Who is Colin Veitch?

NCL President and CEO Colin Veitch is the driving force behind the multiple changes at NCL Corporation that is comprised of Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Lines and NCL America. He was appointed to his current NCL post in February 2000 and he reports directly to parent company Star Cruises’ Chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Tha.

With tremendous energy and positive attitude, Veitch, 49,  has embarked on a major new-build campaign for the company that has resulted in NCL adding three new ships in as many years. “By 2010, he says, with the addition of our newbuilds, “NCL will have the youngest fleet in the industry.”

Veitch also launched Freestyle Cruising on NCL ships, an innovative on-board product that offers guests a choice on how they want to cruise. “ Whether it is the dress code or the timing of the meals, or the dining venue, that should be the passenger’s choice,” says Veitch. That is why, he continues, Free Style cruising was introduced. “We have had a very positive feedback from our passengers on free style cruising as opposed to more traditional ways.

He is also very much for cruises out of home ports. In 2001, a year after coming on board as chief honcho, Veitch steered the company through the aftermath of the September 11 terrorism attacks by launching Homeland Cruising, bringing 95 percent of NCL’s fleet to close-to-home ports in North America as he anticipated a shift in consumers’ travel patterns. Right on target. Now an industry trend, NCL continues to add new Home ports around the US. “NCL carried more passengers than any other cruise line from Northeast ports,” he points out. “In New York alone, 2005 saw four ships offering cruises. In 2006, we will add seven-day cruises to Bermuda or the Bahamas out of New York as well as operating Canada/NewEngland cruises.

Veitch changed the face of the industry again with the formation of a new US-flagged operation called NCL America. The company launched its first US flagged ship with an all-American crew, Pride of Aloha in 2004. A year later, the Pride of America made her debut. Today NCL America has two ships with an all-American crew operating cruises from Hawaii its home base. In 2006 a third ship, the Pride of Hawaii, will join the Pride of Aloha and Pride of America. More interestingly, NCL America pays 100 percent US taxes on the passenger revenues—something not done by other foreign-owned cruise companies based in the US and a sore point with members of the US Congress.

Prior to joining NCL, Veitch was a senior vice president of marketing and corporate development of Princess Cruises in Los Angeles where he was also responsible for Princess’ sister company in Australia, P&O Cruises Australia. He joined Princess in 1992 as chief financial officer after two years with its then parent company P&O in London.

Born and raised in the UK, Veitch holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of London and a MBA degree from the Harvard Business School.

Veitch, who is married with two children and based in Miami, is quite congenial and has a wonderful sense of humor. When asked by a passenger on board the Jewel why the ship was so named since the other NCL ships has celestial ones, Veitch replied that NCL “ran out of celestial names and so Jewel was chosen. And so our future NCL ships will now have similar names.”

Humor aside, it is his brilliant tactical moves that have made Veitch an outstanding icon of the cruise industry.