Reimagining the cruise booking flow
A research-backed approach to redesigning a cruise booking experience — turning 60+ booking decisions into one human-centered, immersive journey.
Client
Norwegian Cruise Line
Year
2023-2024
Category
Travel & Hospitality
Role
UX/UI Designer
Overview
Norwegian Cruise Line partnered with Slalom on Project Supernova — a reimagining of the NCL.com booking experience. The goal: simplify a famously complex booking journey into something immersive and human-centered, supported by visual storytelling and an AI assistant named Nora.
The challenge
Planning a cruise meant working through 60+ decisions — ship, sail date, cabin, dining, excursions — and the experience overwhelmed guests long before they booked.
Not only this, but planning also required cruisers to have Google and multiple other sites open simultaneously to research and compare items such as drink packages and cabin photos.
My role & approach
As a Lead Experience Designer, I worked alongside product owners, developers, researchers, and other designers in an iterative, research-led process. I also helped the team scale by onboarding junior designers and tightening our design workflow.
01
Strong partnership with research and engineering
Design worked closely with a researcher to test elements before finalizing design decisions, which was a new way of working for NCL.
02
Keeping users at the forefront
We restructured the traditional linear booking flow into a more flexible, immersive experience that allowed more exploration and excitement.
03
Growing design maturity at the company
Onboarded junior designers and improved team processes, increasing efficiency and consistency across the work.
What changed
From overwhelming to immersive
With the Nora and the new “Vacation Builder” flow, guests are able to more easily browse itineraries, dates, ship amenities, and excursion options to customize their dream vacation.
Nora, an AI chat assistant
Answers questions and recommends ships, sailings, and add-ons so guests aren't starting from a blank page.
Visual, story-led planning
Immersive visuals, gifs, and storytelling carries the excitement of the trip through the whole booking flow.
A guided, yet flexible booking flow
The persistent “cart” feature stays with customers, allowing them to step back and forward when it feels right for them.
Final designs
What shipped
A reimagined NCL.com booking flow
A simpler, story-led journey supported by the Nora AI chat assistant
Stronger team processes and a mentored, more consistent design practice
Impact
Metrics Show Improved Sales
Transformed how guests plan, book, and experience cruising.
51%
improvement in booking start rate (funnel entrance)
51%
improvement in bounce rate
33%
increase in direct payment bookings
22%
increase in average order value
20%
faster page load speed than legacy
UX Design Award
The project was nominated for an international UX design award in Fall 2025.