Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is owned by a company called Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., or NCLH, which also owns Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
David J. Herrera is the current president of NCL, and under his leadership, the cruise line has expanded its operations and retained its position as one of the world’s biggest cruise line companies.
This guide will explain everything you need to know about NCL, as well as the background on its parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH).
In This Article:
Who Is the CEO/President of Norwegian Cruise Line?
The chief executive officer (CEO) and current president of Norwegian Cruise Line’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., is American businessman Harry Sommer.
Before accepting and taking over the role from Frank Del Rio on July 1, 2023, Sommer had served as the president of the company’s largest brand and cruise line, Norwegian Cruise Line. This position is now held by the current president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, David J. Herrera.
As the president of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), David J. Herrera leads the brand’s strategic vision, overseeing business areas like revenue management, guest services, and global sales and marketing.
Prior to holding this role, he was NCL’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, where he gained recognition within the industry for the brand’s boosting market share and establishing record-breaking profits and booking figures.
Since joining Norwegian Cruise Line in 2015, Herrera has held multiple senior leadership roles, including Senior VP of Finance, Strategy, and Consumer Research.
Before getting involved in the cruise industry, he came from a financial background, holding leadership and investment roles at Goldman Sachs and Stanford C. Bernstein. He also co-founded Eastside Financial Group.
Beyond his professional experience, Herrera is also a proud veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, and he holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stetson University and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.
How Norwegian Cruise Line Came to Be
Norwegian Cruise Line was founded in 1966 by business partners Knut Kloster and Ted Arison. Norwegian Knut Kloster and Israeli-American Ted Arison started their company with a single small ferry called Sunward, which primarily carried passengers and vehicles between Southampton, United Kingdom, and Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea.
While the company is now headquartered in Miami, Florida, it was unsurprisingly founded in Oslo, Norway. At the time, it operated under the name Arison Shipping Company, while its single ferry was marketed as part of the Ensign Cruise Company.
Shortly after, Ted Arison departed and relinquished his holdings in the small company to form what would become Carnival Cruise Lines.
After Arison’s departure, Kloster purchased two additional ships with the intention of using them to run cruise vacations throughout the Caribbean. At this time, he also renamed the company Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Lines, which would later be shortened to Norwegian Cruise Line.
After switching from passenger ferry services to more cruise-style services centered around the Caribbean, the company quickly grew in popularity and size.
From the initial focus on affordable Caribbean cruises, the freshly rebranded Norwegian Cruise Line began introducing a wide range of industry firsts, including running voyages to its own fully staffed and serviced private island called the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
In 1979, it purchased and refitted an ocean liner called the SS France, renaming her the Norway. The total cost for the ship and rebuild was over $100 million, which made her both the most expensive and the largest cruise ship made to that point. This decision really helped cement Norwegian Cruise Line as one of the most dominant cruise lines in the entire cruise industry.
Later, during the 1980s, they introduced a new form of cruising called “Freestyle Cruising.” This was a far less formal type of cruise, where passengers were given far more flexibility while on board the ship.
From selecting their own dining times to having numerous onboard attractions to choose from, this form of cruising has since become the standard for the whole industry and shows the impact Kloster and his cruise line have had on the industry.
At the beginning of 2000, Norwegian Cruise Line also merged with two sister luxury cruise brands, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, to form the single parent company we know today, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH).
Today, Norwegian Cruise Line is the leading cruise line within the company. It also happens to be one of the most recognizable in the world.
NCL’s Fleet of Ships
Currently, Norwegian Cruise Line operates a fleet of 19 world-class, full-sized cruise ships. These ships are subdivided into six different classes: the Sun, Dawn, Jewel, Breakaway, Breakaway Plus, and Prima Class.
The vessels in these different classes range in both size and passenger capacity. There are also plans to incorporate an additional four cruise ships into the fleet between late 2025 and early 2028, focusing on remaining one of the most modern cruise fleets in the world. These include the Norwegian Aqua, which will have a total guest capacity of over 3,500 passengers.
The largest of the cruise line’s vessels, like the Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Joy, and the Norwegian Bliss, are part of the Breakaway Class of ships. These offer some of the most cutting-edge amenities and accommodations in the entire cruise industry.
Some of the cruise line’s smaller ships, like the Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Spirit, focus more on visiting diverse destinations and providing their passengers with intimate experiences.
Breakdown of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Fleet
Here is a basic rundown of the current ships in NCL’s fleet:
- Norwegian Viva: 142,500 GT, 3,195 guest capacity
- Norwegian Prima: 143,535 GT, 3,099 guest capacity
- Norwegian Encore: 169,116 GT, 3,958 guest capacity
- Norwegian Bliss: 168,028 GT, 3,958 guest capacity
- Norwegian Joy: 167,752 GT, 3,776 guest capacity
- Norwegian Escape: 164,998 GT, 4,218 guest capacity
- Norwegian Getaway: 145,655 GT, 3,903 guest capacity
- Norwegian Breakaway: 145,655 GT, 3,903 guest capacity
- Norwegian Epic: 155,873 GT, 4,070 guest capacity
- Norwegian Gem: 93,530 GT, 2,344 guest capacity
- Norwegian Pearl: 93,530 GT, 2,344 guest capacity
- Norwegian Jade: 93,558 GT, 2,352 guest capacity
- Norwegian Jewel: 93,502 GT, 2,330 guest capacity
- Norwegian Dawn: 92,250 GT, 2,290 guest capacity
- Norwegian Star: 91,740 GT, 2,298 guest capacity
- Pride of America: 80,439 GT, 2,150 guest capacity
- Norwegian Sun: 78,309 GT, 1,878 guest capacity
- Norwegian Sky: 77,104 GT, 1,944 guest capacity
- Norwegian Spirit: 75,904 GT, 1,972 guest capacity
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Net Worth
Norwegian Cruise Line’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., is currently the world’s third-largest cruise company. It also happens to be one of the most profitable in the cruise industry, so it is no surprise that they have an eye-watering net worth.
As of 2024, they are believed to have a net worth exceeding $10 billion, with most financial experts estimating the company’s market cap at roughly $10.55 billion. The company is so large that it is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol NCLH and is regularly included in the S&P 500.
As the fourth biggest cruise line in the world and its status as the most important cruise line under NCLH’s ownership, most experts believe that Norwegian Cruise Line alone has a value of over $8.5 billion.
Despite the challenges Norwegian and the entire cruise industry faced after the COVID-19 pandemic, the company and its various subsidiaries have fully recovered. Today, it remains one of the most profitable cruise lines in the entire global cruise market.
Final Thought on Norwegian Cruise Line
The cruise line has a long and storied history in the cruise industry, from their humble beginnings as a basic passenger and vehicle ferry company to becoming the leading cruise line under Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. banner. Norwegian Cruise Line is now one of the most recognizable cruise lines in the entire world.
While they are not quite as large as the Carnival Corporation, which owns Holland America and Princess Cruises, or Royal Caribbean, which owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, NCLH is still an enormous cruise company.
Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Line Haven – What You Need to Know
Under the ongoing leadership of their President, David J. Herrera, Norwegian Cruise Line seems destined to remain an industry leader. With plans to continue introducing new ships, innovative passenger experiences, and other exciting offerings, there does not seem to be any stopping this cruise industry titan.
Alongside the cruise line’s sister brands, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and its parent company offer a wide variety of cruise experiences for just about every type of cruise passenger. If you are planning a cruise vacation, you cannot go wrong looking into what Norwegian Cruise Line has to offer!
