NCL doubles down on India

In an exclusive interview, Manoj Singh, Country Head-India, Norwegian Cruise Line, underscores India’s pivotal role in Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) global expansion. He reveals how the company is “doubling down” on its commitment by deepening engagement with Indian travel agents through a powerful ‘Partners First’ approach, innovative tools, and performance-driven incentives designed to make cruise sales more profitable than ever.

How important is the Indian market in your global strategy, and what are your current or planned initiatives to engage with Indian travel partners?

India is a significantly strategic market for NCL and is a crucial part of our global growth footprint. Indian travellers are seeking more experiential and meaningful holidays to some of the world’s most beautiful global destinations like Europe, Alaska and the Caribbean. NCL offers a range of perfectly curated itineraries to these popular places for all kinds of travellers, keeping pace with the changing demands.

To offer Indian guests easy accessibility to our embarkation ports, we actively promote our fly-cruise offerings and continuously work on deepening our engagement with travel partners in India through our Partners First approach. Tools like Book-A-BDM and NCL Connect provide agents with streamlined booking support, real-time updates and training resources to help them connect with our consumers more effectively. With our market-relevant promotions under our ‘More At Sea’ brand positioning, we aim to enhance the onboard experience to suit individual preferences.

Building on last year’s momentum, we’re doubling down on our commitment to India —working closely with our partners to make cruising one of the most aspirational and experiential holiday choices for Indian travellers.

What kind of commercial partnerships and incentive models are you offering Indian travel agents?

Our goal is to empower our trade partners with the right tools, offers and support as they form the crux of our growth strategy in India. We operate with a strong Partners First approach, ensuring consistent support, transparency and shared success. Currently, we work with key trade partners in India across Tier I and Tier II cities. We’ve built incentive models for our partners that reward performance.  

How can the trade build profitability in cruise sales—what are the best-selling itineraries and passenger segments right now?

Our travel partners are crucial to our success in India. They help us reach more travellers, explain the value of cruising and turn interest into bookings. By giving them the right support, tools and offers, we make it easier for them to sell cruises.

Currently, our 7–8-day itineraries to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Alaska are among our best-sellers — ideal for families, couples and culturally-curious travellers. Additionally, our 4-night Bahamas sailings remain popular among seasoned travellers.

In terms of passenger segments, we’re seeing strong interest from multi-generational families, honeymooners, celebratory groups and young working professionals. Indian travellers have a variety of options ranging from premium accommodation, such as balcony staterooms or suites, to value-oriented budget cabins, showing demand across the spectrum.