WELCOME TO NCL U THE COLLEGE OF CRUISE KNOWLEDGE

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1 WELCOME TO NCL U THE COLLEGE OF CRUISE KNOWLEDGE School was never this cool. Sure, there s a lot to know about Norwegian Cruise Line, but who says that being a Norwegian Cruise Line know-it-all can t be fun and Freestyle? We ve created an entire virtual campus where you can get a thorough education in all things NCL, earn up to 15 CLIA credits toward your ACC or MCC, and most importantly, work your way up to a Freestyle Certification degree. This professional distinction entitles you to insider tips and marketing tools, reduced rates on Norwegian cruises, eligibility to apply for our coveted PhD@Sea cruises, access to our advanced Graduate Program and more. Best of all, there are lots of ways to earn Freestyle Certification points and new opportunities are added all the time. This way, your education is totally Freestyle - you decide when and how you want to earn your points. And tuition? You re on a 100% scholarship program, thanks to your good standing as our travel partner. General introduction Home Page Administration Education Student Union Library Rec Room What else can you do on the NCL U campus other than make yourself the smartest, most successful agent selling Norwegian cruises? You can network with other agents across North America in our popular Forum, go oneon-one with Norwegian s top brass and other industry leaders, play online games, blog, and our personal favorite, learn the NCL U cheer. This packet will give you a tour of the campus, steer you to important hot spots and give you a quick overview of the pre-requisites you ll need on your way to Freestyle Certification and Gold status in our Graduate Program.

2 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO NCL U Home Page This easy-to-navigate website (ncluniversity.com) is as close as you can get to visiting an actual campus. The Home Page is your archway into NCL U. Once you re officially registered (simply a matter of having your own unique login for and then just signing up), your personal Home Page becomes a private space where you can: Pick up messages and bulletins from the Dean under My Bulletins Check out the latest Courses, Electives and events in the What s New section Explore the most popular sites on campus in the What s Hot section View your CLIA class progress View your enrolled classes and link to the exact spot where you left off Take quizzes and polls to earn points Find out what everyone s talking about and read the latest posts in the Forum section Link directly to Andy Stuart s blog Administration This is where you take care of business, so you can get down to the business of earning your Freestyle Certification points. Here you can: Go to My Account, fill out your info, update your profile and preferences, and print your certificates My Bulletins offers you the latest news from the Dean, info on new contests, promotions and a lot more My Points Check here to get your up-to-the-minute point totals Get a listing of every course, elective, quiz and game you ve taken Student ID Upload your own picture or choose one from our library Add your image or icon to the NCL U yearbook so you can easily network and have the chance to be nominated for Dean s List by your classmates The FAQ page Questions & Answers about everything from courses and points to Freestyle Certification ADMINISTRATION continued on next page 1

3 ADMINISTRATION continued Benefits This, as we said, is your ultimate goal - graduating from NCL U earns you many benefits and distinctions including: Adding an F.C. (Freestyle Certified) after your name on your business card An official press release for local media to publish A thorough knowledge of cruising and sales in general and of the policies and benefits of Norwegian Cruise Line in particular First-in-line opportunity to participate in our PhD@Sea program The opportunity to advance up to our prestigious Graduate Program Here s what each level (or milestone) looks like: LEVEL 1 - FREESTYLE SPECIALIST (50,000 Points) Congratulatory Official downloadable Freestyle Specialist icon for your signature so your customers know your designation Official downloadable Freestyle Specialist certificate to proudly display at work and at home Your yearbook icon or photo will be framed in a gold color designating your status as a Freestyle Specialist Exclusive access to Norwegian s reduced rate cruises LEVEL 2 FREESTYLE ADVANCED SPECIALIST (100,000 Points) Congratulatory Official downloadable Freestyle Advanced Specialist icon for your signature so your customers know your designation Official downloadable Freestyle Advanced Specialist certificate to proudly display at work and at home Your yearbook icon or photo will be framed in a red color designating your status as a Freestyle Advanced Specialist Exclusive access to Norwegian s reduced rate cruises LEVEL 3 FREESTYLE CERTIFIED (150,000 Points) Graduate Diploma from NCL U Priority invitation to our PhD@Sea program Freestyle Certification Pin awarded exclusively to graduates Official personalized Press Release that you can pass on to your clients Official downloadable Freestyle Certified icon for your signature so your customers know your prestigious designation Your yearbook icon or photo will be framed in a navy blue color designating your status as a Freestyle Certified agent Exclusive access to Norwegian s reduced rate cruises Contests reserved especially for Freestyle Certified agents Exclusive access to the advanced Graduate Program ADMINISTRATION continued on next page 2

4 ADMINISTRATION continued ADDITIONAL BENEFITS: Up to 15 CLIA Credits (the maximum offered by a cruise line for an online travel agent education program) five credits for each of the three courses for CLIA Credit Official CLIA Credit Certificates from NCL U upon successful completion of Courses 101, 201 and 301 Education This is the heart and soul of NCL U higher learning on your way towards the ultimate goal, Norwegian s prestigious Freestyle Certification. And now, you can go beyond that to our popular Graduate Program. You ll need at least 150,000 points to obtain your Freestyle Certification, and there are lots of rewarding milestones along the way. And to make it extra fun, we ve got a totally Freestyle approach to your education choose your favorite classes and pick from new ones all the time. NCL U Courses, Electives and more So how can you earn points? Let us count the ways: There are three NCL U core curriculum courses for CLIA credit where you can earn up to a total of 15 CLIA credits towards your ACC or MCC and 75,000 points towards your Freestyle Certification NCL U Electives are fun, interactive modules and videos designed for in-depth NCL knowledge Extra Credit page will lead you to: Recruitment Webinars and videos Online games Courses for CLIA Credit We ve created: Three main courses worth 25,000 points and five CLIA credits each Each course has easy-to-digest pieces so you can progress at your own pace Stop at anytime and resume later - your Dashboard will link you directly to the place where you left off. Complete any of the courses at your own pace. NCL U Electives Worth up to 15,000 points each Fun, interactive modules and videos Some created by the famous Second City comedy troupe and industry expert Marc Mancini Topics include Groups 2.0; Suites & Villas; Family; Accessibility and many more Modules update often - watch for alerts in your Bulletins and on the Home Page under What s New EDUCATION continued on next page 3

5 EDUCATION continued A recap on earning points: Every class or quiz you take, including classes toward CLIA credits, Electives and Extra Credits help you earn points toward milestones and graduation We are constantly adding new ways to earn points, so visit NCL U often to explore new opportunities You ll need 150,000 points to graduate with Freestyle Certification You ll find an up-to-the-minute calculation of your points on both the Home Page and in the My Points tab under Administration Extra Credit This is like the healthy, fast food way of earning credits. Quick, easy and satisfying, it includes things like online bowling games, webinars, videos and quizzes. In this section, all you have to do is click on the extra credit item that most appeals to you and you ll be virtually transported to that spot. Dean s List The People s Choice Dean s List Awards is our participatory and Freestyle way of encouraging our students to acknowledge their favorite fellow colleagues. Every few months, we ask you to nominate someone who has been especially helpful, supportive, instructive or just plain nice. Then, all you have to do is click on his or her name either in the Yearbook or in the Forum where it says Vote for Me. At the end of the quarter, we tally the votes and reveal the People s Choice Dean s List winner on this page. Graduate Program This elite program is reserved exclusively for our Freestyle Certified agents. The three-level grad program offers sophisticated, advanced classes in Social Networking, Public Relations and Marketing. Each completed level earns the grad student a higher-level status at NCL U with exclusive opportunities. Student Union Just like a university campus, our Student Union is the place to be. Check out all the things you can find: Andy s Blog Andy Stuart, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Passenger Services at Norwegian, just happens to be an avid blogger and loves to hear what NCL U students have to say. Several times a month, he ll blog about the latest, newest goings-on at Norwegian, so our students hear the news first. And, he encourages you to respond with your ideas and experiences. Forum Chat with other NCL U students, ask a question and start your own thread on a subject that interests you. STUDENT UNION continued on next page 4

6 STUDENT UNION continued NCL U Yearbook Search here for other NCL U students (be sure to add your personal Student ID and profile it s all privacy protected). Nominate your choice for the Dean s List or send a personal bulletin to a fellow student. Recruitment Here you can earn points and help your travel agent friends by informing them about all the benefits of NCL University. A/V Lab Have a laugh while earning points as you watch interviews with executives and employees from Norwegian, see behind-the-scenes photos, bloopers and more. Monthly Newsletter This at-a-glance newsletter is filled with the very latest news, updates and tips. We ll send it directly to your personal box and also post the current issue on this page. Library We ve got all our resources archived at your fingertips. Useful Tools Download easy-to-use marketing tools, commission policies, reduced-rates cruises and more. Contests and Promos Find out about our latest big sales, promotions, and travel agent contests and winners right here. Who s Who at NCL This could be one of your most valuable resources. We ve got all our Business Development Managers (BDM) and Business Development Specialists (BDS) listed here with their names and addresses. Plus, you can also read the bios of Norwegian s top executives. PhD@Sea One of the most popular benefits of being an NCL U student is our PhD@Sea program. The more advanced you are, the better your chances are of experiencing Freestyle Cruising first hand on a Norwegian cruise. LIBRARY continued on next page 5

7 LIBRARY continued NCL U Scavenger Hunt This is the perfect way to learn your way around the campus, earn points and have fun while you re at it. Let s Do Lunch We invite all our registered students to join us for lunch aboard our ships during certain times of the year so they can personally find out just how fantastic Freestyle Cruising really is. Rec Room This is the place to get your heart rate up and challenge your fellow students to online bowling, memory games, brainteasers and more. And you ll actually earn points the first time you play. Find your way around Hawai i s four main islands, discover the hidden treasures of Europe and check out Norwegian Epic s world-class entertainment. Test your skill and we ll keep tabs on the top scorers for all to see. 6