Marc Kazlauskas joined Norwegian Cruise Line as president in January after more than a decade as an executive at large travel agencies like Avoya and Frosch. Cruise editor Teri West interviewed him aboard NCL's newest ship, the Norwegian Luna, where he spoke about his vision for the line.
Marc Kazlauskas
Q: How do you see NCL positioned in the cruise industry?
A: The hardware, the fit and finishes that go into a ship like this, we absolutely are in the premium position. The [travel advisors] that know us, know us well and get it, but the agents that don't know us, we've got to get them on [our ships] so they can experience it and feel that premium nature of the ship.
Q: You don't see NCL as a contemporary line?
A: No, no, we're premium ... I have been on other cruise lines; I won't name, but I've been on all of them. As I walk around those other ships, you have some that are based on an incredible party. You have some that are based on, I think, an experience of almost like a Las Vegas. Which is fine. There's different classes for different people. We're a more premium experience.
Q: Do you think parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is then missing an entry-level cruise line? Are you thinking of increasing prices?
A: We should get our fair price for a premium product. So it's not what I'm worried about, the entry [cruiser]. Our big focus is premium families and seasoned travelers. Premium families: multigen that will pay for good service, good food, good entertainment, activities.
Q: What's your vision for NCL in the five-to-10-year range?
A: First is focusing on the brand and the brand messaging. Making sure "It's Different Out Here" gets resonated. The next, I would say, is how do we ensure that we are working with the travel agency community to create demand? So it's not just about cruisers that would want to take an NCL [cruise], but new to cruise. How do we convert people who go on resort vacations to cruising? The third is revenue management. We really have to do a better job of managing our revenue in our ships, and that is filling our ships with the right price. That's a big deal for us. I think that we had been a little too much known as a discount or promotion [cruise line].
Q: Do you plan to focus on developing Great Stirrup Cay further before finding properties elsewhere?
A: Yeah. Right now, my strategy is, how do I take that island, continue to build upon it, continue to make sure it's the best of any private island, and then look at opportunities in the future.
Q: You came in and almost immediately got a new boss, NCLH CEO John Chidsey. How does it feel to be on such a refreshed leadership team?
A: Chidsey's fantastic. He's great. He's got great experience [as a former CEO at Subway and Burger King], and he's the right leader for our company now. And I'm excited to work with someone who's led these big, iconic global brands. So we get to learn from each other. I know the industry well. He knows how to run big companies.
Q: It sounds like you were also aware you were taking on a challenge. What drew you to that?
A: I've been in this industry 30 years, right? I've worked through everything. Financial crisis, Covid. 9/11. I've been through everything. It gives you a toughness, and it allows you to not run from conflict but actually run to conflict. And it also gives you a toughness to say you can make tough decisions. You understand what it takes to run a good, healthy business.