Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), reported on the company’s third quarter earnings call that shorter sailings are experiencing strong demand and are part of the driving factors behind a solid foundation for future quarters.

“Bookings in the third quarter marked the strongest third quarter bookings in company history, with bookings up over 20 percent from last year,” Sommer said, noting that the trend was in part driven by strong demand for short Caribbean sailings this winter and the company’s luxury brands.

Sommer explained during the call that the Norwegian Cruise Line brand is focusing more on families as a core demographic and building brand familiarity through its short sailings, giving families a chance to experience its product.

“That exposure helps build loyalty and creates a pipeline of repeat guests for the future,” he added.

“In the fourth quarter of this year, we will have the highest mix of short sailings since 2019, reflecting our deliberate move to rebalance Norwegian’s deployment towards closer to home itineraries.

“This approach expands our reach, appealing to a broader mix of guests, particularly premium families and new-to-cruise travelers,” Sommer said.

He noted that in the fourth quarter, short sailing capacity is increasing over 80 percent versus the prior year.

Sommer said that early results from our increased short cruises are encouraging and reinforce the company’s confidence in the strategy.

The company will have a 40 percent increase in short cruises in the first quarter of 2026, he said.

Sommer added on the call that the company has shifted from longer European itineraries to shorter ones, allowing for a slightly larger family market, which is consistent with its strategy. It is also focused on minimizing the number of single cabins across all three brands.