Case Study: Norwegian Cruise Lines boosts customer satisfaction and increases employee retention 20% with Pearson English

Norwegian Cruise Lines - Customer Case Study

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) needed to ensure strong English-speaking skills across its large, global frontline workforce because unclear communication was driving customer complaints. Recruiting is high-volume—about 300 interviews a week and dozens of job fairs—so recruiters needed a fast, reliable way to assess spoken English without slowing hiring for new ships and existing operations.

NCL adopted the Versant English Test, a 10–15 minute phone-based assessment with automated scoring that allowed consistent, objective screening across locations. Used on more than 1,300 applicants, the test helped hire staff with the right language skills, increased employee retention by 20%, and eliminated guest complaints about staff English within a year.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

Miriam Torres

Director of Recruiting