The international cruise mega-company NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) is joining the tough competition for Israeli vacationers and will start sailing from Haifa for the first time in its history, according to local reporters.
NCL will be sailing from Haifa to the Greek islands and other vacation spots off the Mediterranean sea. The international company will begin its Israeli holiday cruises on November 15, which marks the beginning of the winter season.
The cruise will be on the resort vessel "Afik" which can hold up to 4000 vacationers.
NCL’s first cruise will travel from Haifa to Rome via Turkish ports and several Greek islands including Rhodes and Crete. The starting price for the 12-night cruise is $1500 which includes meals at half of the restaurants on the ship.
Nick Wilkinson, global Vice President at NCL, told reporters that he does not underestimate other cruise lines, however, NCL isn’t competing with them. Instead, NCL looks at what vacations and experiences are available, sees which attractions interest Israelis, and plans accordingly. He further noted that “the Israeli market is very important to us.”
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"NCL is well known to Israelis. We’ll offer a competitive base price with attractive packages. The cruise is at the beginning of the winter season, and it’s intended not only for Israelis but for travelers from all over the world. The goal is to satisfy the needs of those seeking special experiences. Later in 2023, there’ll be more cruises.”
Norwegian Cruise Line has also already relaxed onboard mask protocols that were implemented in response to the pandemic.
Israelis, like most the Mediterranean people, enjoy their local beaches and many days of sunshine a year. Although Israel has many vacation spots that attract both locals and tourists, Turkey and Greece have become popular weekend getaway destinations due to significantly lower prices.
Cruise lines generally speaking are a new trend in Israel with most locals not experiencing such a vacation in their lifetime.
