NCL tees off new Hawaii golf cruise range

[Jason]

NCL tees off new Hawaii golf cruise range

By e-TravelBlackboard

Hawaii and golf make an enticing combination and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) expects Australian agents to benefit from its groundbreaking Golf Hawaii program.

Golf Hawaii includes much to attract clients. The all-up cost for a three-game package in the Hawaiian Islands, including return airfares from Australia, a balcony cabin aboard one of NCL’s Hawaii-based ships on a seven-day cruise and overnight hotel accommodation in Honolulu is about $6000 a couple

Gary Sharman, NCL’s Kuala Lumpur-based vice president marketing and sales, Asia Pacific, outlined the program yesterday at the Lakes Golf Club in Kensington, Sydney.

He said the Golf Hawaii program was now available on three NCL ships: Pride of Hawaii (launched 2006), Pride of America (2005) and Pride of Aloha (2004). They offer identical, seven-day cruises of the Hawaiian Islands out of Honolulu, year-round.

“Over time, this cruise/golf epxerience will become another one of the great golfing icons around the world,” Sharman said. People talked about golfing in Scotland and Ireland, British Columbia in Canada, Arizona – and now Hawaii was being included as well. Golf Hawaii allowed Australians to play as much golf as they wished. Sharman said it was possible to play eight rounds on the seven-day cruises but “we believe even the most avid golfers will want to enjoy some of Hawaii’s other famous attractions, such as volcano trekking, surfing and sightseeing by helicopter.”

Consequently, Sharman believes the most popular packages for Australians will involve two-to-three rounds of golf.

“This is not a holiday for everyone but we believe its sheer indulgence will appeal mostly to baby-boomer couples who want to treat themselves to a second honeymoon.”

NCL Golf packages cover championship courses on all four of Hawaii’s main islands – some rated by international golf magazines as among the world’s best. They include The Princeville Course on Kaui; Hapuna Golf Course on the Big Island of Hawaii and Makena and Wailea on Maui.

NCL’s director of sales and marketing, Australia and New Zealand, Braydon Holland, said the cruises were fantastically saleable for Australian agents. Premium golf equipment (including top-of-the-line Callaway clubs and Adidas shoes) was available for hire from US$35 a day, or clients could bring their own. NCL had added three ships in three years – equating to about 7000 berths a week. About 90% of passengers were North Americans, with Australia the largest international market, vying closely with Japan. Tips were built into the fare for Australians, Holland said. NCL knows from experience that its Freestyle Cruising approach, which relaxes dress codes, dinner seatings and so forth, is much appreciated by Australians.

NCL golf packages include advance tee-time bookings, from a full week of golf to day-by-day play; fully stocked onboard pro shop; secure golf club storage; transport to and from courses and use of shared golf cart during play – plus help in arranging golf tournaments for corporate and incentive groups.