Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will have 10 percent more of its capacity in the Caribbean in 2026, according to the company, while reducing its European footprint by six percent.

“We’ve been analyzing our itinerary mix and cruise duration at more granular levels to strike the right balance between guest demand and profitability,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO, who made the comments on the company’s second quarter earnings call.

“This includes increased sun and fun deployment, shorter cruise length and, of course, the benefits of the enhancements of Great Stirrup Cay,” he added.

Great Stirrup Cay will be a key part of the company’s deployment program in the Caribbean going forward as the Norwegian-owned island will see a new two-ship pier opened before year’s end, ahead of a massive new waterpark scheduled for a 2026 summer opening.

“We want to balance near-term profitability against long-term brand health. So we want to operate itineraries that have the highest possible guest satisfaction scores and repeat rates,” Sommer said.

“And we think this new deployment in the Caribbean and Bermuda will help to optimize for that number. And lastly, operational feasibility and certainty. Caribbean and Bermuda itineraries rate very high in that metric as well. So when you put those three things together, we get to what we believe is the optimum mix for both short-term profitability and long-term return, which is the focus that we always have as a team.”

Of note, the company has not only reduced its European footprint for 2026, but trimmed European itineraries across all three brands in favor of shorter cruise lengths.