Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings plans to include airfare in fewer cruise fares. Executives explained the change on the company's third-quarter earnings call on Oct. 29, according to Cruise Industry News. It is part of a push to rely less on discounts to fill ships.
If you have come to expect free or bundled flights with a Norwegian cruise, this is worth knowing before you shop for 2027 and 2028.
What is changing
The company said a smaller share of guests will sail with airfare included in their cruise fare. Along with changes to crew travel and to its promotions, it expects the shift to bring an extra $100 million in yearly benefits once fully in place.
CEO John Chidsey was blunt about how he sees the old approach. "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," he said. He added that the crew side shows up as a cost savings, "so it's a little bit of both."
It will take time to show up
Many guests already booked trips under the old air program, so the company has to let those sailings happen first. CFO Mark 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," he said.
On the crew side, which covers getting shipboard staff to and from the fleet, the company expects most of the benefit in 2027. Kempa said the promotion changes were made earlier this year, but their full effect will also take time.
A move toward steadier pricing
The air change fits a wider plan. Norwegian Cruise Line has rolled out what it calls a new base loading strategy for most of its second-half 2027 sailings and all of its 2028 sailings. The goal is to get guests to book earlier and feel sure about the price they pay.
Kempa said a more loyal customer base would mean fewer people canceling before final payment. That, in turn, would cut the cost of finding new guests and the discounts needed to win them back.
We wrote about the company's third-quarter results last week. The air plan is one of the clearest signs of how it wants to grow profit from here.
What this means for your booking
The company did not give details on which fares or sailings will still include flights. So the practical step is to read each offer closely.
When you compare a Norwegian fare with another line's, check whether air is included. Then price flights on your own for the same dates. A fare that looks higher may be the better deal once you add flights, or the other way around. Also note that included air programs often come with set routings and change rules. Booking your own flights can give you more control over times and airlines.
If you already booked a fare with air included, the company said those bookings will sail as planned. That is why the savings take years to phase in.
Booking early may matter more under the new pricing plan, since the company wants fewer late discounts. That is a strategy, not a promise about any one cabin's price. Keep watching the fare on the trip you want.
Browse Norwegian Cruise Line's fleet on Cruise Frog to compare ships before you compare fares.
Source: Cruise Industry News, Nov. 2, 2026, reporting on Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' Oct. 29 earnings call.
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