According to a press release sent out on May 9th, Norwegian Cruise Line, is celebrating Military Appreciation Month by participating in a series of initiatives and engaging events in support of the U.S. military community, including the first-ever Fleet Week Miami; the Coca-Cola 600, the annual 600-mile NASCAR Cup Series race; and continued support for Honor and Remember, the organization that recognizes America’s fallen service members.
Partnering with these key organizations reinforces NCL’s continued commitment to all U.S. service members, veterans and their families, anchored on its Military Appreciation Program, a landmark initiative for the company that began in November of 2022.
Just this week, Norwegian Cruise Line served as the lead partner of Fleet Week Miami 2024, the first Fleet Week to be held in Miami, NCL’s headquarter base city. As a part of its partnership, the company hosted one of the Navy’s flagship vessels, the USS Bataan, at its LEED® Gold certified terminal at PortMiami. The USS Bataan pulled into the NCL terminal on the evening of Sunday, May 5, kicking off a week-long celebration hosted by the U.S. Navy that includes events and activities happening throughout the community. NCL has actively participated in daily Fleet Week Miami events through its Veteran Task Force, a group of NCL shoreside employees who are veterans themselves or have a close family connection to an active or former U.S. military service member.
“Throughout Military Appreciation Month and every day on board our ships, it is our privilege to recognize and honor the brave men and women who have served in the U.S. military and their families for their sacrifice,” said David J. Herrera who served in the Army National Guard and is the President of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Supporting the military community is a shared passion for the entire NCL family and we are proud to team up with fantastic organizations like Fleet Week Miami, Coca-Cola, and Honor and Remember to make an impact for this community.”
Giving back to service members is extremely important to NCL, and its passion for this community is shepherded by Herrera alongside former U.S. Navy SEAL Matthew Lewis, the Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer for the brand’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., who serve as co-sponsors of NCL’s Veteran Task Force and Military Appreciation Program. Lewis kicked off the company’s participation in Fleet Week Miami activities by speaking at the Fleet Week Miami Mayoral Welcome press conference on Monday, May 6 at the NCL terminal, where he also presented a ceremonial plaque with the NCL challenge coin to the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro. While both Herrera and Lewis, hosted Admiral Daryl Caudle and Lt. General Brian Cavanaugh and other U.S. Navy officials as guests for the day on board Norwegian Breakaway on Wednesday, May 8.
Later this month, Norwegian Cruise Line will team up with its partners at Coca-Cola for the second consecutive year to honor Gold Star Families, a designation given to the family of an active service member who died in the line of service, at the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26. At the race, Gold Star families will be honored with a lunch supported by Herrera, among other surprises.
Norwegian Cruise Line launched its Military Appreciation Program in November 2022 to recognize service members, veterans and retired U.S. military and their spouses with special onboard experiences and amenities, including a dedicated welcome packet, an NCL challenge coin – a symbol of belonging and camaraderie within this community– a patch representative of the ship they’re sailing on, and a special ceremony on board. The program helps foster a sense of community for all U.S. military service members and their families who sail with NCL. In addition, military members and their spouses receive a 10 percent discount on their cruise fares for all sailings across the fleet.
The program was developed by veterans, for veterans, and seeks to set the cruise industry standard for supporting and engaging with U.S. military service members. In just under two years, more than 220,000 military members have registered for the program, and more than 120,000 of those registered participants have booked a cruise vacation with NCL.
“To hear the amazing feedback and stories from veterans and military families that have sailed with us through this program fills me with joy,” said Lewis. “Many of us personally understand the sacrifices this community has made for their country, and to be able to have a positive impact and provide an opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones is a privilege.”
Additionally, just last year, the company began a partnership with Honor and Remember, a nonprofit organization dedicated to paying tribute to all military lives lost, not only while serving on active duty but also as a result of serving in all wars or conflicts and all branches of service for the U.S. NCL now flies the Honor and Remember flag on each of its ships across its 19-ship fleet in solidarity with this important mission, and this year through various initiatives the company has already committed a $75,000 donation to the organization. Later this month, NCL will host the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Annual State of the Travel + Tourism Industry presentation at the NCL terminal at PortMiami on May 21, and proceeds from this event will be donated to Honor and Remember.
To learn more about Norwegian Cruise Line’s Military Appreciation Program, including how to register, visit www.ncl.com/military.
