How Events at Sea Help Business for Norwegian Cruise Line - BizBash

Despite experiencing a devastating setback successful 2020 due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic, similar astir travel, the cruise manufacture has been making a comeback. In 2022, the manufacture made $18 cardinal successful revenue, and it’s projected to scope $25.1 cardinal by the extremity of 2023.

Part of that occurrence tin beryllium attributed to immersive experiences, including meetings astatine sea. Because cruises thin to connection precocious information rates, charismatic locales, and outgo effectiveness, they’ve go a favorable enactment for association, corporate, and inducement gathering and lawsuit planners. And companies similar Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) are noticing.

The cruise institution precocious launched a part called “Experiences astatine Sea,” which volition supply charter events and immersive experiences astatine oversea for like-minded individuals. This caller part joins the company’s Charters, Meetings, and Incentives squad (CM&I) with Sixthman Festivals astatine Sea, a subsidiary of NCL that has already produced much than 160 fan-focused charters.

In March, Keeping the Blues Alive astatine Sea VIII volition diagnostic much than 20 artists, including Little Feat, Dion, Bobby Rush, Robert Randolph Band, and more.Photo: Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise LineFrom Jan. 20-March 27, the cruise enactment is hosting a lineup of 13 back-to-back cruises implicit 66 nights connected the Norwegian Pearl, which boasts a maximum capableness of 2,394 guests and a magnitude of 964 feet. The themed cruises—which sail from Miami to assorted Caribbean islands—are aimed astatine a scope of passengers, including wrestling aficionados, nurses, and euphony fans.

The institution has besides partnered with question bureau Infinity Sports & Events to connection bespoke packages for the Rugby World Cup successful September and October. Passengers volition person lucifer tickets to games played successful Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, and Nantes, France, arsenic good arsenic entree to fan-focused activities, subordinate and manager meet-and-greets, panels, and game-viewing parties connected board.

Anthony Diaz, CEO of Sixthman and elder vice president of CM&I for Norwegian Cruise Line, shared much astir the caller part and what planners usually look for erstwhile hosting meetings and conferences connected cruise ships...

Why did NCL determine to signifier the “Experiences astatine Sea” division? Was determination request from guests and clients?
We were seeing that radical were much funny successful investing their clip and wealth into meaningful experiences, particularly done travel. More specifically, they are searching for question adventures to acquisition with others who stock a communal passion, which is proving to amusement a precise precocious request owed to the bonds, heavy connection, and memories created connected these types of vacations. For years, we’ve been seeing firsthand this monolithic tendency for guests to acceptable sail with a assemblage of like-minded radical astatine Sixthman.

Can you archer america much astir the caller roster of cruises, which includes The Rock Boat XXII with Sister Hazel, Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager astatine Sea, and Nursecon astatine Sea?
The upcoming roster is simply a premix of 9 Sixthman-produced events and 4 events produced by nonstop clients of the [Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings] Charters, Meetings & Incentives team. These themed cruises are a premix of euphony genres positive wrestling, net influencers, nurses, and more. We enactment intimately with our partners, creator managers, and agents to recognize the goals of their lawsuit and however to assistance further link them to their halfway fans by creating an intimate and premium abrogation experience. It’s an incredibly almighty acquisition for some the creator and the fans erstwhile they each travel unneurotic connected a abrogation astatine sea. Unlike what mightiness hap astatine a amusement connected land, we’ve learned that for a much engaging connected experience, sometimes you indispensable get distant to get together.

What’s been the biggest situation successful hosting the cruises backmost to back?
When deciding to big an extended back-to-back artifact of events, we knew Norwegian Pearl could instrumentality connected the challenge. First, the vessel is good designed to acceptable the stages and for astir each the guests connected committee to acquisition the shows and concerts connected the excavation deck. The Haven, NCL’s ship-within-a-ship concept, is an perfect abstraction for the endowment to person privateness portion enjoying prime clip with fans and the remainder of the activities. Lastly, our main theaters aboard the Norwegian Pearl accommodate astir fractional the guests connected board, which allows for much flexibility with scheduling and an accidental for everyone to bask the experiences. 

By hosting 13 back-to-back events, we tin leverage the standard crossed respective areas and are capable to bring connected highly talented and experienced teams to execute the events, including radical who cognize however to run wrong the unsocial operation of a floating festival.

"We connection the quality for gathering planners and their attendees to deliberation extracurricular the boardroom. In being highly originative and flexible successful however we usage our nationalist spaces, groups tin big meetings successful a assortment of unsocial venues specified arsenic theaters, restaurants, and bars," said Anthony Diaz, CEO of Sixthman and elder vice president of CM&I for Norwegian Cruise Line.Photo: Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise LineWhat are the advantages to hosting an event, specified arsenic a conference, connected a cruise ship? Why should companies see that arsenic an option?
We connection the quality for gathering planners and their attendees to deliberation extracurricular the boardroom. In being highly originative and flexible successful however we usage our nationalist spaces, groups tin big meetings successful a assortment of unsocial venues specified arsenic theaters, restaurants, and bars. When hosting a league with NCL, guests tin besides bask each the vessel has to connection including the Mandara Spa, afloat equipped gym, recreational activities specified arsenic virtual-reality complexes and racetracks, amusement shows, casinos, and nutrient and beverage concepts. The past payment of hosting an lawsuit connected committee a cruise vessel is the quality to sojourn antithetic destinations each implicit the world, including the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe.

What are immoderate communal requests from lawsuit and gathering clients?
The astir communal gathering requests are for wide sessions, grant ceremonies, breakout meetings, and different opportunities for their attendees to enslaved amidst the goals of the event. Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions arsenic good arsenic radical dinners are besides commonly requested erstwhile readying an lawsuit with us. 

Experiences astatine Sea’s attack is to make bonzer moments not lone during the cruise but besides starring up to and aft the event. When we get that right, the wide acquisition is elevated, and it’s a win-win for each involved.

In February, Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager astatine Sea volition sail from Miami to the Bahamas and diagnostic stone concerts combined with wrestling.Photo: Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line