NCLH expects India to become its top market in Asia soon

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is expecting India to become its top market in Asia in terms of flight cruise passengers this year.

NCLH operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.

"We see great potential in the Indian market, which is witnessing a double digit growth. The company is expecting to witness double digit growth from the Indian market for the next 10 years," NCLH India country Head Manoj Singh told PTI.

In Asia, he said, India is NCLH's number two market after Japan, adding "we expect India to supersede Japan this year."

NCLH today showcased its newly refurbished cruise ship Norwegian Star.
 

Singh said majority of NCLH's bookings are from the north and the west, falling between 35-45 years category.

"Most of our booking comes from the western and the northern region in terms of volume....Volume is less from the eastern region, they are more high-end or premium," he said.

The company considers China a separate market from Asia, because of the itinerary and preference, Singh said.

Overall, he said, NCLH's top five markets are the US, followed by the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia.

When asked which itinerary is preferred by travellers from the sub-continent, Singh said Indians mostly book for the Mediterranean or the Alaska cruises.

Mostly it is the travellers from US and UK who prefer the cruises which include India, he said to another question.

"We have always viewed this region as a hotbed for growth and have planned to roll out some new offerings in the coming months. One of those offerings include Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Joy, which had been developed especially with the Chinese market in mind....We plan on introducing this new ship in July 2017," Singh said.