Norwegian Cruise Line

Preview Copy in PDF Format

Professors: Preview Copies and Orders

After five years of profitable growth, Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, rang the NASDAQ bell on Norwegian’s first day of trading. Under Sheehan’s leadership, Norwegian had experienced a dramatic turnaround, largely due to his efforts to help the organization deliver on the promise of Freestyle. Allowing guests the freedom to choose between many different dining and entertainment venues, Freestyle was an industry first and an immense operational challenge. When first introduced, the execution of the game-changing strategy failed with guests waiting in long-lines for poor quality food. A veteran of private equity turnarounds, Sheehan systematically integrated technology and process improvement to build an organization that could deliver Freestyle cruising. This case allows students to explore the challenges of aligning marketing and operations strategies and the competitive advantage that can be achieved through such integration.

Leave a Response