Casinos & Hotels

Will China Be a Major Boost for Norwegian Cruise Line?

Maybe all the headline economic data out of China has not been as strong of late. Still, if there is one nation that offers a massive upside to some companies it is China. Now we have an announcement from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: NCLH) that the company plans to introduce the first purpose-built ship customized for the China market in 2017. While this effort is already underway, a new ship announcement is targeted directly at the Chinese consumer and traveler.

This new announcement was made at the CruiseWorld China summit in Shanghai, and the new ship is already under construction. Norwegian’s CEO noted that the new ship is designed specifically for the China market with accommodations, cuisine and on-board experiences that all cater to the unique vacation preferences of Chinese guests.

Norwegian said that this new ship is the second in the line’s Breakaway Plus Class and will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and are also distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility. In short, it is directly targeting modern Chinese travelers with value and with an upscale cruise experience for its Freestyle Cruising.

Norwegian said that this ship will have a capacity of 4,200 guests. The company is working with partners in China and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture. The ship’s name, home port, accommodations, dining and entertainment will be shared in the coming months. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings also has opened offices in Beijing and Hong Kong and now has announced the opening of its Shanghai office.

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Norwegian operates three brands — Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas. Currently it has a fleet of 21 ships, with roughly 40,000 lower berths and a total portage of over 420 destinations worldwide. It currently sees adding six more ships through 2019.

Shares of Norwegian were up 2% at $59.11 Monday morning, within a 52-week range of $30.44 to $63.22. The market cap is roughly $13.5 billion.

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