Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is reworking how it handles air travel for both guests and crew, a move the company expects to lift revenue and lower costs as part of its turnaround.

Guest and crew air optimization, along with refinements to promotional offerings, are behind an additional $100 million in expected run-rate benefits the company announced on its third quarter earnings call last Thursday.

On the guest side, the change centers on a smaller proportion of guests sailing with airfare included in their cruise fare.

“I look at this airfare program that we were doing as basically a marketing subsidy, and so when that goes away, that obviously will affect your revenue line,” said John Chidsey, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “But if you look at the crew cost, that piece obviously is in your cost. So it’s a little bit of both.”

Chidsey said the initiatives would support the top line while helping the company avoid cost.

Mark Kempa, executive vice president and CFO, said the company had improved its operational and commercial capabilities around air, alongside changes to its promotional activities. The promotional modifications were made earlier this year, but the full impact will take time.

Because many guests had already booked under the existing air program, the company has to let those bookings sail before the benefits fully show up.

Kempa said the savings would phase in over the latter part of 2026, 2027 and 2028.

“That one just has a little bit more of a bleed-in period over time,” Kempa said.

On the crew side, which covers transportation and logistics costs for shipboard staff, the company expects to see more of the benefit in 2027.

The air changes fit into a broader effort to rely less on discounting to fill ships. Norwegian Cruise Line has rolled out a new base loading strategy across the majority of its second-half 2027 sailings and all 2028 sailings, aimed at getting guests to book earlier with confidence in the price they pay.

Kempa said a stickier customer base would reduce churn ahead of final payment, which in turn lowers acquisition costs and the promotional value needed to win back or replace guests.