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Changes at the Top as Norwegian Cruise Line President Steps Down


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David J. Herrera has exited Norwegian Cruise Line after serving as president since April 2023.

Harry Sommer, president and CEO of mother or father firm Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, has stepped in as interim president of the model.

The change comes as Norwegian Cruise Line is poised to launch its twenty first ship and broaden and improve its personal island within the Bahamas, Nice Stirrup Cay.

After serving simply over two years as president of Norwegian Cruise Line, David J. Herrera has exited the model. 

The shock announcement on August 20, 2025 disclosed that Harry Sommer, president and CEO of mother or father firm Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) , will quickly run the cruise line on an interim foundation.

Sommer is aware of the way to do the job. He’s a former president of Norwegian Cruise Line and was promoted to the highest put up at NCLH in July 2023, after longtime president and CEO Frank Del Rio retired. Herrera was appointed president of the cruise line in April 2023.

Within the firm assertion, Sommer referred to as Herrera a devoted member of the Norwegian Cruise Line staff and wished him properly. His departure from the model was efficient on August 20, 2025, and an govt search already is underway for a successor.

“Aligned with our continued strategic evolution and concentrate on our Charting the Course Technique and 2026 targets, NCL is coming into a transformative chapter in its almost 60-year historical past that can elevate the visitor expertise even additional,” mentioned Harry Sommer, interim president of Norwegian Cruise Line.

“I’m excited to work nearer with the staff at NCL to capitalize on the various alternatives forward as we embark on our seek for the subsequent chief who will information the model into the longer term,” added Sommer.

Sommer pointed to the model’s seven cruise ships ships on order together with the substantial adjustments on the horizon at Nice Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s personal island within the Caribbean as indicators of the model’s future development technique.

For his half, Herrera, who joined Norwegian Cruise Line in 2012, had a robust background with the model, having served as senior vp of finance, technique, and client analysis, and senior vp of company growth and technique for the mother or father firm.

Former President Oversaw Launches of Two New-Builds

As president of the 20-ship Norwegian Cruise Line, Herrera oversaw the launch of two mega-ships, the three,200-guest Norwegian Viva in 2023 and the three,500-guest Norwegian Aqua in 2025. He would have been intricately concerned with the road’s subsequent new-build — Norwegian Luna, which is able to launch in 2026.

Learn Additionally: Who Owns Norwegian Cruise Line?

It was additionally on his watch that intensive dry-dock renovations had been made to Norwegian Epic and Satisfaction of America earlier this yr. The model’s monetary outlook was vivid, too, by all accounts.

In NCLH’s second-quarter earnings report issued on July 31, 2025, its three manufacturers — Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, set a second-quarter income document of $2.52 billion, a rise of 6% yr over yr.

Harry J. Sommer
Picture Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line’s revenues weren’t listed individually within the report, however the three manufacturers mixed loved an occupancy degree that reached 103.9% for the quarter.

Waiting for 2026, the brand new president of Norwegian Cruise Line — or interim president Harry Sommer — will take the main function within the launch of Norwegian Luna, the second ship within the line’s Prima Plus class and sister to Norwegian Aqua.

The three,550-guest ship is below development on the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, and is scheduled to enter service in April 2026 from PortMiami.

Additionally in 2026, the enlargement and enhancement plan at Nice Stirrup Cay will probably be unveiled. The reimagined personal island vacation spot will characteristic a 6-acre Nice Tides Waterpark with 19 waterslides, an 800-foot lazy river, tube slides, and a cliff-jumping expertise — a primary for the cruise business. A number of thrilling waterslides will probably be contained in a 170-foot-tall Tidal Tower.

Adjustments on the High as Norwegian Cruise Line President Steps Down


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Ryan

Ryan O'Neill is a maritime enthusiast and writer who has a passion for studying and writing about ships and the maritime industry in general. With a deep passion for the sea and all things nautical, Ryan has a plan to unite maritime professionals to share their knowledge and truly connect Sea 2 Shore.

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