Obviously, that was a pretty good idea.
On Cinco de Mayo, 1977, "The Love Boat" brought destination cruising into American living rooms, and the cruise industry never looked back
By the end of the 1990's, however, NCL had become a fleet of aging ships that paled in comparison to the new ships of Princess, which had introduced balcony categories as an intermediate step between standard rooms and suites.
In fact, by comparison to all major cruise lines, NCL came up short, with ships that felt cramped and out of date, like a battered camper trailer trying to compete with the latest Winnebago super-coaches.
They had been left behind, desperately needing help finding the right direction.
NCL found wisdom not from a guru in a distant ashram but from potential customers.
Surveys of people who had never cruised --- and even today that would be the majority of the population at large --- indicated they worried that cruises would be too limiting, regimented and geared to their grandparents' desires.
If you're a child, it's easy to believe a well-dressed adult, but what if you were once the leader in your field, and in fact the innovator who started it all?
NCL decided to follow their directions, answering those cruise concerns of potential new customers with "Freestyle Cruising."
No assigned dining.
Relaxed dress codes.
More stateroom choices.
At first, you might have heard one of their old passengers whining, "I want my old Norwegian back," but NCL followed through.
Norwegian Cruise Lines started finding their footing, introducing entirely new ships with more of everything, including alternative dining restaurants to give guests a feel more like a land resort.
As the 2000's moved forward, they continued to raise the bar.
And then they added an open bar as a freestyle choice.
As newer ships upped the ante in their design choices to subtler hues, NCL wisely upgraded older ships to the more sophisticated palettes.
They are obviously determined to never fall behind the curve again as they did in the last century.
Their suites became the best, and then they introduced the Haven, a ship within a ship for those who can afford a suite and appreciate an experience that is more exclusive but without giving up the big ship entertainment available for a "night on the town."
The entertainment went from also-ran to amazing with complete award-winning Broadway shows like "Jersey Boys" and resident acts from Las Vegas like Blue Man Group.
At the same time, they made family activities a priority in other parts of the ship, including ever more impressive water slides and, on newer ships, ropes courses or even a go-cart race track.
Small but ultra-hip Studios for the solo traveler, with a private singles lounge accessible only by Studio keycards were introduced for people who had backpacked through Europe and now had steady jobs that gave them more money than time to continue exploring the world.
The transitions have worked, and now instead of competing to be the cheapest they compete based on being a line that can meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace.
NCL is now one of the top choices for families, luxury-seekers and also single travelers. In short, they could be perfect for a multi-generation reunion cruise.
Their ships have become great destinations in their own right, and you could enjoy a terrific vacation without ever getting off, but most people cruise to visit distant shores, and NCL has terrific itineraries.
Continuing to sail from Miami, they have super ships going to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean. Their two oldest ships, which were the new forerunners of Freestyle Cruising in 2001, now sail shorter itineraries to the Bahamas and the hottest new destination, Cuba, the previously taboo island nation just 90 miles from Miami.
NCL has more cruises from New York than any other cruise line, including to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
The pink sands and turquoise waters of Bermuda, which is far northeast of the Caribbean but shares the tropical climate due to the Gulf Stream, essentially a river of warm water that runs through the ocean from the Caribbean all the way to England, is a prime summer destination from both New York and Boston.
In the fall, those summer Bermuda ships transition to breathtaking Canada-New England for the changing of the leaves season.
And Norwegian doesn't leave out the West Coast, with Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal cruises sailing regularly from fall through spring and Alaska in the summer.
I'm particularly excited that NCL will bring the new super-ship Bliss to Alaska in Summer, 2018, and then to the Mexican Riviera for some fall cruises before transiting the Panama Canal to join most of the fleet in the Caribbean for spring.
Recently refurbished Pride of America continues to cruise fabulous favorite Hawaii year-round.
NCL also now has a presence in warmer parts of Europe year round. In summer, more great NCL ships cruise to historic beauty of the Old World, including Scandinavia/Russia and, quite appropriately, Norway.
And there are many other destinations Norwegian ships visit.
More than ever, you can find the perfect cruise for you personally.
If you're open to a nudge in the right direction, remember: "Better service leads to better trips!"
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