Flight Centre New Zealand boss Tori Courtney has been leading a contingent of Flighties in trying first hand what remains a fast growing segment of the New Zealand cruise market: Luxury.
Courtney, who is also global leisure supply leader for the company, has been staying in Norwegian Aqua’s ‘ship within a ship’ concept, The Haven. It’s an exclusive area at the ship’s stern.
Luxury-loving Kiwis are part of the global trend of cruisers buying their way up NCL’s ships, says Courtney.
The Haven on Aqua has 123 suites, including four duplexes with two to three bedrooms, up from 107 on the earlier Prima Class ships.
There were 15 Flight Centre staffers on Aqua for its inaugural cruise from Lisbon to Southampton and 10 were in the exclusive part of the ship which Courtney said provided welcome respite. “We’ll have pre-dinner drinks in there, before coming out and enjoying the entertainment and experiencing the rest of the ship. And then go back there for a bit more peace and quiet.’’ An NCL rep’s price snapshot showed seven nights in an entry level penthouse in The Haven for a Caribbean cruise in May was about $7000, three times that of the lowest priced room elsewhere on the ship, the newest in the NCL fleet.
. . . Wow Factor
Courtney said The Haven had real ‘wow factor’. The area is accessed by private elevators, there’s a personal concierge and what she says is a non-intrusive 24-hour butler. The area has its own silver service restaurant, bar, sundecks with spas and infinity pools.
She said Kiwis who often fly long distances to get on cruise ships were spending up large. “They’re certainly not doing it inside cabin and cheap and cheerful. I think most Kiwis that we talk to at the moment, especially those that have cruised before, will definitely, you know, upgrade themselves within the cabin space.’’
This extends to air with business class cabins on quality carriers still in high demand following the pandemic.
The getaway for the Flight Centre team was long planned. “We’ve had a really strong partnership with NCL for a really long time, both with our Ignite business and with Flight Centre Travel group,” Courtney says.
