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We own NCL stock and it hasn't dropped alot. Its been in the 12-20 range for a while (at 15 now).

I really do hope that NCL get through whatever hardship they're currently going through - as the cruise line that kicked off my love of cruising, I'd hate to see it go!

I live in South Florida and Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian all have their central operations in Miami. I know people who work for these cruise lines, and they have all told me that cost cutting and revenue generation is currently the focus of all these lines. It’s no secret all three had to take out loans and incur debt in order to stay afloat during the pandemic. Now it’s time to repay that debt , and reducing costs is taking place on all three. Just look at the new dinner, menus being rolled out on royal Caribbean, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this is a cost-cutting measure. I was just on a Princess Cruise and I can tell you that the entertainment, while good was not all big shows, often they were sole performers as opposed to big production shows. The big broadway shows are indeed becoming less popular and more expensive to produce. I don’t think Norwegian is in deep financial trouble, they are trying to restructure their debt, which is the same thing that the carnival corporation has done recently as well. Demand is high and Norwegian ships continue to sail with high percentages of occupancy.

I'm so happy that you're reporting cruise news!

not sure about the NCL stock price being down it up 30 YTD and up 23.8 percent form 6 months ago. Not sure how that is crash in stock price ? Even if you go back a month the stock is up 12.36 percent. I would personally worry about Carnival they way too much debt and have and to sell a bunch of ships.

The broadway shows are increasingly expensive,the port stops are why we cruise.I just looked at my cruise stocks,NCL is trading at $15.45,I bought it at $11.20,I’m good.

Ran into an entertainer crew member fresh off NCL Epic at FCO airport the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2022. At that time, he was already saying that NCL was cutting entertainment spend in a major way. What was worse for him was that the Epic was scheduled to be in NYC by mid-December, but they wouldn't even extend his contract for 2 more weeks so he could get off at NYC. He had to book a last-minute flight from Rome to NYC and check numerous baggage for his equipment. Classy move, NCL. What's next? Raising daily service charges while cutting back service and reduce crew count? Oh wait...

Really enjoy your presentation style. Very professional. Makes it enjoyable to listen along and understand. Thank you.

I hope this isn't the beginning of the end with NCL either. I haven't sailed her yet, but hope to in the future. I'm enjoying and appreciate this new channel. Thanks for keeping up updated with the latest cruise news.

I seen another blogger post that NCL is also not refunding people’s money that is due to them. If you have a credit, you have to stand in a line and get cash back. This blogger also had to argue over getting his money back for a port stop that was cancelled due to weather. NCL was not auto refunding the taxes and fees. Patrons had to ask for that to be returned to them. Not a good way to run business.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I wish Norwegian would sell old ships instead of cutting entertainment.

Just found your new channel! Cheers from Toronto, Canada!

Its not just NCL, Carnival and their bands and Royal Caribbean also have huge money problems that is why they are all increasing just about everything also far from filling their ships not matter what they say and tell you.

I don’t need my cabin cleaned more than once a day. We are fine with that!

Love your new channel! Have the Joy booked for October 23, hope nothing changes. The last cruise we had booked on Joy was cancelled. Thanks again for all your hard work in getting out such great information.

NCL raising the mandatory tip, not happy!

OK so let me take a less pessimistic look at NCL.... 1) Kinky Boots is, to my knowledge, the only show that has been canceled. It's also the only show that SOME PEOPLE might say is not family friendly. I see conspiracies everywhere and I think they are using the money excuse to get rid of a show they were getting grief over. 2) You talk about the stock like it took a nose-dive. It dropped from $16.25 on Wednesday to $14.43 on Thursday and came back to close at $15.45 on Friday. A five percent drop is not terrible when a company reports less than great quarterly results. Keep in mind it was down to $11 in June. 3) Yes, NCL lost money in 2022. They all did. They sold cruises for dirt cheap to get people onboard (including the one I was on with you on the Bliss in October). Prices are going WAY up. In April of 2022 I was on the Breakaway for five days in a balcony as a solo. In April of this year I'll be on the Getaway for also five days, but this time in a studio... and I am paying 25% more this year than last. 4) Another thing to consider is the ships were sailing at very reduced capacities until they finally removed the covid mandates (vax card and testing) in October. 5) Let's not forget that while they were trying to get people to come back the price of diesel skyrocketed. 6) Putin being an idiot and causing the Baltic season to get canceled didn't help. Let's get back to Kinky Boots and the other entertainment.... One thing I don't get about NCL is they spend all this money to have these "Broadway" shows and then only have them perform a couple evenings per cruise and then they have more than one of these shows onboard at once: For example, on the five-day cruise I was on the Bliss in October with you they have Jersey Boys AND Six. One is enough and have it perform every other night alternating with comedians, magicians, and other less expensive entertainment.

We loved Kinky Boots! And Choir of man, both we saw on our 15 day Panama Canal cruise. We have one more cruise booked with them, but we won’t book anymore until they get their services and shows back up to speed, what a shame, we are Platnium with them

Now people can pay for a Carnival cruise and sit in their rooms watching movies or tweeting on their phones the whole time.

Just joined this channel. Still love your other channel ❤💕♥

I certainly hope not as we love cruising with NCL but a lot of the issues we are seeing now are long term ones. The line has been making a move to 'upselling' everything on board for some time.

Following our recent cruise onboard the Celebrity Beyond and checking the various cruise lines for similar costs, itineraries, excursions etc., Norwegian was far more expensive than the other cruise lines by far. Our last cruise with NCL was at the start of the Covid crisis and the prices at that time were acceptable. Not sure why they have increased their prices so much. We are staying with Celebrity and Princess for now.

I don't think this means NCL is going to disappear anytime soon (as someone who sails NCL). They did not cut onboard entertainment, they cut one show on one ship. That happens in the theater businees, especially as the lines dont own the rights to the shows, millionaires on Broadway do. Turndown service is also unnecessary and time consuming. As for the Joy cancelations, 10% is not that low when you consider that flights are not even on sale for those dates yet.

You talk about it being poor that NCL only did automatic refunds and a 10% discount when they cancelled... MSC asked ME for £500 extra to rebook the most similar cruise, never mind a discount😂 I know I won't shut up about it but I still can't get over their terrible service! What you said about insurance is SO SO true! I didn't get insurance as they cancelled my cruise not long after I booked it, so my advice to anyone would be to book ASAP! Don't wait, as you can't trust that cruise lines will always be fair. (Also I'm loving the videos on this channel Ben, amazing work 💓)

Devastated to hear NCL cruises are in trouble. After watching your previous video I'd have selected them. Back to kn land hols for me j think. Last thing you want after saving hard a holiday is to loose everything.x

After the pandemic, inflation, the Ukraine war, what would you expect?? Good times roll??🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ we have to adapt to the changing situations everywhere..Cruise is not a necessity..its kind of a luxury..

Sad to hear NCL is having problems have a cruise booked for September on the escape . it is our first cruise since 2019 on the bliss

I never knew you had this channel!

Hi Ben. Sadly, NCL is cutting back on service and entertainment so drastically. But, for the company to keep its heads above water, drastic measures are expected.

Just returned from another amazing cruise on Anthem of the Seas ( Royal Caribbean) Voom their new high speed internet is great. Iam a travel writer and blogger too so needed the internet for my work but tried to disconnect from the internet too lol. Wouldn't miss the Broadway shows. I have never been a fan of musicals. I like the newer show. Royal Caribbean Spectra Cabaret in 270 on Anthem is amazing

I was looking at NCL's half off sale yesterday, now i see this. I didn't buy the sale as my schedule isn't clear for cruising yet. The shows are how so many performers earn a living doing what they love. I feel bad it's being cut like that

Ben I had no idea you had another channel ! You’re fantastic!

Will be embarking on the encore in feb. So far in the past month they've canceled not only Kinky Boots, but most of the shore excursions ,and the escape room have disappeared from the itinerary as well. They just cancelled our day at the private island, moving us to Nassa, which is awful considering it's a terrible port and now we'll have to either pay for food and drink or remain on the ship. Really disappointed, wondering if I should immediately book something with the leftover cruise next certificates I have before things get worse or demand they allow me to use them as ship credit in light of all the cancellations since I booked this cruise 6 months ago.

10% future cruise credit from NCL is significantly better than the F-all cruise credit we got when Princess cancelled our Feb 2023 Singapore and Malaysia cruise.

Wowza! Is this a new channel? This just appeared in my feed!

Norwegian seems shakey lately and not reliable in alot of aspects! Too many negatives!

So glad to see that you included Disney Cruise Line in cruise news!🎉

NCLH Stock is up almost 30% in the last three months.

I was planning an NCL cruise, but the rise in prices, the increase in gratuities, the reduction of service and entertainment means NCL is no longer a good choice for cruising. I will look at other cruises to find my vacation.

To say ‘your services are no longer required’ is really rude! I

Sailed on the Encore 1/3 sailing and Kinky Boots was already gone! Only production show for the five nights was Choir of Man which was phenomenal. I've seen this 1/15 announcement in several places, but again it was already gone.

I just got off the Prima and the boat was nice overall, but it left a lot to be desired. The internet didn't work, app didn't work, theater flooded week before our sailing, so several shows were cancelled including the main show never showed and the upcharges were insane and then we only got to get off at one port due to the weather per captain I mean this was expensive cruise.

I felt all this on my cruise last week they cancelled the Donna Summer musical due to the theater issues, so they say.

I just did my first NCL cruise back in November and felt like they baited and switched on the hibachi dinner as well as nickel and dimed us on other things. Never experienced anything like that on my previous cruises with Carnival. That has made me hesitant to give NCL another try.

If you care about the "crew" so much, then you should be completely fine with gratuity going up.

I’m guessing in person Musters are also cheaper?

They ended Kinky Boots? I'm skeptical of cruising in post-pandemic times

Norwegian's cost model doesn't suit my sort of cruising...but when you are in financial trouble there are few alternatives other than raising costs and cutting overhead. Many cruise lines are going thru these steps. There are still bargains out there if you shop carefully.

I most likely will not use this cruise line again.

I never cared for NCL anyways so no love loss for me if they are in trouble. Iam a Royal Caribbean girl

I left a deposit NCL in September & now I’m thinking about not going.

Never cruising carnival again. They canceled my cruise but kept $247 if my cruise insurance I paid for at their suggestion. Everyone who didn’t buy insurance got all their money back. I am out $247. Robbery!

Thanks for the updates. We are boarding NCL SUN on April02,2023 now know what to expect.

Wonder if Carnival, Royal Carribbean or even Disney are interested in buying out NCL. Heck this would represent Royal Carribbean's best shot at competing with Carnival itself.

After sailing on the Encore back in October, I am a huge fan of Norwegian. Every major cruise line has its own niche in terms of ship design and activities, and Norwegian is no exception. For an Alaska cruise, I could not have asked for a better ship than the Encore (sorry, Princess). Probably wouldn’t do any Caribbean cruises with them, as I think RCL ships are tuned perfectly for that region (love me some Symphony!). Don’t worry, Princess! Because of your Love Boat heritage, you still have me for Mexican Riviera voyages!

You look great in that turtleneck shirt. Reminds me of something a fisherman might wear. Makes me hungry for some Chowder!

Will Disney have both the pirates show and special fireworks for the anniversary??? Two parties 🤩

I know this was seven mouths ago, but NCL still has problems. We're Sapphire and have two cruises booked through January 2024. After that, we're probably not going to cruise with them again. We will probably go with Celebrity, but they are doing cuts as well, so we'll see. I would not be surprised to see NCL file for bankruptcy within the next year or two, they have taken on too much debt, plus they are having to pay for new ships that have been built. Cutting services is an act of desperation and will eventually lose them many loyal customers. I don't think they really care that the old customers leave, as they are going after the young inexperienced market who don't know what they will be missing. Just my opinion...

Ben should I be worried? we are taking our first cruise ever in May on Norwegian escape.

I’m disappointed to hear of all the staff and entertainment cuts, especially with the increased costs. But this is not just NCL. Although, they seem to have bee more drastic with their cuts in service. Not a fan of the in person muster drill, either.

I’m not keen on cutting services but expect you to pay more and tip more, well it’s all about the service so if it’s slow or worse then my tips will reflect this. If the service is fast and good I’m happy to pay more. I thought Norwegian was ok but not a patch on Royal.

Great show!!

We just got off Dawn and we had a falling out, end the friendship with our Friends of 25 years over dinner service in the Bistro. We left early to see elements and haven't spoken to them since. We cruise a lot and are quite forgiving, they, not so much. The bar was long lines, dinner service slow, but wr take it in stride. Them. Not so much. Bad vibes going forward for our friendship .😮‍💨

Is it true that they are loaning the Norwegian sun to another company for 2024 and might sell it? I have 2025 booked 😬

I own their stocks and yes they're in serious debt. And last qtr they didn't have profit but a loss. Not good in a rate raising recession environment. But I love cruising and the industry. I have faith.

Perhaps they should answer their most loyal customers genuine concerns and stop nickel n diming people. Your sales dept. lie to repeat customers over and over, there is such choice out there now a days

Norwegian will keep your money at the end of the cruise if you don’t ask for it back. They don’t issue credits to your credit card!

I'm REALLY disappointed with the removal of the e-muster. I don't want to be clustered with everyone in the sun waiting for an hour when it took 15 minutes with e-muster.

Make sure to buy independent travel insurance that covers you in the event of bankruptcy. Norwegian is making so many desperate moves, it seems a wise idea.

Do you think NCL may also lower their costs by purchasing lower grade food for the ship? I've heard many ppl say the quality of the Steaks at Cagneys has dropped alot over the last year.

Didn't they hire a bunch of attorneys to sue Florida? Yes! I loved them but they lost my business in the process

MSC really takes care of their customers ❤️

55% chance of Bankruptcy for Norwegian

I think the main difference here is that NCL is being transparent about the cuts they are making, while companies like RCCL, Carnival, et al are trying to get away with making these cuts more quietly and hoping that customers don't notice. The cuts to entertainment on NCL, while disappointing, will likely bring their entertainment more in line with other lines (for the time being) until they can return to more pre-COVID solvency. All of these lines are having to take cost-cutting measures to ensure they survive and can return to where they want to be in the future. Or at least they can survive and lower expectations going forward so they can become more profitable once they get out from being so in debt. If you can afford to sit on an investment for a few years, it's a good time to consider buying cruise line shares; plus for many lines, they come with perks! Just saying.

Way to many Cruisers worry about WIFI, disconnect, give it a break. Vacation/ Travel / Trip without Social Media. If you claim vacation and you have to work it's not a vacation

I wonder if the NCL CEO, who makes a reported 10 Million a year, will chip in and try to scrap by on a paltry 2 or 3 million?

Haven't seen David is he ok

Hope they replace Kinky Boots with Six. It's a much smaller production but equally good or even better!

Are we really supposed to feel sorry for the cruise industry? They are a multi-billion dollar a year market. The majority of their problems are self-inflicted. You can always tell when they start cutting services and staff in order to continue funneling the money to the top.

Question. I’ve cruise but now have a 2 year old. I’m looking at doing a 3 day Disney cruise out of San Diego California. I have no intention of taking him off the ship in Mexico. Would I be required to have a passport for him?

Im good with cutting the broadway shows. I don’t think a lot of the younger generation care for it. I think keeping the musicians, djs and comedians is very important. NCL should skip the elaborate and unnecessary go kart tracks, dry slides or other tacky gimmicks in the future.

Here's a thought. Slash executive pay. And stop with the massive upcharge of such stupid things as go-karts and laser tag. Then you would have more people actually signing up for that shit. Also, how much does it actually cost to put on these shows? People love these shows and the theater is always packed for them. 🙄

What happened to your other page?!

I'm glad I watched this. I was about to book a cruise to Alaska, and I was deciding between Royal Caribbean and NCL. I think I may go with the Royal option. I do hopethat NCL can work things out, because I loved my cruise to Bermuda on that NCL JOY last summer.

Norwegian is ✅

Sorry Ben… I am a big fan of B&D, but this is nothing more than clickbait! If you look at the industry, NCL stock goes down when Carnival and Royal Caribbean goes down. NCL goes up when the industry goes up. NCL stock isn’t doing anything that is different from the industry! Likewise, NCL isn’t making personnel moves that many other cruise lines aren’t making (agreed, their memo could have been worded better!). Even Virgin has made some recent entertainment changes. Very disappointing that this video gives your viewers an inaccurate impression.

These days all cruise lines are fairly bad But NCL Cruise Line SUCKS. They charge for everything extra, They continuedly cancel stops and change it to sea day for their convenience without any compensation. They hire totally inexperience crew and are nice but totally lost, They pay their crew less money, They keep on raising the gratuity with far less services provided, etc, etc, etc. Their free perk do not make up for all the items on the above list....

The whole cruise industry is going to go through a tough 12-18 months with ever increasing fuel and food prices, plus many potential passengers being under financial pressure and possibly booking fewer, if any, cruises 🫢