of Occupy Wall Street or Senator Bernie Sanders.

At its debut in 2006, the Haven was swamped by tourists from regular quarters who paid $200 to upgrade to one of its 40 or so rooms, Mr. Sheehan recalled. So he ordered an immediate halt to the upgrades, which undercut profit margins and undermined the Haven’s main selling point, exclusivity.

Advertisement “That’s not the mojo or the culture of Royal Caribbean,” Mr. “The idea of segregating people into a class system is un-American. But if you live on Central Park, you are going to pay more. That’s how the system works.” As has been the case elsewhere in the leisure industry in recent years, Royal Caribbean has become more comfortable with heightening the contrast between the treatment meted out to ordinary passengers and the level of service reserved for the top tier. Royal Caribbean has always considered the psychology of its guests when it designs new ships or introduces new amenities, said Adam Goldstein, the company’s chief operating officer, but there has been a shift in passenger expectations in recent years. “For a long time there was an acceptance that outside the door of your room, you were on an equal footing,” he said. “We didn’t attempt to have any differentiation in how services were delivered.” Since the late 1990s, however, “there has been a huge evolution, maybe a revolution in attitudes,” Mr.

Goldstein said. In addition to larger rooms or softer sheets, big spenders want to be coddled nowadays. “They are looking for constant validation that they are a higher-value customer,” he said. For example, room service requests from Royal Suite occupants are automatically routed to a number different from the one used by regular passengers, who get slower, less personalized service. With a week in a top Royal Suite costing upward of $30,000, compared with $4,000 for an ordinary cabin, the focus is on “very affluent travelers, and we have no trouble filling these rooms,” Mr. In May, the company will roll out its Royal Genie program — essentially a personal servant for the highest spenders on board. Royal Genies will research their guests’ preferences even before they come aboard and come up with surprises like in-room drinks with their favorite vodka or Scotch.

Even though this kind of pampering might be good for business, and delight those on the right side of the velvet rope, the gap between the privileged and the rest may ultimately leave everyone feeling uneasy, said Barry J. Nalebuff, a professor of management at Yale. “If I’m in the back of the plane, I want to hiss at the people in first class,” said Mr. Nalebuff, who has advised many Fortune 100 companies. “If I’m up front, I cringe as people walk by.”.

Key people Frank Del Rio, CEO Products Website Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Is a Bermudian company operating, headquartered in. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or seating arrangements for meals, nor is formal attire required.

Norwegian is a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ, with major shareholders including (15.8%), (11.1%), and (2.3%) as of 20 March 2017. Norwegian Cruise Line controls approximately 8% of the total worldwide share of the cruise market. Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • History [ ] The cruise line was founded as Norwegian Caribbean Line in 1966 by and, with the 8,666-ton, 140m,, which in 1966 operated as a car-ferry between Southampton UK and Gibraltar, for that one, short season only. Arison soon left to form, while Kloster acquired additional ships for Caribbean service. Norwegian pioneered many firsts in the cruise industry like: the first Out Island Cruise, the first combined air-sea program (marketed as 'Cloud 9 Cruises') which combined low cost air fares with the cruise, first shipline to develop new ports in the Caribbean, like Ocho Rios in. Like the original Sunward of 1966, Norwegians's second ship, the had the capability to carry automobiles through a well concealed stern door. Later, this area was turned into cabins and a two deck movie theater, which is now a casino.

Norwegian was responsible for many of the cruise innovations that have now become standard throughout the industry. Norwegian made headlines with the acquisition of the in 1979, rebuilding the liner as a cruise ship and renaming her. The conversion cost more than $100 million USD.

The Norway was at the time significantly larger than any existing cruise ship, and exploited the extra space available by adding a greater than usual variety of onboard entertainment. Her success paved the way for a new era of giant cruise ships. A boiler explosion in May 2003 forced Norwegian to withdraw the Norway from service, later being laid up in, Germany until 2005 when she was towed to Malaysia with the claimed intent to use her as an anchored casino or slow overnight casino cruises on her remaining boilers. Instead, she was sold for scrap and renamed the and later beached at,, India in August 2006 with claims that she had not been cleaned of toxic materials. On September 11, 2007, the India Supreme Court issued an order permitting her to be broken-up at Alang, despite the presence of large amounts of hazardous asbestos remaining on board.

Norwegian has expanded to other parts of the world, including, Europe, Bermuda, and Hawaii. Between 1997 and 2001 the company also operated cruises out of Australia under the name. Its subsidiary, founded in 1991 to run the, was acquired in 1998. Norwegian itself was acquired by the Star Cruises, subsidiary of Malaysia-based Genting Group, in 2000. In 2007 Star Cruises sold the Marco Polo to, to be delivered in early 2008. Orient Lines will cease trading when the ship is delivered to its new owners.

In 2002, Norwegian purchased the half-complete hull of the first ship, at the time under construction at in, US, which was towed to Germany to be completed at the shipyard. Subsequently Norwegian acquired the rights to move two ships built entirely outside the United States under the US flag, making it possible to start a US-flagged operation under the brand name NCL America.

In 2003 the company announced the purchase of the famed American-flagged liners and. In their July 2007 fiscal report, Norwegian noted the sale of the Independence, renamed SS Oceanic some time before. On July 1, 2010, the SS United States Conservancy struck a deal to buy the for $3 million. Kid Pix Deluxe 4 Download Free Full Version For Windows 7.

On February 1, 2011, the ownership was officially transferred to the SS United States Conservancy. In August 2007, Star Cruises sold 50% of Norwegian for $1 billion to US-based (owners of ) in order to strengthen Norwegian's financial position. Subsequently Norwegian reported in February 2008 that the Pride of Aloha, one of the two remaining NCL America ships, would be withdrawn from service in May of the same year. Initial reports suggested she would be transferred to the fleet of Star Cruises, but it was later announced that she would return to the Norwegian international fleet as the Norwegian Sky, while the and would be sold to. The sale of the Norwegian Dream was subsequently canceled. It was announced in September 2012 that the Norwegian Dream will become the Superstar Gemini for, she will start service in January 2013. On June 1, 2012, Norwegian announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement to exercise its option to purchase Norwegian Sky.

The purchase price was approximately $260 million, financing is being provided by the seller. In January 2013, Norwegian Cruise Lines filed for an. As of 30 June 2014, Apollo Management only has a 20% stake and the Genting-Group-owned Star Cruises only had a 28% stake in the cruise line. In September 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it had purchased Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of both and in cash and stock for a total transaction consideration of $3.025 billion, including the assumption of debt. On 11 March 2014, Norwegian announced that it was canceling all future port calls at Tunisia following an incident where the country forbade Israeli nationals from disembarking.

On 9 January 2015, it was announced that Kevin Sheehan, President and CEO, had been succeeded by Frank Del Rio, co-founder of. On October 17, 2012, and Norwegian reached a second agreement for the construction of two new vessels. Slated for delivery in October 2015 and 2017, respectively. The project was under the code name 'Breakaway Plus Class' and it is expected for the vessels to be 163,000 tons and hold 4,200 passengers. The entered service in November 2015 and weighs 164,600 tons. Norwegian is expected to confirm its option for the 2017 vessel soon. Two more vessels were ordered on July 14, 2014, they will enter service in 2018 and 2019 and will be slightly bigger at 164,000 GT.

On February 29, 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line announced the name of the vessel that would start service in 2017. The name will be Norwegian Joy and it will be designed for the Chinese market. In May 2017, the Norwegian Sky was the first Norwegian vessel to ever visit. The Norwegian Sky makes weekly trips from Miami to, making Norwegian the only line sailing that route weekly. On May 2, 2017, Norwegian Cruise Line announced a new PortMiami Terminal. In 2018, the Norwegian Bliss built by Meyer Werft will be sailing for Alaska while in 2019, the fourth ship in the class will be designed like the Norwegian Joy, specifically for the Chinese market and it is to be built by also Meyer Werft. Between 2022 and 2025 will deliver four ships.

Two optional ships could get delivered until 2027. Norwegian Cruise Line ships [ ] Current ships [ ] Sun Class [ ] Ship Built Entered service for Norwegian Last Refurbishment Flag Homeport Notes Image 1999 1999-2004/2008 2013 77,104 tons Sailed as NCL America Pride of Aloha from 2004 to 2008, originally constructed as Costa Olympia, but sold to NCL during construction. Sister to the and the.

Future ships [ ] Ship Class Inaugural Voyage Flag Home Port Notes Breakaway Plus Class 2018 167,800 & Breakaway Plus 4 Breakaway Plus Class 2019 167,800 To Be Announced Will be based in China year-round along with her sister ship Norwegian Joy. 2022 140,000 Project Leonardo 2023 140,000 Project Leonardo 2024 140,000 Project Leonardo 2025 140,000 Project Leonardo Option 1 2026 140,000 Project Leonardo Option 2 2027 140,000 Previous ships [ ] Ship Built In service for NCL Tonnage Status as of 2017. Image 1966 1966–1976 8,666 Scrapped in 2004 at, Bangladesh. Retrieved May 11, 2016. Norwegian Cruise Line.

Retrieved on January 9, 2010. Cruise Market Watch. The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 2017-02-08. • September 1, 2009, at the. Retrieved on October 17, 2011.

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External links [ ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for.