Norwegian Cruise Line receives SMITTY Award for innovative Facebook campaign

Travel+Leisure Magazine has awarded their first Social Media in Travel and Tourism Award (SMITTY) to Norwegian Cruise Line, in the category of best use of a social media platform by a cruise line. Travel+Leisure Magazine created the SMITTY awards in an effort to highlight travel industry companies who developed and executed successful social media campaigns.

The magazine received hundreds of submissions, from various companies who used social media in creative ways over the past year, across all award categories. Norwegian was selected as the award recipient for innovative use of Facebook during the launch of the company’s “Cruise Like a Norwegian” brand campaign in October, 2011, which increased Norwegian’s Facebook fan following by 159% during the campaign period.

The awards will appear in the July issue (on newsstands June 22, 2012) of Travel + Leisure and in all digital editions.

“It’s an honor to be among the first to be recognized by Travel + Leisure for our innovative use of Social Media,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “Early on, we recognized the power of Social Media and how it helps us to engage our guests and welcome them into our community of Norwegians.”

Last week, Norwegian Cruise Line was honored with two additional awards; “Favorite Cruise Line” in Budget Travel Magazine’s 3rd annual Reader’s Choice Awards and the prestigious “2012 South Florida Good to Great Award®” in the category of 1,000+ employees by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Norwegian encourages all fans and guests to join the social “Community of Norwegians by “liking” the company’s Facebook page at www.ncl.com/facebook, following @CruiseNorwegian on Twitter and repining Norwegian’s pins on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/norwegiancruise.

Source: Norwegian Cruise Line
Photo credit: Travel+Leisure, Sherry Laskin