During a panel discussion on board the brand-new Norwegian Luna, moderated by John Chernesky, Sr. VP and CSO of Norwegian Cruise Line, senior leadership outlined how the brand is sharpening its premium positioning—anchored by multi-generational travel, an expanded private island experience and a refreshed brand identity.
Below are highlights from the media Q&A (the responses have been edited for length and clarity):
What are your first impressions of Norwegian Luna?
President Marc Kazlauskas: My first impressions of this ship are—wow. I actually saw her first in the shipyard, warts and all, and then I got to spend three nights on her when we took delivery, when she was 99.9 percent done. There was that 0.1 percent we were still working on, but to see her sailing—and to be on her with all of you—is an incredibly ‘wow’ experience.
You can see it in the hardware, you can see it in the crew, you can see it as you walk around. The attention to detail we put into this ship—we way, way punch above what people expect of a contemporary brand. We are definitely in the premium space and exactly where we want to be for the multi-generational market. I’m blown away. I love it.
Chief Marketing Officer Kiran Smith: I’m blown away as well. For me, experiencing it yesterday—wandering around the ship and seeing how people are engaging with the product—it’s so cool to see it come to life.
Being able to create things like the Aqua Slidecoaster, the Luna Midway—those are such amazing activities for families to engage in. Then you have adults-only sections like Vibe Beach Club. It was just fun to see people so excited about engaging with it. I personally felt a little giddy getting to see all the different things this ship is bringing to life. As a marketer, it’s a dream—we have so much we can go shout about from the rooftops. A lot I’m really, really proud of.
Chief Experience Officer Mark Kansley: We’re very, very proud of her. I’ve been with Norwegian for 25 years, and we always try to get better with each iteration of vessel—and we definitely did with Norwegian Luna. The guest satisfaction ratings out of the gate are the highest ever achieved in Norwegian history. That’s thanks to the operations team, but also because we listened to our guests.
Some of the enhancements are simple but meaningful. For example, we added 70 seats to Surfside Cafe. That might not sound like a lot, but when you turn those over multiple times during a meal period, that’s 200 to 300 additional guests who don’t have to wait for a seat. We’ve added staircases to improve flow, enhanced the Midway with more technology and added Horizon Park—so multi-generational families can be in the same area but still have different experiences. We listened to feedback and made adjustments that really matter.
What have been your impressions of joining the company?
Kazlauskas: I always knew how great the NCL product was. I always knew how great the crew were. But I felt the brand had punched a bit below its weight. What I’ve seen is the pride and passion across the organization—and the need to go out and say that this is absolutely the best cruise line. We also needed to spend more time on the brand, which Kiran has done brilliantly, and make sure we communicate that ‘it’s different out here.’ We’re doubling down on what we do really well—freedom and flexibility—and going back to our roots.
We’re also making sure we are the trade’s best partner, that the advisor channel is vibrant and healthy. We’ve improved revenue management, and we’re focusing heavily on guest experience—making sure teams collaborate, learn from guest feedback and continuously improve. And then execution—when we focus and align, we execute. That’s how we take a great company and make it even better.
Can you talk about the brand refresh?
Smith: I’ve been in marketing a long time, and this campaign—‘It’s Different Out Here’—is my proudest moment. The speed at which we did it, and the execution, was brilliant. It goes back to getting to who we are. When you have a strong brand foundation, everything becomes easier. Now the filter is simple: is it easy, curated and flexible? If it’s not, we shouldn’t do it.
We wanted to break out of the sea of sameness. Let’s be clear—cruise brands can look and sound alike. We don’t want that. We’re comfortable in our own skin, and that’s going to come through in all our touchpoints moving forward. The campaign is just the start of it. As you see it come to life, you’ll see much more consistency than we’ve ever had before. You’ll see much more breakthrough than what we’ve had before. It’s an exciting time.
What excites you most about the private island developments?
Kansley: The island has been a labor of love. We’re well on our way to developing the premier private island in the cruise industry. The pier alone has been a game changer. In the winter months, we could miss up to 75 percent of calls due to weather. After the pier, that practically never happens. From there, the experience builds. You arrive at a new welcome center, then into a lagoon with large pools, swim-up bars and a zero-entry beach for families. There’s a kids’ splash zone, cabanas and spaces designed for all ages. Then you have Vibe Beach Club—an adults-only experience—and Silver Cove for a more premium villa experience. And coming this summer, we’ll have a 6-acre water park with 19 slides, a dynamic river—not lazy. It’s going to be a major addition.
How are you thinking about premium families?
Smith: This generation—roughly 35 to 54— how they vacation is so different than past generations. This is a multi-generational pack; they travel with their parents and they travel with their children. When you think about what we can offer from [in terms of] flexibility for that group—you get on our ships and you could all do your own thing. You want to chill and you want to just hang out on the pool deck…great. If you want to go to the Moon Climber—[a multi-level obstacle course]—or if you want to go to the Aqua Slidecoaster, you have all those activities…. We think the features and offers that we have on our ships very much to allow people to basically experience the ship how they want to.
Why the name “Luna”?
Smith: Luna represents the experience of being at sea—the night sky, the moon, the stars. It felt very encapsulating of that feeling. It also gave us a creative platform to bring that emotion to life throughout the ship.
