Norwegian Cruise Line announces its entry to the China cruise market

World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line will homeport purpose-built Breakaway Plus-Class ship in China

Wiesbaden, October 12, 2015 – Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce the first  purpose-built ship customized for the China market in 2017, Norwegian Cruise  Line Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq: NCLH) CEO Frank Del Rio announced today during the  CruiseWorld China summit in Shanghai. Currently under construction, the new ship  is designed specifically for the China market with accommodation, cuisine and  on-board experiences that cater to the unique holiday preferences of Chinese  guests.

“Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are  authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its  sensibility,” said Del Rio. “With this new ship, Norwegian will unquestionably  offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of  innovation and excellence into the marketplace, with an unrivalled level of  customization for the Chinese consumer. It will perfectly suit what modern  Chinese travellers value from an upscale cruise experience.”

The new ship will be the second of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway  Plus-Class and features the line’s unique style of cruising known as Freestyle  Cruising. Aboard NCL ships, Chinese guests will indulge in a resort-style  holiday experience, with the freedom and flexibility to joyfully spend time  doing whatever they wish, from enjoying world-class entertainment to fine  Mandarin, Cantonese and Continental dining; from duty-free luxury shopping to  participating in any number of incredible first-at-sea activities on board; all  on their own time schedule.

Norwegian Cruise Line is widely recognized as the leading innovator in the  cruise industry. Not only will Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship offer the  highest-level of purpose-built customization, it will clearly be the most  innovative ship ever built exclusively for the China market. With a capacity of  4.200 guests, this new Breakaway Plus-Class vessel will provide the same sense  of freedom and flexibility found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but with  experiences and amenities designed specifically with Chinese guest in mind. The  level of customization will go beyond the physical design of the ship. Working  with partners in China and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture,  Chinese guests who sail on this new ship will be provided with an unmatched  quality-level for service, cuisine, entertainment and overall experience that is  simply not available in the China market today. Additional details, including  the ship’s name, homeport, accommodation, dining and entertainment will be  shared in the coming months.

To better support the company’s expansion efforts in China, Norwegian Cruise  Line Holdings has opened offices in Beijing (Guomao CBD) and Hong Kong (Quarry  Bay) and today opens its Shanghai office in Xintiandi. These China-based offices  support all three brands in the company’s portfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line,  Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises which span the upper end of the  contemporary, premium, and luxury cruise categories and relevant to each segment  and each stage in the Chinese consumer life cycle.

“Our China offices house a dedicated leadership team uniquely focused on  ensuring the success of our local travel agent partners, which is crucial to the  success of our expansion in what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise  market,” said Del Rio. “These offices will provide sales and marketing support  to our travel partners whose customers not only wish to sail on our new  China-based ship, but also on any of the incredible voyages around the world  offered across our portfolio of brands.”

The new China-based ship will be delivered in spring 2017. Norwegian will  take delivery of the line’s first Breakaway Plus-Class ship, Norwegian Escape,  next week on October 22. Two additional ships in this class are on order for  delivery in 2018 and 2019.