New Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) boss, John Chidsey, accused NCL of pulling down the entire three-brand company during an earnings call with investors at the start of March.
Chidsey's comments came just a couple of weeks after Elliot Investment Management, which holds a small stake in NCLH, sent an open letter to the board of directors, highlighting "missteps" the company had made.
However, speaking to TTG on NCL's latest Prima-plus ship, Norwegian Luna, Anslow said: “You know that [Chidsey’s orbit] is a very corporate world, and the reality is that an NCL cruise represents exceptional value, so for travel agents my message is that it’s very much business as usual.
“What's more, we’ve just removed non-commissionable fares (NCFs) for agents, which means a typical 15% to 25% increase in individual earnings.
“We have the right products, we have the right level of travel agent support, and the right consumer proposition to mean that we are a strong part of the UK cruise scene."
Reflecting on agent feedback onboard Luna's christening sailing, Anslow said: “The feedback so far has been wonderful. The first sailing on Luna out of Rome received the highest guest satisfaction scores we've ever had, so that's quite an accolade.
“Every time we launch a new ship, we take the opportunity to elevate everything a little bit more. And I think with Luna, we've hit the sweet spot: she’s everything I expected her to be and a bit more.”
On the current geopolitical tensions, Anslow said: “From a trade point of view, a holiday at sea is safe because you can always move a cruise ship, so that’s the advantage we have."
'We are pioneers'
NCL has decided to revisit the strapline "It's Different Out Here" which was previously used in the 90s.
“It's isn't a new strap line," explained Anslow. “It's our old strap line from the 90s. So what we're doing is really going back to the heart of what NCL is.
“We pioneered freestyle cruising – the freedom to wear what you want, eat when you want and with whom you want – as well as the private island trend when we opened Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, which recently debuted enhancements including the Great Life Lagoon and a pool area featuring two swim‑up bars, cabanas, and lounge chairs.
"We were also the first cruise line to introduce the ship-within-a-ship concept with the launch of the Haven and the first to offer studio cabins and accompanying lounges for solo travellers.
“We've never gone away from any of this, but I think to an extent we stopped shouting about it. So what we're now doing is saying, actually, we are pioneers and everything that we stood for historically still stands.
“Our new branding is just a good way of reminding people that NCL is different from competitors, and this should help attract the new-to-cruise segment we’re all after."
As for Anslow, his own targets for the next 12 to 24 months are unwavering: “To continue to grow NCL’s presence in the UK market through our training programme, through our engagement with trade partners, through education.
“So we have NCLU, which is our training programme for partners. We have a team on the road and a team of account managers engaged with the trade, highlighting that we’ve got great ships, our itineraries are brilliant, and the value for money is remarkable."
