Norwegian Cruise Line bows to pressure and cancels 'neo-Nazi' conference booking

The company cancelled a far-right group's booking after a week-long campaign

Rebel Media had booked a conference on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship (AFP/Getty Images)

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has bowed to pressure and cancelled a booking for a “neo-nazi” conference which was set to take place on one of its ships.

Rebel Media, a far-right group based in Canada, had planned to hold a week-long meeting on-board a NCL Caribbean Cruise. The trip was scheduled to leave in November from Miami and would take in Honduras, Belize, and Mexico.

The “Rebel Cruise” was advertised by the organisation as a “great way to meet like-minded Rebels”. Members attending and speaking included Gavin McInnes, who has advocated violence against his political opponents and Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) – the former leader of the English Defence League (EDL).

The event was publicised by campaign group Hope not Hate, who contacted NCL to express their concerns about Rebel Media using its ship last week. The group set up a petition and appealed directly to NCL’s president and CEO Frank J. Del Rio “to remove the platform for someone like Gavin McInnes, who legitimises and normalises the same ideas as those aired in Charlottesville, and who wants to use their services to spread his hateful agenda.”

At the time NCL released a statement to Hope not Hate in response. It read: “As a matter of policy, we do not disclose or discuss the identities of our guests or groups. However, all guests who cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line are required to adhere to the Guest Conduct Policy while on board company vessels, which, among other things, prohibits verbally abusive or offensive language directed towards anyone on-board as well as inappropriate or abusive behaviour.”

However, yesterday the company changed its position, confirming it had cancelled the booking.

NCL’s statement yesterday said: “We recently became aware that one of several affinity groups that booked space on an upcoming sailing was associated with and espoused views that are inconsistent with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' core values.

"The company has therefore exercised its right to cancel this group’s reservation and provide a full refund. As a matter of policy, the company neither discusses nor discloses the identities of our individual guests or groups.”