Norweigan reported to be buying Prestige

Just read this on the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/08/31/business/31reuters-norwegiancruise-prestigecruises.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=WireFeed&module=pocket-region&region=pocket-region&WT.nav=pocket-region. I haven't heard rumors about this before and can anyone explain or speculate on how this might effect Oceania which is our favorite line.

Oh, dear.

oh, dear.

+1 :)

Certainly does not sound like good news.:mad:

They could buy Prestige to get the upscale market and be smart enough to know that if they mess around with it, they will lose the value of the purchase. Or they could buy Prestige and cheapen it up. We will have to wait and see if the deal goes through, and what the eventual outcome is. Did you notice in the article that Apollo Holdings already owns 20% of Norwegian, so they all know one another.

Oh, dear.

+2 :eek:

This does not make me happy:( But we have to wait to see what actually happens. It could all fall apart -then again it could happen, and all will remain the same. I'm being optimistic!! Arlene

Just don't cut O's food budget!

If you look at the lines involved they have the same values, all resort casual, open dinning and lots of dinning choice. They could make a good fit. Mass mart, mid range and luxury.

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If you look at the lines involved they have the same values, all resort casual, open dinning and lots of dinning choice. They could make a good fit. Mass mart, mid range and luxury.

 

 

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+1

Jancruz1

If it gives O access to more capital and they don't change anything....big if...then it might be ok. They were kind of one big happy family in the past when NCL was also a private entity (the old corporate holdings chart did resemble a hillbilly family genealogy chart).

Apollo has never hidden the fact tha they planned to sell Prestige so this should not be a big surprise.

If you look at the lines involved they have the same values, all resort casual, open dinning and lots of dinning choice. They could make a good fit. Mass mart, mid range and luxury.

 

 

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Just ask the long time loyal cruisers of Princess, HAL and Cunard how they feel about being part of Carnival.

The more I think about it the better I like it. We are platinum with NCL. Would love to see a cross reference like RCI has.

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Sorry to be narrow minded. We rarely cruise - and when we do, we feel our O cruise is a great investment of our travel dollars. We love the O experience. If we sense a deterioration or cheapening of the quality and style of the brand, our cruising days will likely be over. Hopefully we can at least get through our April trip before it starts to devolve. Or maybe it will all be fine... Time will tell!

Apollo has never hidden the fact tha they planned to sell Prestige so this should not be a big surprise.

That part is true but who they sell to and what the new owner does with the product will make all the difference.

Time indeed will tell.

It would be nice if FDR were to post something when he was free to do so. On the other hand, I have been through enough corporate mergers & acquisitions to know that what current management says at the time, vs. what tends to happen a year or two down the road, can be very different things. Our next time on O is in April; we'd better plan to get seconds on the lobster while we still can. It would be a real shame if this gem of a cruise line were to be taken over, as so many have, by the corporate accountants.

Paul,

I agree 100%.

Peggy

I'm platinum with NCL also; it's not as bad a product as most folks on this forum like to think.

NCL does operate in a completely different market and mind set. However, when Apollo bought a majority share of Oceania, they were smart enough to not mess with the management. Then, when Apollo bought Regent and rolled the two (Oceania and Regent) into one holding company (Prestige), they were smart enough to not only keep the same management, but elevate them to the total management of both cruise lines. If NCL is smart enough to do the same thing and retain Prestige, Oceania and Regent management, then I can't see anything but good from this arrangement. As someone else said, if they do mess with the product, they will lose the value of their investment.

It's true that, from all reports, HAL in particular did not benefit from the purchase by Carnival. However, I don't think Seaborne folks even think about the fact that Carnival owns them, too.

If you look at the lines involved they have the same values, all resort casual, open dinning and lots of dinning choice. They could make a good fit. Mass mart, mid range and luxury.

 

 

-1, don't think so.....really depends on management and how they work. Don't that it will be the same..........

Rick

I think the most interesting comment I have read here is "don't mess with the food budget". I think the cruise experience will remain about the same, but maybe, just maybe the food budget will change. We have to wait and see.

I am one who would prefer this sale doesn't go through! I just don't trust NCL not to fiddle with the product. It will remain to be seen.

They could well wish that the demographic and profits remain the same, which means don't fuss with the product. (Or so it seems to me.)

If they turn Oceania (or Regent) into another NCL I wouldn't be happy ...

We didn't hate our one NCL cruise in 2010, but it wasn't our favorite either! We definitely learned that it's best to be in a "VIP" category on NCL ... But the nickel and diming, and constant selling of lottery tickets and Bingo games and etc. really wore thin.

I will say they had an excellent children's program and we rarely saw them. And there were lots of young-uns on our TA from NYC to Venice.

Mura

But think of the advantages .....you will be able to wear jeans & flip flops to the dining rooms :D

It will be a deal breaker for us if NCL buys them

But think of the advantages .....you will be able to wear jeans & flip flops to the dining rooms :D

 

 

It will be a deal breaker for us if NCL buys them

I'll only go if they'll have wet T-shirt and hairy chest contests :D

The smartest thing Norwegian could do is to buy them.

The second smartest thing Norwegian could do is not change a thing.

..and the boys at Norwegian are pretty smart. :cool: