Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CFO Mark Kempa revealed that the 40pc Caribbean capacity increase occurred prematurely without proper coordination.
The shift preceded full enhancements at Great Stirrup Cay including Great Tides water park opening later in summer. Revenue management sales marketing and on-island strategies lacked alignment for yield absorption. Kempa described the issue as self-inflicted rather than consumer or competitive weakness.
Early feedback on new pier pool facilities and amenities showed strong guest satisfaction. The company expressed confidence in long-term Caribbean strategy despite short-term misfires.
Mark Kempa shared “In hindsight it is clear that this shift was executed without the necessary enterprise-wide coordination. The capacity increase was premature. A good portion of this is probably self-inflicted wounds.”
NCL results show income up 19pc
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported full year 2025 revenue of $9.8bn up 3.7pc with Adjusted EBITDA of $2.73bn.
GAAP net income reached $423.2m with Adjusted EPS of $2.11 up 19pc. Full year 2026 Adjusted EPS guidance set at $2.38 with Adjusted EBITDA around $2.95bn. Net Leverage ended 2025 at 5.3x with expectations of 5.2x by year-end 2026.
First phase enhancements at Great Stirrup Cay included new pier Great Life Lagoon and Splash Harbor.
John W Chidsey, who was appointed President and CEO in February 2026 shared “The team delivered solid fourth quarter and full year 2025 results reflecting the strength of our award-winning brands loyal guests and dedication of our team and crew members. As I step into this new role my initial assessment is that our strategy is sound but execution and cross-functional alignment have fallen short.”
Mark Kempa shared “A good portion of this is probably self-inflicted wounds.”
