Cruise Ship Wars | Anchors Aweigh! | 1

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1950, an enterprising Miami businessman has the idea to use a passenger liner to ferry retired Floridians to the Caribbean. He makes their time on board the ship as much a part of the appeal as the destination. Modern cruising is born, but it’s still just a small niche activity.

But in the 1960s, a group of ambitious men in both the United States and Europe sees huge potential in this form of vacation travel. Within six years Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival are all founded. They spend the next 60 years battling to be the biggest and best cruise line in the world.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wundery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of Business Wars, ad free right now.
0:06.0	Join Wundery Plus in the Wundery app or on Apple Podcasts. It's late 1971 in Miami, Florida.
0:20.0	It's late 1971 in Miami, Florida.
0:23.7	Norwegian cruise line co-founder Canute Closter
0:26.8	marches down the dock of the Miami port.
0:29.8	Around him, the place is bustling with workers loading and unloading cargo ships.
0:35.0	A light sea breeze ruffles clusters, thick wavy hair.
0:39.1	He's just off the plane from Oslo, Norway, where temperatures haven't reached above freezing in weeks.
0:45.6	The balmy-Myami temperatures feel glorious.
0:49.4	But Closter isn't here to enjoy the sun.
0:51.8	He's here to confront his business partner, Ted Arison.
0:56.0	Five years ago, Closter and Arison founded Norwegian Cruise Line together.
1:01.0	The company took cruising to new levels, varying people from Florida to various Caribbean
1:06.5	islands for a week of fun and relaxation.
1:10.0	But recently a financial dispute drove a wedge between the two men and Closter sued his partner.
1:16.6	A judge has ordered Norwegian's U.S. accounts put in a receivership, but Closter doesn't trust Arison to abide by the ruling, so he's flown to Miami to make sure
1:27.0	Arison does as he's been ordered.
1:30.0	Closter half runs the last hundred feet to Norwegian cruise line's office on the dock.
1:35.1	He burst through the door. A young receptionist sitting at the front desk looks up, startled.
1:40.1	Mr. Closter, I didn't know you were coming in today.
1:43.2	I need to see Ted.
1:44.8	He's not in today.
	...

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