ncl prima reviews cruise critic

Best and Worst of Norwegian Prima: Is This New Ship Right For You?

Richard Simms

November 9, 2022

Having spent a little bit of time exploring Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, we’ve come back with a lot of thoughts. Here, we’re going to tell you what we loved, what we liked, and what we weren’t thrilled with.

Ready for a Norwegian Prima review, featuring the best and worst of the ship? Then read on as we try and help you decide whether Prima is right for you.

Familiar, Yet Different

From the moment Norwegian Cruise Line started discussing Prima , we were told that this ship would be different from anything they had done in the past.

Obviously, there would be some carryovers from past ships, especially when it came to things that worked well. But even in those cases, the familiar venues would get a new look in keeping with Prima ‘s more upscale feel.

Take, for example, Le Bistro. The for-fee French restaurant has been a staple on many NCL ships, and you’ll find one on Prima , too.

But whereas the previous incarnations tend toward an old-world romantic vibe, with dark woods and deep reds, the version you’ll find on Prima is almost blindingly bright, thanks in part to three gorgeous floor-to-ceiling chandeliers. It’s a truly stunning space.

Things We Loved

You can read about our four days aboard Norwegian’s newest ship with our trip report, Day 1 that can be found here . (Please note that while we were guests of Norwegian during the sailing, they in no way, shape, or form influenced our take on the ship.)

Now, we’re big believers that every vessel is different, and not everyone is looking for the same thing in a cruise. That makes us tough for us to say, “Yes, this ship is definitely right (or wrong) for you.”

However, we’re about to share our thoughts on the things we really liked about the ship, the things we didn’t, and some other random bits of info which might help you get a feel for Prima .

Because we were raised well, let’s start with the things we really, really loved. Ready?

Indulge Food Hall

What can we say? We’re the kind of people who think about food when we think about cruising! And Indulge Food Hall is, in a word, brilliant. Numerous restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisine, all of which can be ordered from a tablet and then delivered to your table.

Want something from three different venues? No problem! The one downside: The space can get crowded during peak meal times, leaving folks wandering around with dazed, hungry looks in their eyes, ready to pounce as soon as a table opens.

MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Indulge Food Hall on Norwegian Prima

Ocean Boulevard

It’s sort of weird that cruise ships have really only started focusing on their outdoor spaces and promenades in the past few years. After all, cruisers love little more than being out in the fresh air, looking at the ocean they so love.

Yet until recently, most promenades were designed largely for walking, with a few seating areas scattered about. Thankfully, that’s no longer true, and Ocean Boulevard is a great example of what a ship’s promenade can be.

Outdoor bars, dining, infinity pools (which, if we’re being honest, are really more like hot tubs than actual pools) and even a very cool sculpture garden. But never fear, if you simply want to sit, the La Terrazza area offers lots of comfy areas in which to do that, some of which are perfect for group hangs.

Mandara Spa

If you’re even thinking about getting a spa pass, go ahead and book it right now. Why? Because while we’ve long been fans of Norwegian’s thermal spa, they’ve never had one that comes even close to what you’ll find on Prima .

There’s a salon featuring ridiculously comfy oversized chairs, experiential saunas (including a salt room), and hot stone loungers located just past several plunge pools and beside a relaxing two-story wall of water.

Given that we’ve talked repeatedly about this ship feeling a bit more lux than past NCL vessels, it should come as no surprise that The Haven area is above and beyond previous offerings in the category. Spanning three stories, it’s the biggest in the fleet.

But is bigger better? Definitely. The restaurant features a large outdoor space, and there’s both an expanded indoor bar as well as a smaller outdoor drinking venue.

Like pretty much everywhere else on Prima , there are also tons of different seating areas, with everything from poolside padded loungers to swanky areas to enjoy a romantic evening cocktail.

The New Bars

We’re big believers that while you can walk into any bar on a ship and have a lovely time, it’s an awful lot of fun to have a wide variety of places, each with a distinct feel and menu. Two of the bars on Prima really stood out for us, one because of the location and the other thanks to its menu.

The Soleil Bar, perched on the very back of deck 8, offers an absolutely perfect view of the wake. Plus, you can always grab a cocktail here and, after sitting for a bit, begin your journey around the Ocean Boulevard promenade. And when you’ve gone full circle? Well, grab another drink, of course!

The other is the Metropolitan Bar, where the menu features “sustainable” cocktails. Basically, this means some of the ingredients in the drinks found on the menu here are repurposed. The peels from the bananas used to make a dessert being served in the main dining room are turned into a syrup used to make the drinks here.

Our personal favorite? The watermelon twist, featuring tequila, lime juice, a jalapeño-infused liquor, and a syrup made from watermelon rinds.

To be fair, not everyone loves the decor of this space, with some finding it a bit austere. But in the evening, with dim lighting, a musician playing, and Clarence “The Chocolate Cowboy” Bennett slinging drinks, you can’t go wrong.

The Stadium

Found on Deck 18, this top-of-the-ship area is a great place for adults and kids to burn off some energy. There’s a pickleball court, foosball tables, even beer pong. This area is also where you’ll find The Drop, The Rush, and The Wave.

While the Wave is a ginormous water slide which sends tube-riding guests up a huge wall for a quick thrill, the other slides are dry.

As its name implies, The Drop finds you stepping into what looks suspiciously like an unzipped body bag before being sealed in a tube, the bottom of which drops out sending you plunging 10 stories down. (As someone who’s not great with heights, I can attest that this one isn’t as bad as it sounds and is actually kinda awesome.)

The Rush are dueling dry slides, meaning you and a friend can race to the bottom. All of the above mentioned attractions are free. (We’ll talk about for-fee attractions in a moment… )

Things We Weren’t Thrilled With

The new menus.

As you’ve probably heard by now, Norwegian is using Prima to introduce their new main dining room menus, which will be rolled out across the fleet in the months to come. Unlike in the past, when each night offered a rotation of selections, the new menus remain the same during the entire voyage.

It seems pretty obvious that the menus are intended to drive more people into the for-fee restaurants. The menu is fine, but it’s hard to imagine not getting bored if one were looking to eat in the dining room every night for a week or more.

The Prima Speedway

Given the upscale nature of the ship, this just does not feel like a good fit. The three-level track eats up a fair amount of top-deck space, especially for an attraction that most guests are likely to use once.

We also didn’t love that sections of the track are directly above Vibe Beach Club, where guests pay a pretty penny to enjoy a more relaxed, peaceful area.

Kid’s Aqua Park

The folks responsible for designing this area have clearly never been kids. A perfect example of form over function, this looks and feels more like an art installation than a fun area in which kids can play.

Don’t get us wrong… this is probably one of the funnest, most creative miniature golf courses you’re going to find at sea. Which is a shame that it’s also the first we’ve ever seen that charges $10 a head, meaning it’ll cost a family of four $40 to play 9 holes.

Bull’s Eye, the interactive darts area located in the same area, is also a for-fee gaming area. But at $40 for up to six guests to hang out in the miniature living rooms and play darts, it’s at least somewhat more reasonably priced.

Prima has taken many of the things that Norwegian Cruise Line does well and spun them in new directions. Based on early reviews, it seems the risk has paid off. Hopefully, we’ve provided information that will help you decide whether or not the ship is right for you and your travel party!

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Norwegian Cruise Line Review: The Prima

Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.

To celebrate a milestone birthday for me and an anniversary for my parents, the three of us took a cruise on Norwegian Prima, the first in what Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) says will be a “new class of ships designed to elevate every expectation.”

I had cruised NCL three times before and was a silver member of the Latitudes rewards program when I booked.

After 12 nights on the Prima going from London to Barcelona via several stops in France, Portugal and Spain, we discovered there was a lot to like about the ship, but there were also several quirks.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Norwegian Cruise Line

Booking the trip

My family chose this ship and cruise line because of a great itinerary. There were a variety of port stops as well as a day at sea for some relaxing and recharging. As it turns out, one of the port stops we were looking forward to was changed. A few weeks before the cruise, NCL replaced a stop in Porto, Portugal, with one in Vigo, Spain.

Booking can be a bit of a game since cruise lines always seem to have sales and offers they say are for a limited time. On NCL’s site, there’s often a countdown clock showing how long a particular offer will last.

It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy, but it’s important to make sure the deal works for you.

On our booking, we had NCL’s Free at Sea offer, which includes perks such as a “free unlimited open bar” and specialty dining. Here’s the catch: The free open bar isn’t exactly free, and neither is the specialty dining. You have to pay 20% gratuity on what NCL says is the value of the package.

So, for example, an upcoming cruise on the Prima — a seven-day trip from Galveston, Texas, to the Caribbean in February — is about $2,400 per balcony cabin (with two people). Then you add on gratuities for the open bar at $305 and specialty dining of about $40. You’re paying $345 in gratuities for the “free” stuff.

So, if you’re not much of a drinker, you might want to consider declining the free open bar and just ordering and paying for drinks as you want them. That drops that charge for gratuities off your total cruise cost.

I chose to upgrade my package to NCL’s Free at Sea Plus because I needed unlimited Wi-Fi and wanted to have water and Starbucks drinks included as part of my drink package. Those are part of the upgraded package but not part of the basic one. With the upgrade, I also ended up with two more meals in specialty dining restaurants.

After looking at the non-suite cabin types, which include inside cabins, outside cabins with just a window, and balcony cabins, we booked two balcony cabins on deck 12 midship. I need fresh air, and I love the sounds the ocean makes when we’re at sea.

Keep checking on the rates until you make your final payment. If they drop, you can sometimes take advantage of a better deal by modifying the booking.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Online check-in

After booking, it’s time to start planning. Through the NCL website, you can look at and book shore excursions and some specialty dining reservations and entertainment reservations.

Exactly 21 days before sailing, you can check in and will likely receive an email telling you to do so.

To check in online, you’ll need your passport and a credit card to put on file for anything you purchase on board. You’ll also need a photo of your face to upload for security purposes. I had some issues doing this because the photo I tried to use did not meet the parameters, but if the upload doesn’t work, an employee can take a photo at the pier.

During check-in, be ready to pick a time when you want to arrive at the port to get on board. Time slots began as early as about 9:30 a.m. and continued for a few hours.

About a day after filling everything out, you can go in and download the eDocs, which serve as your boarding pass. You’ll need either a printed or mobile copy to show at the embarkation point.

One more thing about check-in: Each piece of luggage you want the porters at the pier to deliver on board to your stateroom needs a luggage tag. If you want personal tags that are pre-populated with your name and stateroom number, you must print them at home.

The button to print them wasn’t obvious, so I had to look for it a bit.

Embarkation

Boarding area/Southampton. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Our cruise was leaving from Southampton, England, a short ride from London, where we had spent a few days. I always arrive at least one or two days before a cruise leaves to give myself some cushion in case a flight is delayed or there is another travel issue.

When I was checking in, I chose a 12:30 p.m. embarkation time because I didn’t feel the need to arrive super early, and cabins usually aren’t ready until at least 1 p.m. anyway. I hate dragging my hand luggage around a busy ship with me.

When we arrived, there wasn’t much of a line, and what was there moved quickly. We handed off our checked luggage to the porters, who put it in a giant pile to eventually go on the ship.

I always take a photo of my bag before I leave it behind so I know what it looks like and how to describe it in case it gets lost.

After a security check and a brief health questionnaire, we were on board and heading to lunch with our carry-on luggage in tow.

» Learn more: How much luggage can you take on a cruise?

The Prima’s atrium. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Norwegian Prima was built in 2022 and has a capacity of 3,099 guests at double occupancy and 1,506 crew members.

The Prima docked in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Prima looks a bit different than other NCL ships I had been on in that it is more understated elegance than in-your-face opulence. There were many decorative touches I wouldn’t mind having in my house.

There are two main sets of elevators on the ship, one midship and another forward. A third set is available only to guests who are staying in The Haven , an exclusive area with a private concierge, butler, restaurant, bar, lounge, pool and other perks.

The Haven private area. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

You can look at the triangles on the carpet on the decks with cabins to know which way is forward and which is aft. The triangles face forward.

The triangles on the carpet face forward. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

NCL loyalists know the carpets on other ships have fish, which are always swimming forward. On the Prima, triangles replace the fish to help orient passengers.

Deck 8 with a small pool and seating areas. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Another big difference on this ship versus others with NCL is the pool deck. It’s near the back of the ship on deck 17, and it’s small compared to other ships, where the pool area takes up the majority of a deck.

Splash park. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There is an aqua park for kids, a waterslide and a few hot tubs and smaller pools and lounging areas on other decks, but no one large gathering place for water and sun fun.

Infinity pool. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Balcony cabin. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

I had a balcony cabin on deck 12 fairly close to the midship elevators. It was somewhere between 231 and 358 square feet with a balcony between 45 and 69 square feet.

The cabin seemed very spacious because the bed was by the balcony, which left a big open space in the cabin. While this was nice, anyone sleeping next to the balcony would have a difficult time getting out of bed without hitting the sliding glass door or the bed.

Hooks on the wall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There was a ton of storage both in the cabin and in the bathroom and hooks to hang things on.

One problem for me was that the safe was not big enough for my laptop. On a new ship, this surprised me. I also didn’t like the fact the bed didn’t have a bed skirt and I was always looking at my empty luggage I stored under the bed.

One plus, though, is there were several plugs and USB connections throughout the cabin, including in the bedside lamp so I could plug my phone in near my bed.

Lamp with USB charging ports. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

One problem my parents noticed, though, is there was only one electrical plug near the bed, which could be a problem for people with sleeping machines or anyone else vying for power.

Bathroom. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The bathroom had a lot of space and a walk-in shower.

Balcony. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The balcony had two comfortable chairs and a small table.

Cabin service is once a day, which means no turndown service or towel animals, but you can call the cabin steward if you need anything. Each evening, the steward delivers the Freestyle Daily, which is a printed copy of the next day’s activities and offers.

An electronic panel near the door allows you to turn on a light outside the door telling the steward to make up the room or “Do not disturb.” The same panel controls the temperature. It was nice to have an AC system that actually responded. When I turned the AC down, it actually got cooler in the cabin.

Food and drinks

Norwegian touts its Freestyle Dining as a way to have freedom and flexibility about where and when you eat. There are no set dining times, and while that sounds great, you can’t just walk up and go wherever you want.

I don’t love the idea of having to think ahead about where and when I want to eat when I am on vacation, but I made a reservation for each night so I had somewhere to go.

You can make reservations for specialty dining venues and the main dining rooms before embarkation and while on board at either a dining desk or on the TV system in the room. The TV system allows you to make a reservation, but not cancel one, so I had to wait in the dining desk line anyway.

Only a small percentage of specialty dining reservations are available before getting on board so it seemed like everything was booked. It wasn’t. Once passengers are on board, the remaining reservations open up.

With a reservation, the dining venue holds your space for 15 minutes and then gives up your table, which we learned the hard way one night when we arrived late. Our table was gone, forcing us to wait about 45 minutes for another one.

The Prima has a combination of complimentary and specialty dining, and I did both.

The two main dining rooms, Hudson’s and The Commodore Room, are the free options. They had the same menu, which changed nightly, and the food was good. The menu was a combination of starters, mains and desserts, and you could order whatever you wanted.

They were open at different times, with one also serving breakfast and lunch in addition to dinner.

The breakfast menu at The Local. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Local Bar & Grill was open almost all day and had pub-like food. We went there often for breakfast and lunch.

Outside the Indulge Food Hall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

My favorite was Indulge Food Hall with its take on a food truck rally.

Food stations in Indulge. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There were several stations, some even looking like food trucks.

Tablet ordering system (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Ordering was done on a tablet that had photos of all the items, and a server delivered the food to your table.

The variety was great since there were several stations like Indian, BBQ, Mexican, Asian, Spanish tapas and more. The dates wrapped in bacon with blue cheese and the guacamole were my favorites.

Then there was the buffet, the Surfside Cafe & Grill, which was tremendously undersized, always incredibly busy and without enough seating options. While the food was good, the traffic flow was not, and once you had your food in hand, finding a place to eat it was not easy. For breakfast one morning, I balanced my plate on the waitstaff’s cleaning area and ate there.

Now, for the specialty dining options, the Prima has eight where the food and presentation are elevated.

For this 12-night cruise, the Free at Sea package included three meals at specialty dining venues. Additional meals were available as an upgrade — $99 for two more, $139 for three more, and $30 more for each additional meal you wanted after that. The upgrades are per person, so you cannot buy a two-meal package and share it with another person, giving each of you one additional meal.

At most of the venues, the package included a starter, a soup or salad, a main dish and a dessert. If you choose to dine at a specialty restaurant without a package, the pricing is à la carte, with entrees about $40 and appetizers about $20. So if you know you want to dine at many specialty restaurants, the package upgrades are a good deal.

Outside a specialty restaurant. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

I ate at Cagney's Steakhouse, Hasuki for teppanyaki, Le Bistro for French cuisine and Palomar for seafood. The food at all of the specialty restaurants was wonderful, and I was definitely stuffed afterward.

Room service is available 24 hours a day but has an extra cost.

Bar. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Prima has several bars and lounges scattered throughout the ship. Each had a slightly different feel, from The Local Bar & Grill with its huge TVs, beers on tap and bar food to the aft-facing outdoor Soleil Bar and Indulge Outdoor Lounge with comfy chairs, hammocks and cabanas.

The Starbucks on deck 7 in the main atrium. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There are even two Starbucks locations that serve up all of the favorites you can find on land.

The Starbucks inside Indulge Food Hall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Starbucks was part of my upgraded drinks package, so I ordered a lot of the things I had been wanting to try but hadn’t wanted to spend the money on in case I didn’t like them.

Entertainment

You may be used to lots of entertainment in the form of singing and dancing on cruise ships, but the Prima doesn’t have a lot of it. If you like game shows and smaller venues for comedy and music, as well as thrills like go-karts, slides and escape rooms, this ship is for you.

“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” was the only musical production show on the ship and was offered on two nights of the cruise. It was in the main theater, a venue that transformed into a dance club and other things throughout the cruise. Reservations were required, and people started lining up about a half-hour before the show began, since the theater is relatively small for the size of the ship.

A house band often performed in the main atrium area, but there wasn’t much room for large groups to gather and enjoy it. There was also a DJ who rotated between a few locations.

“The Price is Right” in the Prima Theater. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The theater also had game shows like “Deal or No Deal” and “The Price is Right,” which had high production value and audience participation.

The exterior of Syd Norman’s. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Smaller venues like Syd Norman’s Pour House were often packed and rocking.

The upper decks had lots of mostly daytime entertainment options, especially deck 18.

Taking up part of decks 18, 19 and 20 was the Prima Speedway, a racetrack where, for $15, you can zoom around and race others. Sometimes, you could hear the sound of the cars from other decks.

The slides. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Deck 18 also has high-tech mini-golf and darts, as well as the starting points for the two slides, The Drop and The Rush.

Because this cruise was so port-intensive, I didn’t take part in any of the entertainment because all I wanted to do after a day of touring was eat dinner and go to sleep. My parents went to see “The Donna Summer Musical” and “The Price is Right” and thought both were entertaining.

Spa and gym

The entrance of the spa. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

A highlight of the Prima is the Mandara Spa & Salon. It’s huge and beautiful.

Therapy pools with a two-story waterfall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

To access most of what it offers, including the saunas, pools, salt room, steam rooms and heated loungers in relaxation rooms, you need to buy a pass either for a day or a full voyage.

Salt room. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The number of available passes varies based on the length of the cruise. For this cruise, the pass cost $399 for the full voyage or $99 for a day.

Relaxation room. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Having a spa treatment like a massage does not allow you access to the thermal suite. I had a nice treatment that included a body brush and massage.

If you’re not picky about the treatment you want or when you want it, keep an eye on the Freestyle Daily. During my cruise, the price of specially curated 75-minute treatments went from about $199 down to $139 toward the end of the cruise.

Cardio equipment. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Pulse Fitness Center is also large with lots of weights and machines, as well as cardio equipment that faces the bow, giving exercisers a great view while working out. Access is free. Let’s just say I went in only to take a few photos.

The Norwegian app is available to download on mobile devices and is the place to keep track of things like dining times, activities and expenses. To use it on board, you don't have to pay for Wi-Fi, but you do have to be on the ship’s Wi-Fi network.

The Free at Sea package included 300 minutes of Wi-Fi for this entire 12-night cruise, meaning I had to remember to log off to keep from using minutes. My father quickly learned logging off was not the same as just turning off the Wi-Fi on his device after a bunch of his allotted minutes went away fairly quickly when he wasn’t doing anything.

As part of my upgraded Free at Sea Plus package, I had unlimited Wi-Fi, which wasn’t exactly speedy but allowed me to do what I needed, like check and send emails, upload photos and look at social media.

Off the ship

For me, European or other destination cruises are different from Caribbean cruises in that I spend most of my time off the ship. The ship is basically for eating and sleeping.

The ship had a small shore excursion desk where the staff mostly sold ship-sponsored excursions and offered limited information about the ports themselves.

On this trip, I did one ship-sponsored shore excursion to Normandy and the D-Day beaches, which was on the first day. My Latitudes status gave me a 10% discount on the tour itself, and the Free at Sea perk gave me $50 in onboard credit after completing the excursion.

My shore excursion ticket was in my room when I first got into my cabin, and it told me when to meet in the theater. At the specified time, someone called the number of the tour, and I went to the front of the theater to get a sticker with a group number on it and got off the ship.

Soon I was on my way for a daylong tour on a large and full bus. I returned to the ship in plenty of time to shower and get ready for dinner.

For two tours in Granada and Seville, Spain, I joined a small group using a private tour company. I liked the smaller tours and saved some money because they were a bit cheaper than the ship’s tours.

My slight disappointment came in the ports where I had nothing planned. The shore excursion desk didn’t have much information about the ports themselves or what was available.

In Ibiza, I decided to take the $20 ship-sponsored shuttle bus into the center of town. But instead of a drop-off in the city center, the bus stopped in the middle of a road about a 15-minute walk from anything.

In Valencia, several passengers were looking for the hop-on-hop-off bus stop, but nobody could help us find it. Overall, I would have liked a bit more information about the ports from the shore excursion desk.

In all ports, the disembarkation process was smooth and simple. I just had to tap my ship’s card to sign out, and when I returned, I had to go through security like in an airport and tap my card again.

Disembarkation

A couple of days before the cruise ended, I had to choose a disembarkation time and collect appropriate luggage tags from the guest services area.

The earliest time was for people who wanted to take all of their luggage off the ship themselves.

The other times were based on flight time and whether people had a ship-sponsored tour of the city.

I selected 8:45 a.m. because I was staying in Barcelona for a few days and had nowhere to be and no time I had to be there.

Each time had a corresponding color-coded luggage tag. I put the purple tag on my suitcase and left the bag outside my cabin door for the stewards to gather and take off the ship. Again, take a photo of your bag sitting in front of your cabin in case it goes missing.

The Prima was scheduled to dock in Barcelona at 5 a.m., and disembarkation was set to begin as soon as local authorities cleared the ship.

Announcements began at about 5:45 a.m. and continued about every 15 minutes after that.

After a breakfast in the crazy-crowded buffet and one final check of the cabin (which I evidently didn’t do well enough because I left a pair of my good compression socks in one of the drawers), I dragged my carry-on luggage through the hallways and off the ship.

Large crowd in the disembarkation area in Barcelona. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Claiming our checked bags was a disaster. The 8:45 a.m. time slot was last call, so everyone who was still on the ship had to get off. This led to hundreds of people filing down escalators and into a small area where luggage was coming by on a moving belt one suitcase at a time.

This seemed to be more of a port facility issue and not something the ship’s staff could have done anything about except to maybe hold people on the ship for a bit instead of having them disembark into an already crowded area.

Lots of people in a small space got really hot and disorganized, but soon my parents and I had our luggage and were out the door and into a taxi.

People were already lined up to board the Prima for the next cruise. They were ready to get their vacation started.

Overall observations

Ocean Boulevard on deck 8. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Overall, I had a great time on the Norwegian Prima. It had tons of outdoor spaces, but not many large spaces for people to gather. I thought the decor was beautiful and slightly upscale.

The crew was amazing, and after just a few days, the ladies at Starbucks were calling me by my first name when I approached the counter. Most crew members usually had a smile on their face and were willing to help.

I enjoyed too much good food in the free and specialty restaurants and did not spend nearly enough time in the gym or spa.

I didn’t miss the lack of entertainment options because I was spending most of my time either in port, eating or sleeping.

Speaking of sleeping, the beds were amazingly comfortable and the cabin was nicely furnished with plenty of room and storage.

The best part was spending time with my parents and making memories. Cruising is a great way to do that because there are a variety of activities and options available, and everyone does not need to be together all the time.

I’d definitely sail again on the Prima and her almost identical twin, Viva , which debuted in 2023.

(Top photo courtesy of Tiffani Sherman)

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I've been on nearly every Norwegian Cruise Line ship afloat; here are my 1st impressions of the new Norwegian Prima

It really is elevated. And elegant. So much so that I'm sort of in shock.

Norwegian Cruise Line has been promising to take things up a notch with its new ship, Norwegian Prima — to "elevate" the experience as compared to earlier Norwegian vessels, as its executives have been saying . But in typical journalist fashion, I've been skeptical.

After five days on board Norwegian Prima in advance of its first sailing with paying passengers, I am skeptical no more.

The 3,100-passenger ship is loaded with stylish, upscale bars and restaurants. Its cabins are sleek and modern. Its suite complex is next-level.

It has an array of onboard entertainment and amusements that is as impressive as ever, too.

In short, it's like nothing you've seen before in the Norwegian fleet . And I say this as someone who has sailed on every one of the 18 ships operated by Norwegian except two (Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Spirit).

That isn't to say Norwegian Prima is perfect. There are a few things about its design that leave me scratching my head — things that maybe the line can change before it moves ahead with the rollout of five sister ships that already are on order.

But mostly they are quibbles. The bottom line is that Norwegian Prima takes Norwegian cruising to new heights. If you're a fan of the line, this is the new ship you can't wait to book.

Here are my first impressions of Norwegian Prima after getting a sneak peek at it this week in advance of its first official sailing on Saturday.

Norwegian Prima has an elegant look

From the moment you step on board Norwegian Prima, you notice the difference from past Norwegian ships. It's an elegant vessel of the sort you find in the fleets of Norwegian's higher-end sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — albeit on a bigger scale.

The entryway to the ship deposits you at the three-story-high Penrose Atrium, which may be the most beautiful atrium of any big ship at sea. It has a curvy, sculptural feel, as if the entire space were an art piece.

Studio Dado, the design firm behind the Penrose Atrium, studied great piazzas around the world, such as St. Mark's Square in Venice, to come up with its layout and look. The design includes offset entrances from other parts of the ship on each level that — like the narrow streets of Venice opening up into that grand gathering spot — give you the sense of stumbling onto something wonderful when you arrive.

The elegant feel of the Penrose Atrium carries over to the many restaurants, bars and entertainment venues that spread out from its three levels (decks 6, 7 and 8). You'll find the equally sculptural Onda by Scarpetta, a high-end Italian eatery, right off its top level, and a string of stylish restaurants with new-for-Norwegian themes not far from its midlevel.

The eateries include Nama, a new sushi restaurant for Norwegian with a high design that is as sophisticated as the sushi it serves.

Also created by Studio Dado, Nama boasts a cream-and-orange color palette and suspended light fixtures subtly inspired by masago (fish eggs) and a reception desk that hints at the marbling pattern found on fish. Among the small touches in the seating area are raised, Japanese-style platforms where diners can tuck their shoes underneath before being seated on floor cushions.

Among other nearby outlets with elevated design is Cagney's Steakhouse. The venue pays homage to 20th-century architecture icon Frank Lloyd Wright with patterned concrete walls and other bold modern architectural elements.

Also striking is Norwegian Prima's version of Le Bistro, Norwegian's signature French eatery. It's built around three massive crystal chandeliers costing nearly $100,000 that hang down all the way to the floor — a showstopper of a design element. Gold-leaf wallpaper lines its booth seating. The overall feel is upscale Parisian apartment.

Notably, the public areas that include these restaurants feel more spacious than many of the other 17 ships in the Norwegian fleet. And, indeed they are. Norwegian Prima was built with a higher ratio of space to passengers, which itself is an upscale touch.

The ship has a higher crew-to-passenger ratio than many Norwegian ships, as well.

Both measures are often used as shorthand for the luxury level and service level of a ship.

This more upscale feel is a sharp turn for Norwegian — but perhaps it should come as no surprise. Norwegian Prima is the first Norwegian vessel designed from the keel up since cruise industry veteran Frank Del Rio became CEO of parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Del Rio, who built the upscale Oceania brand from nothing into a major player in the industry in the 2000s, is particularly known for his high-end leanings when designing ships.

This big ship feels intimate

The public areas of Norwegian Prima may feel spacious. But the ship itself isn't ridiculously giant in the way that many recent megaships from big-ship lines have been — and it doesn't carry the same sort of massive number of passengers.

Going against the always-go-bigger trend of recent cruise ship building, Norwegian has made Norwegian Prima about 14% smaller than its last new ship, Norwegian Encore.

Related: The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line

It's designed to carry just 3,100 passengers at double occupancy. That's 22% fewer people than Norwegian Encore.

The result is that you don't feel like you're sailing with the tourist hordes quite as much as you do on some of the other recent big ships to debut.

This is all relative, of course. Three thousand people on a ship is still a lot of people. But consider that rival Royal Caribbean 's newest vessel, Wonder of the Seas , is designed to sail with 5,734 passengers at double occupancy. It can hold 6,988 passengers with every pull-out sofa and pull-down bunk filled. Wonder of the Seas measures 235,600 tons — 62% larger than Norwegian Prima.

By that measure, Norwegian Prima is downright small and uncrowded for a big ship with a lot to offer (see more on that below).

If you love big ships with a lot going on, but you're squeamish about the idea of sharing it with 6,000 or 7,000 people, Norwegian Prima could be the perfect ship for you.

Prima is packed with activities

Perhaps the greatest design triumph of Norwegian Prima isn't the elevated style of its public spaces. It's that the ship's designers were able to pack so much on the vessel.

Despite its smaller footprint, Norwegian Prima has more food outlets, not fewer, than the last few Norwegian ships. It also has just as robust an array of onboard entertainment, including a real Broadway show (the Tony Award-nominated "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical") in a stunner of a theater that converts late at night into a dance club. In what is a technological marvel to watch, the entire lower deck of seating in the theater slides away to create a giant dance floor.

Norwegian Prima's top deck also still is loaded with family fun zones, including the largest go-kart track at sea (yes, this is a thing, ever since Norwegian began adding them to ships in 2017).

Despite being 14% smaller than Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Prima has a go-kart track that is 22% larger than the one on that ship. It spreads over parts of three decks — one more than on earlier ships.

Related: Why I loved Norwegian Prima's ridiculously big go-kart track

In addition, the top of Norwegian Prima has a new-for-the-line open-air games zone called The Stadium with a pickleball court, foosball tables, pingpong, bar-style hand shuffleboard tables and other amusements.

There's also a new electronic darts venue called The Bull's Eye where you rent a space to play with your friend, a souped-up miniature golf course, a bowl-style waterslide, a kiddie splash zone and two giant dry-slide drop attractions where you plunge from the top of the ship to the promenade deck below.

In other words, while the interior of the ship has taken an elegant turn, for sure, this isn't a vessel that's just for couples on an upscale getaway. It's still very much a family-focused ship, as Norwegian ships have long been.

My only quibble with all the aforementioned deck-top attractions is that it may be too much. Norwegian has packed so much onto the top of Norwegian Prima that, given its smaller size, I suspect it'll feel a little cramped once the vessel starts sailing with a full complement of passengers. This is in contrast to the spaciousness of the public areas in the interior of the ship.

One factor contributing to what was a "Woah, there's maybe way too much jammed up here" feeling upon first seeing the top deck of Norwegian Prima is that, as has increasingly been the case with Norwegian ships in recent years, large chunks of it are closed off to regular passengers. A not-insignificant part of the top of the vessel is devoted to outdoor lounge areas that are exclusively for use by passengers staying in the ship's Haven suite area. Another portion of the top deck is devoted to the private Vibe Beach Club lounge area. The latter area only is accessible to passengers who pay extra.

Related: How to get the most from Norwegian's Latitudes Rewards loyalty program

One noticeable issue created by the large number of things put up top on the ship is that it's confusing to get around while up there. The deck-top space is broken up into too many sections, without a lot of ways to walk between them. To get from the main pool to the entryway to the go-kart track, for instance, you have to walk through the top-of-the-ship Surfside Cafe buffet. There is no side way around the buffet to reach it.

This, in turn, requires you to run the gauntlet of Norwegian staff at the buffet entrance wanting you to wash your hands every time you want to move between the pool area and the go-kart area. They think you're there for dining.

Unfortunately, I suspect this will create some traffic jams in the buffet once the ship is fully up and running.

The suite complex is the best of any big ship

Speaking of the Haven suite area on Norwegian Prima, there's really nothing like it.

Norwegian has been at the forefront of the trend of big-ship operators putting exclusive "ship within a ship" suite complexes on their vessels, and the line has taken the concept to the next level with Norwegian Prima.

Instead of just covering a couple of decks at the front of the ship, the Haven on Norwegian Prima — designed by the celebrated Italian design firm Lissoni — now fills eight floors of the back end of the ship. The added floors mean it has more suites (107), as well as more expansive interior public lounge, bar and restaurant areas than previous Haven complexes. The new location also allows for a more elaborate and comfortable outdoor lounge and pool area.

This is another part of the "elevation" of Norwegian Prima. For a greater percentage of passengers on this ship than any other big-ship vessel at sea, Norwegian Prima can offer a truly upscale experience in a private, hidden-away complex.

For cruisers who want the sort of luxury experience that normally only is found on small luxury ships but also access to all the amenities that big ships have to offer, this is now the premier offering at sea.

The outdoor lounge area at the Haven includes a stunning infinity pool that appears to flow right off the back of the vessel. Its lounge chairs are plush and upscale. It offers private cabanas.

Inside the complex, there's a private restaurant so you never have to eat in the same room with non-Haven passengers.

I didn't get to spend the night in the Haven this week or experience its amenities firsthand, so I don't know if its bigger size results in any service issues. Will there be more queues for the Haven's private concierge desk than on other Norwegian ships with smaller Haven complexes, for instance? But with roughly 214 guests staying in the complex at any given time, assuming two passengers per suite, it's still an intimate venue.

If you think of it as a luxury ship plopped down on top of a big mass-market ship, it's still smaller and more intimate than most. For comparison, Seabourn Venture, the new ship that just debuted from luxury line Seabourn, is built for 264 passengers.

An unusual new bar promotes 'zero waste'

The Metropolitan bar is billed as the first sustainable bar at sea, and it offers a fabulously odd mix of handmade drinks that incorporate leftover food items on the ship, such as day-old croissants and banana peels.

I tried three of these cutting-edge cocktails during my strange night out at Norwegian Prima's new Metropolitan Bar , and I can attest the drinks taste better than you might first imagine.

Cabins are sleek and modern

It's not just the public areas of Norwegian Prima that are more stylish — its cabins are, too.

Also designed by Studio Dado, they have a clean-lined, minimalist look of the sort you find at sophisticated contemporary hotels on land. The colors are muted with warm light browns and creams punctured with cool blue accents — a sharp departure from the bold color palettes found on many earlier Norwegian cruise ships. Furniture features luxurious stone and light-wood finishes, and texture plays a big role.

In standard balcony cabins, the wall behind the bed is lined with a striking art piece featuring nature and butterflies — a focal point.

Standard balcony cabins also have spacious and modern bathrooms. You won't feel cramped in them the way you do in entry-level rooms on some big ships. I was impressed.

But as lovely as they are, the basic rooms on Norwegian Prima do draw one quibble from me: their lack of adequate storage space.

In their effort to make the rooms as minimalist and spacious feeling as possible, the designers seem to have overlooked the real need for lots of hanging space and drawers in cabins on a ship that will likely be operating seven-day sailings for much of its life.

In my basic balcony cabin, there was just a relatively small area of built-in closet space. It's enough for me this week, as I'm traveling solo. But it would be tight if my wife were here with me, and we both had suitcases full of clothes for a week.

The ship has an innovative food hall

Indulge Food Hall is one of the only food halls at sea, and it's fabulous — if a little tight, spacewise. (In a perfect world, Norwegian would make it even bigger on the next ships in this series). It offers a wide range of quick-serve food venues offering everything from Mexican to Indian cuisine.

You can mix and match what you want from any of the venues and order them to your table with a few taps on the tablet that you'll find at every table.

Which dishes are the best? Read about my attempt to test every dish at its 11 venues in four days to find out.

The promenade deck is one of the best at sea

A notable element of Norwegian Prima (and the sister Prima-class ships that will follow) is that it has an unusually wide wraparound promenade that is filled with resort-like outdoor lounge areas.

Dubbed "Ocean Boulevard" and located on Deck 8 — much closer to the waterline of the ship than the lounge areas at the vessel's top, which are located on decks 17 and 18 — it offers unusually luxurious lounge chairs in some places (think: extra-thick cushions), sunbeds and swinging seats.

On both sides of Ocean Boulevard, there are infinity pools as well as shallow dipping pools.

There's also alfresco seating for several of the ship's restaurants including Los Lobos, Onda by Scarpetta, The Local and Indulge Food Hall.

Norwegian has had promenades on earlier ships that have offered outdoor restaurant seating and additional features. The line has been a pioneer among big-ship lines in taking promenades to a new level by making them wider and adding venues to draw passengers out onto them. But nothing Norwegian has done yet compares to this.

Not only is the Ocean Boulevard on Norwegian Prima roomier than ever, but it'll absorb a lot of passengers on sea days who otherwise would be packing the top decks of the ship. From a practical point of view, that's a big deal.

Bottom line

Norwegian Cruise Line isn't meant to be a high-end brand, but its new Norwegian Prima offers a lot of high-end touches. From the massive Haven suite complex at its back to its stunning, sculptural central atrium and the striking designs of many of its eateries, the ship is home to an array of venues and experiences that truly are elevated as compared to what you know from previous Norwegian vessels.

TPG's Gene Sloan has been reporting live from Norwegian Prima as it sails from Reykjavik to Amsterdam on a non-revenue preview voyage for media and travel agents. You can find all of his dispatches on his author's page .

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Norwegian Prima Review and Photos

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Theresa Russell was invited to join Norwegian Prima’s inaugural sailing from Iceland . Read on for Theresa’s comprehensive Norwegian Prima review, along with her quirky sense of humor.

As early renderings of the ship Norwegian Prima were revealed, my anticipation to sail and write a Norwegian Prima review grew stronger. There were many innovative enhancements added to this latest ship in NCL’s fleet and I was excited to see the finished product.

I have sailed on all of the NCL ships except for Sky, so I am quite familiar with the brand and ships’ layouts. Or so I thought.

Norwegian Prima anchored off Great Stirrup Cay.

Norwegian Prima Review

When I took my first step onto Prima , I was taken aback. Nothing seemed familiar to me at all. I couldn’t get my bearings and felt like a fish out of water.

And speaking of fish, why did I not see them swimming on the carpets? I counted on these fish to help me find my way to the front of the ship. They abandoned me. Keep reading for more on that later.

Norwegian Prima – Fast Facts

Year Built: 2022 Weight: 142,500 GT Decks: 20 Passengers at Double Occupancy: 3100 Crew: 1506 Total staterooms: 1586

Balcony Stateroom Review

Anxious to get to my balcony stateroom #15770, my intent was to drop my carry-on, grab a bite to eat and explore the new ship.

On this ship, there are only two sets of elevators in the fore and aft. Reaching my deck, I used the convenient directional signs to find my stateroom.

I closely examined the attractive carpet and bemoaned the absence of fish pointing forward. Instead of the usual fish, they were replaced by large triangles that pointed forward.

Norwegian Cruise Line's old and new carpets with and without fish.

Couldn’t these triangles have been made to look like a Picasso-type fish? Just a thought. At least I figured out my new directional guide star.

My midship cabin was ready and waiting for me. I dropped my carry-on luggage there and explored the room. My eyes were immediately drawn to the bed without a bedskirt.

Norwegian Prima balcony stateroom twin beds.

The open space underneath the bed gave the room a modern look. It also made the space appear larger.

On this ship, the balcony cabins have the beds near the balcony. This layout is done with much forethought.

Want to book an aft balcony? Not on Norwegian Prima. Why? It’s because the Haven takes up the aft part of the ship with its 107 staterooms.

One of the designers that I chatted with explained the layout. Like at home, you come to the living area first.

The sleeping area is farther away. It certainly makes sense, but I don’t know if I agree.

The stateroom is fairly typical with two lower beds that convert to a queen. My family balcony cabin also had a convertible sleeper sofa.

Noticeable Prima Stateroom Interior Differences

What I immediately noticed was the lack of a coffee table. Behind the bed and sofa is a feature wall, itself a large piece of artwork.

Across from the sofa is a small desk with outlets and USB ports. The desk has a barrel-like stool with a handle.

I had plenty of closet space for myself, but wondered if there would be enough if sharing my room. It was difficult hanging longer items.

The closet seems most efficient for hanging shorter garments, even with the lower rack moved. There are also several shelves and room in the night stands.

Norwegian Prima stateroom photo collage.

Furnished with two chairs and a small table, the balcony is about 45 square feet. It had adequate space for relaxing and enjoying the view.

The modern look of the room really adds a touch of luxury to the room. The bed was comfy, and the draperies were pretty good at blocking out light.

As somebody who likes to sleep cool, I could never get the room cool enough. Other guests on this sailing had the opposite problem. They were cold all of the time.

The Bathroom

With bursts of color on the backsplash, the bathroom seemed much bigger and more elegant than others. The walk-in shower was large and there was adequate storage space for toiletries.

INSIDER TIP – Where the hand towel hangs on the vanity is also the handle for a drawer to stash more toiletries.

Two new dining concepts are found on Prima . The first is that the menu at the main dining rooms never changes. I was concerned about this until I realized that my favorite restaurant at home doesn’t change its menu daily, either.

The two main dining rooms are smaller than the MDR on other NCL ships. The Commodore Room and Hudson’s appear to be more in line with the size of Taste and Savor on other ships.

Smaller main dining rooms could mean a longer wait time. Or maybe intended to get passengers to try the specialty restaurants or because so many guests choose specialty dining.

Specialty Restaurants on Norwegian Prima include:

Palomar – Seafood with a Mediterranean influence
Cagney’s Steakhouse – The cruise line’s famous steakhouse
Onda by Scarpetta – Italian cuisine
Los Lobos – Mexican food with an upscale attitude
Food Republic – Small plate entrées with an Asian flair
Le Bistro – Norwegian’s signature French restaurant
Hasuki – Teppanyaki restaurant – always popular so reserve early
Nama Sushi – Elegant sushi bar with a wide selection

Most of the familiar specialty restaurants from other NCL ships are also on Prima . One that is missing is Moderno, the Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouse.

The second new and fun concept on Prima is Indulge Food Hall.

What is Indulge Food Hall?

Indulge is a collection of 11 different types of restaurants all under one “roof”. I noticed some strong resemblances to restaurants on other ships.

Some, like Q Texas Smokehouse, retain their names. Their menus are similar to those found on other ships in the fleet.

Others, like Tamara, with Indian cuisine, are new. It’s a fun spot to sample different foods.

The one real drawback is the limited seating. And where you sit is important.

How to Order Food at Indulge Food Hall

If you want to try something from several of the restaurants, find a seat in the middle of the chaos. Then use the tablet placed on your table to order. Menus from all of the restaurants will be found on those tablets.

On the other hand, maybe you prefer to enjoy just one type of food. Find a seat at the venue’s counter or very nearby that particular restaurant.

For example, I enjoyed the Indian food at Tamara. In fact, I ate there a few times, sitting at the counter.

In this case, the tablet only shows menu items from Tamara. Beverages are also shown on that tablet.

It was fun to watch the chef and the servers. Also, the food was quite tasty.

Freshly made naan was not only delicious, but interesting to watch the process. With entertaining antics, the server also made eating at Tamara a mini-show event.

Besides Tamara and Q Texas Smokehouse, a barbecue favorite, there are nine more restaurants, 11 total.

All of the restaurants are complimentary with the exception of Coco and Starbucks. All have meatless options.

RELATED: Compare – Norwegian Bliss Dining Guide

List of indulge food hall restaurants.

Nudls – Serves all sorts of noodles. Don’t just think of Asian dishes. Pad Thai, tagliatelle and spaetzle are just a few of the noodles offered.
Q Texas Roadhouse – Like on other NCL ships, but without an extra charge. Menus include chili, bbq chicken, pulled pork and sides.
Seaside Rotisserie – With its many skewered meat options reminded me of Moderno. Chicken, brisket, and kabobs can be accompanied by a variety of sides.
The Garden – A variety of salads are available at The Garden. Soups, Spinach Caesar and Cobb are just a few of the choices.
The Latin Quarter – If you have a hankering for chips, guacamole or tostadas, look for the food truck.
Tapas – Think jamon, chorizo and manchego. Perfect for a quick snack.
Tamara – Indian food lovers rejoice. Tamara serves many dishes including paneer, tikka masala, dosa and freshly made naan.
Coco’s – Sundaes with Gummies or just a plain gelato. Milkshakes and other frozen treats and everything in between. Prices range from $3-$8.
Just Ice Cream – The name explains it all.
Just Desserts – More sweets.
Starbucks – Head for this Starbucks location if the line at the Starbucks in the main lobby is too long. There’s a fee here, too.

Indulge Food Hall is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

One old complimentary favorite has returned on Prima , The Local . It’s a pub-style restaurant, with an outdoor dining area. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy the good weather. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Prima Entertainment Main Production Review

NCL is known for its entertainment and the entertainment on Prima maintains a high standard.

The headline show is “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”. Exciting and insightful into her painful childhood into stardom.

Donna Summer The Musical finale on Prima

With three different performers playing the part of Donna at different stages of her life, the show was full of music.

This show a great combination of her mega-hits as well as a documentary of her life.

This show lasts for about 75 minutes. If you are a Donna Summer fan, the show’s length of time was perfect. Audience sing-along and dancing are encouraged!

INSIDER TIP – Make your reservations for the shows, especially the comedy club and game shows as soon as possible. Improv at Sea, the comedy club, seats about 70 people so early reservations are necessary.

If you can’t get a space, check regularly as cancellations do occur. Reservations are released 10 minutes before show time, so go and get in line and standby for unclaimed seats.

Another big show on Prima is “The Price is Right LIVE on NCL”. It is the real thing complete with the sets and games from the television show. Guests can actually win real prizes.

Smaller venues for music, a comedy club and a casino are other options for entertainment.

Outdoor Activities for All

The familiar race track at the top of the ship has a course that wraps around the funnels. Longer and narrower than on other ships, Norwegian Prima Speedway ($15 per ride) remains as popular as ever.

On that same deck (17), The Stadium is the spot for games, like ping pong, pickle ball and others. Opposite The Stadium, Tee Time($10 per person) is an interactive mini-golf.

Right next to Tee Time, Bull’s Eye ($40 for up to 6 people) offers private space in several parlor rooms to groups of players. An electronic board keeps track of dart throws.

Anybody looking for thrills should head to The Rush or The Drop. The Drop plunges riders down 10 decks at high speeds.

The Rush is a dueling dry slide. Thrill seekers can compete to make it to the bottom first.

The above are both dry slides, but water slide fans gravitate to The Wave. This slide has, as you may have guessed, wave action.

Other NCL ships include Galaxy Pavilion($8 per person, per experience.) I tried several different adventures there including a roller coaster.

That made me wonder how many people get sick on the experiences. I kept my eyes closed for most of that ride.

Prima will have two escape rooms ($15 per person) on board. Due to supply issues, that option was not available on my sailing, but is coming soon.

With all the arcade activities that come with fees, keep track of your kids’ (or your) spending. Be sure to limit – or not – which fee-based activities your child participates in.

I know of people shocked by their final bill. The two or three games parents allowed grew astronomically along with the bill.

Insider Tip – If you want to enjoy the entertainment multiple times, consider purchasing a package.

Prima Speedway has a cruise-long pass for $199. Galaxy Pavilion has several starting with an hour pass for $29. A day pass there is $49 and a full cruise pass is $199.

If you want to combine activities, there is a combo pass that combines Prima Speedway, Bull’s Eye and Galaxy Pavilion for $399. All prices are subject to change

Outdoors Decks and Pools

One of my favorite activities on Prima is to grab a chair and enjoy the scenery from Ocean Boulevard. This outdoor deck includes Infinity Beach. With two small infinity pools on both sides of the ship, there are also plenty of chairs.

There is just one small main pool up on deck 17. For kids, their dedicated pool has plenty of seating for them and the adults supervising them.

The Mandara Spa

Don’t expect the spa area to look like any of the spas on other ships. NCL has spared no expense in the design of Prima’s spa area. There are multiple treatment rooms for those with a spa pass.

The thermal suite area is much larger than on other ships. The expansive views of the outdoors is a real bonus.

Here’s the absolutely gorgeous thermal pool.

Spa passes are available for one day or the entire cruise. A day pass costs $99 just for the use of the spa area. Treatments are not included in this pass.

With the pass, you have unlimited access to all of the Thermal Suite features, including this amazing Salt Room. Breathe deep!

Insider Tip: Consider buying a spa pass for your entire cruise for $399.

Pulse Fitness Center is accessed via the spa. This seemed odd as it required passing through the spa itself.

Norwegian Prima Disembarkation

With an early morning flight, I chose the self-assist option. It went quite smoothly. I used NCL’s transfer to the airport.

Final Thoughts – Norwegian Prima Review

When I first boarded, I found the décor of the ship taken to a much higher level. Not a big surprise as this was the vision for this class of ship.

My favorite part of this ship, Ocean Boulevard, really connected me to the sea. Finding a seat was never a problem.

It’s refreshing to know that NCL maintains its Freestyle concept. I like dining when I wish and with whom I wish.

Besides the new features, NCL maintains its great kids’ club.

The bright and comfortable buffet, now known as Seaside Café, is not as large as the Garden Café. Like other venues on Prima , it has a very modern vibe.

What I found most impressive about Prima was the high level of service. The crew served with a smile and anticipated my needs.

It says much when a server who moves between restaurants recognizes you and greets you by name.

Prima will be based in Port Canaveral and Galveston. She will also sail Europe with transatlantic sailing before and after the Caribbean season.

The changes on Norwegian Prima were thoughtfully planned and well executed. Regular NCL cruisers will have fun comparing this new class of ships with others in the fleet.

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Updated on May 23, 2023 by Sherry Laskin

Norwegian Prima

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line |

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Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 290 guests have reviewed Norwegian Prima , giving it a rating of 4.1 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type, most recent reviews.

Ship experience - Horrible. Excursions Wonderful

Sep 15th, 2024

I have only cruised on Carnival (1 cruise) and Norwegian (3 cruises). For the amount of money we spent and having such a horrible experience with our cabin, balcony and complete rudeness of staff (expect Mark our Los Lobos waiter and Roderick our Steward), I am seriously considering trying out another cruise company. My first two cruises with Norwegian were wonderful, but I feel like I just wasted $25k which is a lot of money

Traveler Type

Family (older children)

4-6 cruises

NCL needs to step up their game!

Sep 4th, 2024

It had a lot of peaks and valleys but truly more valleys. The wifi I paid for was awful and unreliable. I dined ever evening in Hudsons or the Commodore and the menu was boring, lacked variety, and overall quality was poor.

Singles/Friends

2-3 cruises

My least favorite NCL ship.

Sep 2nd, 2024

I’m mostly loyal to NCL. We do not like the new design and when cruising in NCL we will stay away from this new class of ships. The Prima is beautiful, but impractical in my opinion.

Broadening our horizons

Aug 26th, 2024

Overall, we're very pleased with our experience and want to hold on to the happy memories but it's hard to ignore all the negative things and realistically I think it's better to point these out in a review.

Very nice cruise

Aug 22nd, 2024

It was our first time with NCL, and it was a very good experience. We appreciated the variety of free restaurant options and the quality of the destinations (even though we didn't choose any NCL excursions). The excursions offered by NCL are much too expensive compared to similar options on GetYourGuide. The cabin was good, and the ship was really enjoyable.

Great destinations!

Jul 28th, 2024

Great destinations but limited excursions. Too many people mostly confined to indoor spaces. Food was just okay with not enough choices. Bar service was awesome in the Whiskey Bar. Casino was stingy. Too much to explore in a short time…felt I didn’t have enough time to even scratch the surface.

Wonderful Cruise on Prima

Jul 24th, 2024

Loved the food, ship design, and wonderful staff. Really a fantastic experience all the way.

Amazing itenerary

Jul 17th, 2024

We will sail NCL again and even with lack of entertainment and ship design we had a great time

Fascinating!

Jul 1st, 2024

Well worth. Make sure you dress warmly! Bring raincoats!!!

Swing and a Miss!

Jun 28th, 2024

The itinerary for this cruise was top notch. The ports of call are all spectacular. This helped to overcome some of the shortcomings of the ship itself.

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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i spent 21 days onboard NCL prima... here is my prima facie case for the good, the bad and the fugly

By UKstages , June 13, 2023 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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spoiler alert: EVERYTHING you’ve heard is true.

the prima is truly “a tale of two cities”… it is indeed the best of times, the worst of times. it is the most technologically advanced, most splendiferous, most engaging city at sea and a truly dreadful example of corporate blindness. there’s a good chance you will wait for elevators and bartenders and not be able to find a seat at the buffet or the food hall, just as you’ve read online. there’s a reason people have mentioned this in their reviews… because it’s true! NCL proudly proclaims the prima has more outdoor space than any other ship and that’s probably true… but just as you’ve heard, that is also a drawback when faced with inclement and/or cold or windy weather conditions. this ship should not be cruising the north atlantic… it should be confined to the caribbean.

as on most ships, the crew is comprised of magnificent overachievers and recidivist slackers, some of whom should not be in customer contact positions. the senior officers, except those in food and beverage, are resistant to customer feedback and don’t really listen to their guests. the food is delicious (in some cases) and (in many other cases) not.

but one thing is for sure: in the main dining rooms, the food will always be served room temperature. the hot food is invariably served colder than most people would like; the cold food is invariably served warmer than it should be. (i took the behind-the-scenes tour and one of the things they pride themselves on in the galley is their adherence to food safety regulations and temperature checks… you walk away scratching your head after that because clearly nobody has dined at hudson’s, the primary MDR. everything has been sitting around there so long that it invariably becomes room temperature.)

i wanted very much to like the prima and was sure that all those online naysayers didn’t know what they were talking about, but, on balance, i’d have to say that the prima is not yet ready for prime time.

the prima is like going to hear your favorite band or artist and hearing only songs from the new album. some of those songs are good, but you still want to hear some greatest hits, too. there are few - possibly none - of those greatest hits on the prima.

oh sure… you can replace the fish on the carpet with triangles. you can do away with card rooms, libraries and meeting rooms. you can beef up outdoor space at the expense of having suitable indoor space. you can build venues that only seat a fraction of the number of people who want to visit that venue. you can build a casino without a dedicated service bar. you can have a fixed menu in the MDR for the duration of the cruise. you can build a restaurant with limited seating that relies on tablet technology that doesn’t always work. you can build a buffet with limited seating. you can attempt to pass off a game show as professional show business cruise ship entertainment. you can hang confusing signage.

but if you do all that, people will clamor for what they liked about NCL’s other ships. you can’t change it all at once… you simply can’t. well, clearly you can… but then you run the risk of getting too many things wrong. and, unfortunately, that’s what’s happened on the prima.

they’ve pretty much changed everything… some of it works, but quite a lot of it doesn’t... and management is not receptive to feedback and is sticking to its guns. in nearly a year, the only two things they’ve changed are the menus in the main dining rooms (they brought back rotating menus) and they’ve now put all comedy shows in the theatre to accommodate larger audiences (which makes the “improv” branding on their comedy venue confusing and unnecessary. it would be like having an ice cream shop that only served soup.)

overall grade for the prima: C

embarkation

embarkation was relatively easy. it isn’t always that way at the manhattan cruise terminal, but this was painless. i live about 12 blocks from the pier, so i walked down around 9 AM. (i had a 9:30 am check-in time.) at check-in, the agent insisted on taking a new photo. i asked why. he said for “verification purposes.” i said, “there’s an approved photo in there already. there’s nothing wrong with it. it has been accepted and approved.”

he said, “no, that’s just for online check-in. this is different. we have to retake everybody’s photo when you show up in person… for verification purposes.” he was wrong, but i wasn’t going to press the issue... choose your battles. this wasn’t worth fighting over. and that’s how i would up with a photo of me - for 21 days - that looks like i just woke up in my cave in afghanistan, rather than a carefully posed and well-lit head shot that makes me look like brad pitt.

i am not in fact brad pitt.

(if i were, i wouldn’t be on NCL.)

but i also don’t live in a cave.

the idea of the early check-in time was to get onboard early and make last minute tweaks to restaurant reservations, book the behind-the-scenes latitudes tour and the wines around the world event, as well as shore excursions. i was onboard around 11:20 am and rooms were available shortly after 2 pm. i was able to complete most of my tasks within a half hour (more on that later) and was dining at the indulge food hall before noon.

embarkation: A

i booked a club balcony “suite” on the first leg of this B2B, cabin 11344, which is neither a suite nor does it afford any benefits in any club that i’m aware of. (it’s not as if all the exclusive “club” balcony members got together every day for high tea while exchanging our secret handshakes.) but it was a great room, spacious and comfortable… until we set sail on the high seas. that’s when it became a hellscape from which there was no escape. i’ve documented that (mis)adventure in another forum post and encourage you to read it, a link is provided in the first post of this review.

if you read that thread, you know i was eventually given an additional room to sleep in. that cabin, 10180, was a standard balcony. it was more spacious than balcony cabins on other ships and the bathroom – in all my cabins – was quite big, with an oversize shower that could easily accommodate somebody who was 6’4”. this cabin was quiet, with only some minor noise from the party crowd in the cabin next door, coming through the connecting door.

the cabin booked for the second leg of this B2B was a family balcony, cabin 13190. it too was fine… large room, well appointed, big bathroom. (but i missed the extra space from the club balcony room, not to mention my fellow club members and that secret handshake.)

pro tip: there is no traditional dial on the shower heads to adjust the flow of water. but if you take the handheld shower head down and look on the back, you will see three or four buttons to adjust your stream. i’m willing to bet a lot of people never remove the shower head and miss that.

prima cabins: A*

*unless you get one of the rooms known by NCL to have an excessive noise problem caused by a structural defect, in which case: F

entertainment: comedians

entertainment on this ship is lacking, with one notable exception. the comedians on the first leg of this cruise were truly exceptional. usually, out of three comedians, one will be pretty good and the other two will be terrible or one will be so-so and the other terrible. all three comedians on the 5/14 sailing from NYC to reykjavik were sensational, both together and individually. NCL should continue to book them... NCL should clone them and put them on every ship!

midway through the cruise, i hadn’t seen any of them, but i read in the daily that they were giving a midafternoon presentation on “how to give a comedy talk” or some such. well, the description was a complete misnomer; in truth, it was just the three of them holding court, talking about the biz and kibbitzing with each other. (they are all friends and know each other from the comedy club circuit.)

these three have incredible chemistry and this impromptu talk was one of the entertainment highlights of the cruise, i kid you not. scheduled for just 45 minutes, it easily could have gone on for two hours! not everything was funny; one particular anecdote that one comedian related was quite a touching story that brought tears to many. the three funnymen said this was the cruise director’s idea, to hold this banter-fest… and it was a great idea and should be continued on this and other ships. later in the week, i had the chance to see each of them perform individually and they did not disappoint. if you have a chance to see any of these guys onboard a ship or at your local comedy club, do not miss the opportunity. they are: jay black, frank townsend and lucas bone.

my score for these three comics: A+.

all comedy concerts are now presented in the prima theater, as the purpose-built “improv” venue is too damn small. management has finally recognized this. sadly, and inexplicably, there were NO comedians on board the second ten-day cruise… not a single one! i asked about this and was told that it was a corporate decision, that NCL had determined that humor is highly subjective and that on “international” itineraries not originating in the USA, the audience doesn’t “get” comedians.

hmmm… that may have been true years ago, but it is no longer true.

we live in a shrinking global community. american movies and sitcoms are exported all over the world. in fact, many people learn how to speak english by watching “friends” and “seinfeld,” so that excuse just doesn’t hold water in my book in this day and age. are there some culture and language differences, sure! but nothing that would prevent someone from enjoying a comedian. and why do they have to be american comedians? book a brit, an aussie, an indian or other southeast asian comedian. book a nigerian comedian, for goodness’ sake or someone from lithuania or poland!

funny is funny!

besides, there were a lot of aussies and brits on board, as well as a large number of americans. even if NCL’s data were true, it wouldn’t necessarily apply to those english speaking groups. and if we’re worried about an international audience not understanding english idioms or comedy, how do we expect them to appreciate “summer” or “the price is right” and its wisecracking host?

my score for having no comedians onboard whatsoever: F

entertainment: donna summer

“oh, donna, oh, donna, looking for my donna…”

if you’re looking for your donna, you won’t find her on the prima!

the big deal entertainment on this ship is the broadway musical “summer: the donna summer musical.” a critical and commercial failure on broadway some years back. it’s a “jukebox musical” featuring donna’s greatest hits set amidst the backdrop of her personal struggles and successes. or at least it’s supposed to be.

it was never a very good musical to begin with and it’s even less so in this mounting… partly because they’ve cut so much of the story out. it ran nearly two and half hours on broadway… as presented here, it’s a truncated 90 minutes or so. there is a whole photo montage at the end of the show of friends who donna lost to AIDs, but it falls flat because there is no context. that part of her story is never explored in this version; they cut all that out. the cast is uniformly good and the show has strong production values. so, it’s a really nice looking, well performed version of a confusing and decidedly lackluster show. i had a reservation to see it a second time on the second leg of this B2B cruise and i passed.

my score for summer: D, as in donna.

entertainment: the price is right

the other big show on this ship is “the price is right.” it’s a live version of the popular daytime game show classic. hosted by an affable, but rather plastic and stepford husband type of guy. assisted by his real-life wife, the show runs about an hour. yes, contestants are chosen from the audience to populate “contestants' row” and, yes, four or five them do make it to the stage. and, yes, the show does feature all the familiar games you’d expect like the big wheel, plinko, cliffhangers and such. and, yes, somebody will have the chance to win a brand-new car!

but nobody is really going to win that car, as they’ve created unrealistic hurdles you have to get through in order to do so. they’ve essentially drafted new rules for the games and dumbed down the dollar values and the prizes. the most money most people will win – if they’re really lucky - is $200 or so. similarly, the top prize you might walk away with will be a TV set or a pair of beats headphones.

i’ve seen other versions of this show in land-based casinos and this is a very slick, well produced version, with good production values. but you don’t have much of a show if the most entertaining things presented onstage are archival film clips from the TV show itself. it’s essentially a really slick game show, something that would play in the atrium on any other ship, but here… it has been pimped out and promoted to a featured spot. strictly, speaking, it isn’t really cruise ship entertainment, but it’s better at doing what it sets out to do than “summer.”

oh… and there is this… you’re required to wear a name tag, just like contestants on the real show. no problem, except the distribution of those name tags has not been thought through very well. it’s another example of folks on the prima not paying attention to small details. hidden within the daily on show days is a small line item that says “name tag distribution at the box office” or some such... three 90-minute periods throughout the day. there is no other notice. a lot of people didn’t see that.

so they also give out name tags as you enter the theater. but it’s incredibly inefficient for two reasons… there is no reason they couldn’t just send your name tags to your cabin in advance. it’s not like they don’t have your name. (and they sent a “price” letter to my cabin on embarkation day informing me of a change to a reserved show time.) the other reason is because the person who gives you your name tag and laboriously writes your name out on the spot is located before the person who swipes your card for entry. so even the people who already had their name tags had to wait in line behind the people who didn’t. simple fix: put the entry key card swiper BEFORE the guy who writes the name tags.

boom! you’ve just freed up more of your guests’ time, not penalized those who were good doobies and already had their name tags, and you’ve given more time for your drink servers to tend to more people inside the theater. simple things like this make a big difference in guest satisfaction and the prima fumbles and stumbles at almost every customer touchpoint.

also, it should be noted: as you find elsewhere on the ship, when they call you to the stage, they use your first middle and last name because that's what's in the NCL database. but it does make it seem like contestants' row is populated by serial killers... "lee harvey oswald, come on down, you're the next contestant on the price is right!"

interestingly, the original concept for the prima was to have FOUR game shows as entertainment! “the price is right” was to have been joined by “supermarket sweep, “press your luck” and “beat the clock.” this is one instance in which corporate is to be commended for coming to their collective senses and aborting that plan!

and does anyone remember that when the prima was first announced, one of the primary slots for onboard entertainment was to have been filled by the “light balance” troupe, the AGT favorites? what ever happened with that?

my score for “the price is right” is a solid C+.

entertainment: syd norman’s

people raved about it. i never felt like waiting in line to get in. i saw a few of the performers in other venues, in other shows, and they were quite good.

i can’t really rate syd’s because i never went in there. but i’ll rate it anyway.

A for the quality of the entertainment (based on what people have told me)

C- for the size of the venue and the inconvenience involved in getting in to see the shows

other entertainment

other entertainment, such as it was, was downright weird… a woman you’ve never heard of did a show called “how to be a headliner.” a violinist was brought on board for a solo show to accompany pre-recorded music tracks. some of the cast from “donna” and “syd norman’s” did a broadway revue that could have benefitted from more rehearsal… and a director. it, too, used prerecorded music tracks for half of the numbers presented. (the cast members on the joy do a similar show to much better effect.) there are solos, duos and trios playing in the atrium and at other spots around the ship and they offer theme shows, saluting the likes of johnny cash and ABBA. these were mostly good. and atrium-style events like “deal or no deal” are elevated to the theater on this ship. and while it’s good to get that nonsense out of the atrium, it’s not really a show. again, there were no comedians brought onboard for the 5/25 sailing… none!

my score for prima entertainment overall: C-

prima theater

the prima theater is a technological marvel. as you’ve probably heard by now, the theater itself features seats which fold up and get tucked away and slid under the balcony so they can transform the theater into a 3-story disco and event space. if you have an opportunity to watch this, do it! in my opinion, it’s more fascinating than most things they actually present on stage. the cruise director will often host a “show” after the first night of “summer” performances in which she invites people onstage to dance as the rest of the audience (in the mezzanine and balcony) watch the transformation, which takes about 25 minutes. they use the empty space for embarkation day restaurant reservations and to accommodate disembarkation lines (if deck six is where the gangways are set up) and other special events.

now, the same things that make the theater so flexible also are drawbacks when it comes to being a theater. the seats are, to put it politely, flimsy and not cushioned all that well. and not all of them work properly, since they get slammed down and put away on an almost daily basis. also, the seating in the mezzanine and balcony don’t offer great sightlines, although they are usually fine for solo performers who stay center stage. most seats offer pull down drink holders and pre-show drink service is good.

the theater features a state-of-the-art LED screen that offers stunning presentation capabilities and opportunities, most of which are squandered. the legit shows (“summer” and “price”) make good use of these, but otherwise they just display sloppily made boring powerpoint images which haven’t really been prepared by design professionals.

still, the theater is a wonder.

such a shame that nothing in it is as good as the theater itself.

the theater: A-

housekeeping

housekeeping in all cabins was good, the stewards (all of mine were male) were personable and attentive, although i didn’t have the cabin made up at all in the room i used just for sleeping. both of the other attendants introduced themselves on embarkation day, asked about my schedule and my preferences and when i wanted the room made up. i explained that later in the day was usually good for me. and so my cabin was always made up according to that preference.

i did not have any problem whatsoever with the once-a-day service; it worked out fine for me. one thing i’ve noticed, however, and i haven’t seen commented on elsewhere: there appears to be a lot more room service trays, plates, glasses and such left outside staterooms in the halls. service items removed from the buffet and the indulge food hall, too. i believe it’s not because people are dining in their rooms more… i think it’s because cabin attendants don’t have a second shift, so they are not picking up these items as promptly as they used to. no harm, no foul, i suppose, but it doesn’t look great and could be a tripping hazard for some.

i did ask for extra towels and got them. i noticed on the second cruise, that the steward had placed four or five extra towels in the cupboard under the sink, along with several rolls of toilet paper. not sure if that was there for his convenience or mine, but i appreciated it. check under the sink in your cabin… there might be extra supplies in there.

my attendants told me they used to have 15 cabins, and with the recent change, they now have 20.

i get a lot of “treats” delivered to my cabin from the casino and i get at least one bottle of prosecco on embarkation day, although i got none on the second cruise. not a problem for me, as i don’t drink it… it’s better than the bad sparkling wine they used to offer, but it’s just not that good. it’s the same stuff you can get at any bar if you order prosecco. i had that and a couple of bottles of “platinum dinner” wine unconsumed at the end of the cruise and i asked my cabin attendant if he wanted them. i wasn’t sure if he could take them. (i had offered them to my casino host and she said she was unable to accept tips of any kind.) he was very appreciative… not sure if they were for him, whether he actually drank them, or if he was accepting them to exchange or barter with others.

i get “ultra” drinks in the casino, so i will often bring back a bottle or two of pellegrino and put it in the fridge. on day 2, i was surprised to find a promotional “for sale” hangtag on my bottle of pellegrino! i explained to the cabin attendant that it was “my” bottle (from the casino) and not a bottle for purchase and there was no problem after that.

i thought housekeeping service was very good. and so i tipped both cabin attendants PHP 6000. (that’s 6000 filipino pesos, which is equivalent to about $120. the cruise duration was 11 days and 10 days.) i gave the non-filipino attendant for my additional sleeping room twenty bucks. he didn’t actually do anything in the room for me, but he was very attentive and always asked if i needed anything.

housekeeping: A

room service

i didn’t use room service. but the room service folks are also responsible for delivering the aforementioned “treats”… treats given to the club balcony guests and those sent by the casino. because i was sleepless for nearly three days due to cabin noise (read my other post), i often had the “do not disturb” sign on during the day on sea days. and just as often, i would be awakened by a phone call from the room service folks who pointed out that i had DND on and wondering when i would like my delivery.

that’s just bad form… what about “do not disturb” do they not understand? this is another example of people on NCL ships not paying attention to small details.

and they don’t come back to redeliver, by the way… those treats are lost forever. they said they would come back, but i waited ninety minutes and let it go. my time is worth more than a half dozen chocolate covered strawberries.

i did get shrimp cocktail sent by the casino one day… and because that is a ”perishable” item, they deliver that at a prearranged time. and - indeed - it arrived within five minutes of that time, so that was well handled.

pro tip: many people don’t realize that you can make and change your restaurant reservations through room service . there is a button on the phone for this, although they will invariably answer “room service” because… few people on NCL ships pay attention to small details. but this works really well and can be requested or changed at virtually at any time. there was never an occasion when i was not able to make or change my reservation.

room service delivery: C

restaurant reservations through room service: A+

the buffet, the “surfside café and grill,” is really in two parts… there’s the traditional buffet, a.k.a. the “café,” and then there is a smaller “grill,” that serves mostly hamburgers and steaks (although at breakfast, it’s just another place to pick up bacon, eggs and sausage. i think i saw eggs benedict in there, too.)

everything you’ve heard is true here, too… it’s small and crowded and kind of noisy and raucous and the food is, well, about the same as any other NCL buffet. i only ate here twice in 21 days, as i had 10 specialty meals booked and most of my other meals were in the indulge food hall or the local.

i would have eaten here more had it been easier to get - and keep - a seat. it’s a problem for solo diners… there is no easy way to get up and get your food and expect your table to still be there, unoccupied, when you get back. there was a clever fellow, now deceased, who ran a gambling website called the “seven stars insider” and he published a downloadable printable notice that said something like “table occupied… be right back.” or something like that. makes a lot of sense to carry one of those with you if you’re going solo on the prima and intend to eat at the buffet.

my score for the buffet: C

indulge food hall

this dining option is terrific and consistently offers some of the best food on the ship.

but imagine if everybody who couldn’t get tickets to a taylor swift concert showed up anyway, not to sit in the parking lot, but to storm the barricades and wander around the arena looking for a place to sit.

that’s what dining at the indulge food hall is like. it is immensely popular, and even more so as the cruise progresses and word gets out how good it is or people return to get more of what they enjoy. it’s the syd norman’s of NCL restaurants… tremendously satisfying, but you really have to plan ahead and be willing to get there long before they open.

there’s a sign at the entrance to the food hall that says “feel free to sit wherever you want.”

i don’t think anybody at NCL understands how grating that sign is or how ironic. it should probably be changed to one that says “take no prisoners and pray.”

the place is just too damn small. outdoor seating doesn’t help in inclement weather and – besides – it requires human beings to take orders, which upends the high-tech concept. NCL was counting on that outdoor seating to expand the dining capacity and - at the same time - they severely underestimated how popular indulge would be. as far as human beings taking orders… the tablets are temperamental. sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. the tablets use the same wonky internet that we do, and when the software updates, things slow down and your interaction with the tablet delivers error messages and not food. on four separate days (out of 15 or so that i chose to indulge myself), i was given a paper menu and could not order on the tablet.

it is a great concept, mostly well executed, except for the tricky tablets and the size of the venue. if you get there a half hour before they open, or possibly twenty minutes or so before they close, you will be able to find a seat, but arrive once service has already begun and you’re out of luck…. most times. many people seem to set up camp and stay for a couple of hours, which means that many of the tables won’t “turn” during opening hours and won’t offer additional guests the chance to dine. there’s also a fair amount of chair swapping and “borrowing,” which leaves some tables without the proper number of chairs. and there are large tables being occupied by just one person, who often say they are waiting for their friends or family to arrive. i was told that very thing, then found a seat, then walked out after having eaten about 40 minutes later, only to see the same person still holding an empty table. bear in mind that lunch service only runs two hours… and that one person occupied an empty table without ordering anything for at least forty minutes.

solo diners are at a particular disadvantage… in two ways… most of the seating is for four or more. (there are also a few tables for two.) and most desserts are self-serve, requiring you to go fetch them. of course, if you do that, vultures will swoop in and take your table. (can’t blame therm.) i was able to befriend nearby tablemates, who saved my seat. but i wound up eating many of my desserts standing, at a counter, on my way out of the food hall. the “free” desserts aren’t that great, anyway. they do offer a mini deconstructed version of banana banoffee, the popular dessert normally only available in the haven. it’s not quite the same as the big version in the haven, but it hits many of the same flavor notes. the paid desserts, available at “cocos” for $3 or so, appear to be much more upscale. (i didn’t try any.)

there is a “freestyle” self-serve coke machine in the beverage station at indulge, but it doesn’t work as often as it does. you must scan your keycard in order to authorize the dispensing of drinks and that functionality breaks down frequently. also, they only put plastic cups out during opening hours, so you can’t go in there and get a drink at any other time. of note: this machine may be the only place onboard you can get minute maid lemonade!

there are a few other problems, namely that those who can find a seat adjacent to each of the restaurants can only order food from that restaurant. the other dining options won’t show up on the tablet at all. this is another example of NCL suits sticking to their original concept, even though it proves to be flawed once deployed and an impediment to their guests’ enjoyment. there is no reason those valuable seats can’t be made into “universal” dining spots. if the NCL dining team who conceived this think there is interaction between the guests and the chefs behind the counter (presumably that’s the reason they did it this way), they need only visit to see that’s not happening. those seats need to be converted to universal dining. there are also many bar stools at dining counters, which poses a problem for some older guests (a target demographic). as you get older, many people require back support. they can’t sit on stools without a back. many can’t get on stools at all.

another problem is that many NCL customers seem a bit bewildered by the tablets. several times, i was called to duty to explain to people how to use them. a big part of the problem is that after you place your order, you haven’t really placed your order. a screen pops up, a few moments later, asking if you want to tip. if you don’t see this, or don’t make a selection, your order will time out. also, the tablets are a disaster for ordering drinks… most drinks are shown as being “sold out.” and the few that are capable of being ordered through the tablet are shown with prices, which confuses people. and if they are able to figure out how to order, a 20% tip automagically appears on the screen further confusing people, since the drinks are fee for those with a drink package. another ordering problem is that certain items can be “customized,” and few people understand how that works. essentially, you’re given a grouping of related items like condiments at tamara, but you have to go in and individually select each one you want separately in order to customize.

please note that menus for all restaurants differ from lunch to dinner and your favorite item at lunch may not be available during the dinner service. my favorite “restaurants” at the indulge food hall are tamara, serving authentic Indian food and “q,” which offers a somewhat simplified version of the menu served at the “q” specialty restaurants onboard other NCL ships. one problem with “q” is that, unlike the full-service specialty restaurants on other ships, there are no barbecue sauces available for your use tableside and most of the items are served under-sauced, using just one classic sauce. (there are no options for other bbq sauces.) that’s a problem for a barbecue joint! they should make a “side” of barbecue sauce available to order as an option on the tablet.

other restaurants here include “nudls” featuring asian, italian and german noodle dishes (including an excellent shrimp pad thai), the latin quarter (apps), tapas (served out of a food truck), the seaside rotisserie (serving all manner of grilled and skewered meat) and “the garden” (salads). there is also a pay for play starbucks, as well as a full bar, both inside and outdoors.

my score for indulge is a solid B, but it would be an A+ if they could figure out how to handle the volume of guests who wish to be served. (perhaps open a take-out window?)

one of the best specialty restaurants on the prima. great service. personable staff. tasty and consistent food, killer spicy margaritas, fun and flavorful tableside guacamole, great Mexican street corn. i ate here three times on my 21 day back-to-back.

my score: A

onda by scarpetta

this is another standout on the prima. i ate here three times, as well. attentive service, wonderful negronis, great filet, terrific and authentic pasta, great pizza. (unlike la cucina on other ships, you CAN get pizza as an app here on the dining plan!) it’s a lot of food and my only quibble is that they don’t offer doggie bags, or any type of container, as per a corporate mandate. there’s no way you can eat all that pizza and still have room for the rest of your meal. i took mine back to my cabin on a plate, with a cloth napkin, and had it for breakfast.

my score: A+

a solid outpost of the popular cagney’s franchise. meat cooked properly, plentiful and well prepared sides, attentive service, attractive surroundings. there’s nothing spectacular here, but in a world where some cagney’s restaurants on some ships are hit or miss, this is a well-executed version of NCL’s signature steakhouse. i ate here twice.

my score: B

what can you say about what purports to be the most elegant restaurant on the ship when more than half the tables have views of lifeboats? WHAT were they thinking? the food is good, but the menu has grown stale… and what’s with the upcharge now on the beef rossini? it is arguably the same filet you get at cagney’s and onda with no surcharge. and those scallops… could they possibly be more diminutive and inconsequential? service is attentive, but there is just something off about this version of le bistro. i’ve been on ships on which cagney’s was off. i’ve been on ships on which moderno was off. on this ship… le bistro is off. the staff tries hard, the food is OK, but sometimes things just don’t gel. that was the case here.

i had a second visit planned here for the second cruise and i canceled.

my score: C

this is another example of a restaurant searching for a concept and a purpose. NCL was hoping to develop a new hot dining venue they could replicate on other ships going forward, but nearly everything about it falls flat. it has no clear identity, although i take it it’s supposed to be primarily a mediterranean seafood house. but they mix cuisines and proteins indiscriminately. they have those stainless or nickel salt and pepper mills here that many have admired in other restaurants onboard. the only problem was that the salt was placed in the pepper chamber and the pepper in the salt chamber. so, when you followed the “S” and “P” arrows and twisted in the appropriate direction, the wrong spice came out. (at least at my table.) service was attentive.

favorite dishes? only a couple. i had the scallops and they varied between being undercooked and just fine… on the same plate. but they weren’t really seasoned. they didn’t taste like anything, especially scallops. i will say that the greek dessert, galaltoboureko, was tasty and authentic. and the “mushroom tartare,” as an app, was absolutely a standout. i’d eat that every day, if i could. everything else was just barely OK, but nothing to write home about.

i had a reservation to eat here again on the last night of the cruise, but changed it to onda.

mmm... onda!

the local on the prima is really two restaurants. there is a long passage on the starboard side of the ship with the bar and a collection of small low-rise tables (coffee table height), which seat two to four comfortably. these are ideal for drinking, not so much for eating. there are also a series of high-rise communal tables, which seat six or eight people, as well as seating at the bar. on the other side of the kitchen, is a traditional coffee house restaurant set up, with closely packed tables.

i found that of all the restaurants on the prima, the local was the most consistently inconsistent. portion size, temperature of the food, availability of items, service… these all varied wildly. service was mostly poor.

on the bar side, it often took quite some time to get a server’s attention. and when he arrived, he would invariably get the order wrong. or forget an important part of the order, such as utensils. it’s pretty hard to eat chili without a spoon. or a piece of cake without a fork (or a spoon). and there is no reason you should have to wait twenty minutes to receive a caesar salad and a bowl of chili, both of which are pre-made.

(on a side note, regarding caesar salad… i have yet to see an appreciable difference between the caesar salad at the local and that served by cagney’s or the MDR or any other restaurant. OK, maybe you get an extra morsel of shaved parmesan at cagney’s… but it’s essentially the same product in every restaurant!)

the bartenders are all wonderful, but not very attentive. they do a big walkup business at this bar and waits of five to ten minutes are not uncommon. i would be OK with this, if the bartenders acknowledged you as you arrived and told you they will be with you in a few minutes. but they won’t make eye contact. so you wonder if they’re just busy or if they haven’t seen you. on several occasions, i would wait patiently and then somebody new would walk up just as a bartender finished a drink and then he or she would move on immediately to the new person, without serving me. at other times, there would be a bartender back there, not making drinks, but asking others questions… “have you seen pilar? where is pilar? is pilar on beak?” and still others would be stocking the fridges rather than tending to customers.

on the restaurant side, they seemed similarly clueless.

on one occasion, i saw that everybody who ordered after me had already received their meals. i was waiting ten or fifteen minutes, which is a long time at the local, where a limited menu and premade items generally mean service is quick. i asked the hostess and she checked in the kitchen and came back and apologized and said there was a problem with the POS system and my order had never printed. OK, fair enough, but hadn’t anyone who kept passing by my table noticed that i had never received anything to eat?

another time, i asked for a sprite zero and the server disappeared and went to the bar and came back and said they were out of sprite zero. another server appeared less than a minute later and i ordered a sprite zero (“if they have it,” i said) and some food. she came back 90 seconds later with a sprite zero, which she got, she said, from the bar at the local.

the local also has an outdoor dining area on the prima, adjacent to the restaurant on the port side. same food, same service. but if you enjoy your reuben sandwich interrupted every couple of minutes by screams from those plummeting down the side of the ship in one of the slides, the outdoor local is for you. due to bad weather, i only saw this outdoor area open on two days throughout my entire 21 days onboard.

they don’t handle special requests very well. ask for an extra ramekin of thousand island dressing for your reuben in addition to the dressing they normally put on the sandwich and you will get a sandwich with no dressing and the requested dressing on the side. ask for a sprite zero with a splash of cranberry and you will get a sprite zero and a separate glass of cranberry juice.

when they get things right at the local (it does happen), it’s a great venue, with tasty food available virtually around the clock, and – since sandwiches and burgers are cooked to order – you can actually get some of the hottest food on the ship at the local. but catch them at an odd time, with an indifferent server and you’d be much better off with room service.

my score for the local, therefore, is in two parts…

for the food and the nearly 24-hour access and convenience: B

for the staff and the service and the overall lackadaisical nature of the place C-

hudson’s and the commodore room

these are the two main dining rooms on the prima, both venues serving the same food each night. they used to feature the same menu for every night of the cruise, but, thankfully, that’s been changed. the menu now rotates, as on every other NCL ship.

the wraparound views in hudson’s are stunning, but the choice for their chandeliers can only be described as puzzling. they look like spatulas one might find in liberace’s kitchen. the food is decent… you’ll find something to eat. but it’s mass produced catering hall food, largely unseasoned and under-seasoned and it’s always served room temperature, regardless of what you order. special requests are honored, but just barely so. if you ask for extra marinara sauce or crushed red pepper (or “chili flakes” as the filipinos call them) for your chicken parm, the waiter will arrive without them, but then bring them, after you’ve consumed ¾ of your meal.

there is often a long line at hudson’s and they will give you a beeper and tell you to return when a table is available. one day, when the restaurant was very busy, i agreed to share a table. i didn’t realize it would be a table for ten or twelve or whatever it was. i thought i would be sharing a table for two. i met some interesting people, but a table of that size, with different couples and solos, will slow down service considerably. it took me close to two hours to have lunch!

another day, i was told to wait until a table was ready… they had no two tops. over the next ten minutes, i watched as two separate couples arrived and were seated ahead of me, each at their own table of four, apparently. i asked about this and they said that’s because they can seat two people at a table of four, but solo diners can only be seated at a table for two. i pointed out that if they seat one person at a table for four, and two people at a table for two, they will have the same number of empty seats… three. so why not seat the diners in the order they arrive? this is another example of “rules” that staff must follow, even when they don’t make sense and they can’t explain them.

seating at hudson’s is in three or four concentric “rings” that line the perimeter of the space. that’s great, but if you’re in that outer ring, not only is it very busy - with lots of foot traffic - but people think you’re staring at them when all you’re really doing is trying to look at the view out of the floor to ceiling windows.

i had prebooked reservations at hudson’s on several nights, but that doesn’t seem to matter. you still have to line up in a general queue to get to the host station and enter the restaurant.

i never got to try the commodore room, as it was “closed for a private function” throughout the entirety of the second cruise. i had prebooked reservations for this restaurant and wasn’t informed until i showed up at the venue. apparently, they closed the room for a group of only 125 who were onboard. this, in my opinion, put a strain on other dining venues throughout the cruise. (that same group, by the way, dined in all the other venues and was quite rowdy… applauding and whistling and whooping and hollering inappropriately during shows in the prima theater. at one point, they were scolded from the stage by performers and security had to be brought in to quiet them down.)

my score for hudson’s…

food, service: B

signage / navigation

there have been some reports online that the signage is very bad on the prima and that people don’t know where to go or how to get there. i didn’t find that to be the case, from the very earliest days of the trip, i had no problem finding my way around. there are a lot of directional signs!

i do believe there is one fatal flaw with the design of one type of sign, however… and as often as i looked at this sign, it still messed with my mind till the very last day of the cruise. throughout the ship, at every elevator bank on every deck, there is a graphic image of the ship that orients you toward the front and back of the ship and features the words “ port ” and “ starboard .”

HOWEVER , they only put those words on the bottom of the graphic, regardless of which way the front of the ship is or which side you’re standing on. so, depending on where you are, and how linguistically inclined you are (as opposed to being primarily a visual learner), the word “port” would be placed adjacent to the starboard side of the graphic, and the word “starboard” would be placed adjacent to the port side of the graphic. i figured out what was going on pretty quickly, but my mind still struggles to reconcile that disconnect every single time. (it’s as if you were viewing the word “brown” but it was printed in the color blue.)

UK immigration

as is now customary, there was an “oversea enroute” face-to-face UK immigration inspection a few days before we actually arrived in the UK. this is one of those things that is truly done “for your convenience” and eliminates bottlenecks when arriving in southampton…. so, bravo! but, like many things on the prima, it was mishandled.

i arrived at the observation lounge at the appointed time for my deck, only to be told they were running late and to come back “later.” i asked how i would know when to come back… they said they have been announcing this delay on the PA system. i said, “uh, no, you haven’t, actually. I’ve been listening for it. there have been no announcements.”

a tussle, er, spirited conversation, ensued in which the assistant GM, who seemed to be in charge, insisted to me and several other guests that they had indeed been announcing the delay and advising people of which group was currently being called. in the meantime, one couple said they couldn’t come back later, as they had other plans, and they were let through.

the GM got on her phone to verify that they had been making announcements and found out very quickly that – for whatever reason – they had not. the inspection had been going on for almost three hours at that point and not a single announcement had been made. she didn’t apologize, but she let all of the people with whom she had tussled through.

this is yet another example of NCL not fixing the underlying problem. announcements commenced shortly thereafter, but there didn’t appear to be any examination as to why they hadn’t been delivered previously… and no examination of how the people running this thing, never stopped to realize that they themselves heard no announcements in the observation lounge, which has a PA system on which these things are played.

UK immigration: A, for convenience in disembarkation, F for execution.

the online reports are true. there are indeed long waits for elevators. except when there aren’t, such as very late at night. i’m not sure if this is appreciably different than other ships, but it did feel like there were longer than usual waits. perhaps that’s because of the haven exclusive elevator bank at the aft of the ship, which seems to be where an elevator bank for the gen pop would normally be.

pro tip: if coming from an upper deck, it’s much quicker to take one of the two slides down to deck 8 rather than wait for the lift. you’re welcome.

elevators: B-

rubber ducks

i’ll freely admit that i don’t really understand the curious practice of “hiding” rubber ducks around the ship. maybe it gives kids something to do, and maybe they’ll receive one online status report for every twenty ducks released into the wild, so the organizer can find out where his or her duck has traveled to… and that might be interesting for a minute and a half or so. but i myself just don’t get it.

i did find a duck on one of the main stairwells on the very first day on my way to dinner. i took it with me and placed it on the table, so i could read the tag and figure out what it was all about. no sooner had i done that than my server pounced on the duck, picked it up and claimed it as her own. there was no question involved… it wasn’t as if she said “how cute! may i have this?” it was more like an assertive, assumptive “rubber ducky, you’re the one! you are now mine!” it all happened so quickly and was so odd that (this thing i didn’t want and had no allegiance to) would be snatched away from me without notice.

i found another duck on the stairs on the second cruise and put it back into the pool, so to speak, for others to find/enjoy. but what’s with the hiding in plain sight? wouldn’t the whole thing be more fun if these were actually hidden in game cabinets in the observation lounge or under couches or in go cart cars or on top of or inside a mini golf obstacle or under a stack of wrapped napkins and utensils at the buffet?

rubber ducks… no score, just a big: ?

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Norwegian Prima Cruise
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NCL Prima Jan 5 12 2024 l Packing my Cruise Essentials
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COMMENTS

Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
4.5. Very Good. Overall. Colleen McDaniel. Editor-In-Chief. Introduced as the first ship in NCL's Prima Class in 2022, Norwegian Prima is purposely designed to feel like a swanky resort instead of ...
Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
4.5. Very Good. Overall. Colleen McDaniel. Editor-In-Chief. Introduced as the first ship in NCL's Prima Class in 2022, Norwegian Prima is purposely designed to feel like a swanky resort instead of a cruise ship. It succeeds in giving off that feel, thanks to its minimalist modern design, cool small spaces that create an intimate atmosphere and ...
Our Honest Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship Scorecard Review
These duel racing dry slides pit cruisers against each other for a race to the bottom. While the slides are free, the additional activities on Norwegian Prima's sports deck will cost money. This includes the fun and creatively themed Tee Time. This mini-golf course is set to cost around $15 for a 9-hole round.
A fairly positive experience on the NCL Prima
A fairly positive experience on the NCL Prima. By rsato, August 12, 2023 in Norwegian Cruise Line. Followers. My wife and I sailed on the July 27 NCL Prima Reykjavik to Southampton voyage. We are experienced cruisers (>20 sailings, with 12 on NCL.) Many of the reviews of the NCL Prima so far have been quite concerning.
Norwegian Prima Review
Check out Cruise Critic's member reviews of the Norwegian Prima cruise ship for the best insider tips on deck plans, cabins, food, entertainment and more. Effective July 1st. Due to new ...
NCL Prima Review. 6
Norwegian Cruise Line ; NCL Prima Review. 6 - 17 August, 2023. Southampton to Reykjavik. NCL Prima Review. 6 - 17 August, 2023. Southampton to Reykjavik. By cc-riderslc, August 22 ... Cruise Critic News & Features Digital Photography & Cruise Technology Special Interest Cruising ...
Expert Review of Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
Check out Cruise Critic's expert review of the Norwegian Prima cruise ship for the best insider tips on deck plans, cabins, food, entertainment and more. Find a Cruise; Deals; Reviews; News; ... We chose this cruise because we had sailed with NCL before and found their ships to be beautiful, with good food, entertainment, and service. We were ...
Expert Review of Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
Check out Cruise Critic's expert review of the Norwegian Prima cruise ship for the best insider tips on deck plans, cabins, food, entertainment and more. Find a Cruise; Deals; Reviews; News; Cruise Tips; ... Find a Norwegian Prima Cruise from A$1,843. Departure Month. Any Month. Destination. Search Deals.
Prima Iceland Brief Review
Norwegian Cruise Line. We were on the June 15 to 25 Prima Iceland itinerary. Beautiful trip and we were blessed with amazing weather - 75 and sunny in almost every port, even Iceland! I had low expectations of the Prima because of so many bad reviews. I have my own point of view which I will share after 10 nights of gr...
Norwegian Prima Reviews from Travelers
Ship: Norwegian Prima. This is a good, solid cruise on a very pretty ship. The ship has a lot that is good, but the overall design and venue sizes really take away from the enjoyment bringing the ship overall down to a 3.5 star while the staff and quality are 4+ stars. Overall worth it!
Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
4.5. Very Good. Overall. Colleen McDaniel. Editor-In-Chief. Introduced as the first ship in NCL's Prima Class in 2022, Norwegian Prima is purposely designed to feel like a swanky resort instead of ...
Norwegian Prima Review, Best/Worst. Is Ship Right for you?
The for-fee French restaurant has been a staple on many NCL ships, and you'll find one on Prima, too. But whereas the previous incarnations tend toward an old-world romantic vibe, with dark ...
Caribbean Norwegian Prima Caribbean Cruise Reviews
Sail Date: April 2024. Helpful. Big ship needs small improvements. Review for a Caribbean - Eastern Cruise on Norwegian Prima. Justcruisin94. 2-5 Cruises • Age 30s. Good: most dining is free, most "freestyle" activities are included. Cleanliness is top notch, rooms and bathroom are a good size. People are always very nice and friendly.
NCL Prima any thoughts
The answer is yes. I'm just stating the obvious and telling it how it is . I don't have that 18 day booked. This Iceland cruise on Carnival I was offered three days ago for $3500 goes for over $8000 for a comparable cruise , length, and cabin on NCL next year. $9000 almost with grats. You're obviously an NCL Homer.
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Prima Deck Plans & Reviews
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Prima. 106 reviews. 866-234-7350 Website. All photos (58) Traveler (58) Balcony Cabins (4)
Review: Norwegian Cruise Line Prima
Norwegian Cruise Line Review: The Prima. A 12-night cruise reveals delights and drawbacks, ending with memories of port excursions, an impressive ship, friendly staff and delicious food. Published ...
I've been on nearly every Norwegian Cruise Line ship afloat; here are
Norwegian Prima is the first Norwegian vessel designed from the keel up since cruise industry veteran Frank Del Rio became CEO of parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Del Rio, who built the upscale Oceania brand from nothing into a major player in the industry in the 2000s, is particularly known for his high-end leanings when ...
Norwegian Prima Review and Photos
Theresa Russell was invited to join Norwegian Prima's inaugural sailing from Iceland.Read on for Theresa's comprehensive Norwegian Prima review, along with her quirky sense of humor.. As early renderings of the ship Norwegian Prima were revealed, my anticipation to sail and write a Norwegian Prima review grew stronger. There were many innovative enhancements added to this latest ship in ...
A Room With No View
My husband and I went on the NCL Prima 1/26-2/2 out of Galveston. I think that this was our 8th cruise, having cruised on Carnival, NCL, Disney, and RCL previously, usually with a family group of 10. I chose this cruise because of Galveston being driving distance from our home and because it was a ship we had never been on.
Expert Review of Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
Check out Cruise Critic's expert review of the Norwegian Prima cruise ship for the best insider tips on deck plans, cabins, food, entertainment and more. ... 2022 sailing on NCL Prima because the ...
Norwegian Prima Passenger Reviews
Read passenger reviews for Norwegian Prima. Very nice cruise. Aug 22nd, 2024. It was our first time with NCL, and it was a very good experience.
Would you cruise on NCL Prima, Again?
We have found a trip we're interested in, on the NCL Prima. In researching the ship, I am seeing those that say the ship is too crowded with its smaller spaces and venues, especially if bad weather. But I see others say its not so bad. We're going on our 9th cruise in just a few weeks, so we are ...
Norwegian Dawn Cruise Reviews
See what 3,058 cruisers had to say about their Norwegian Dawn cruises. Find candid photos and detailed reviews of the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship. Effective July 1st.
i spent 21 days onboard NCL prima... here is my prima ...
i recently completed 21 days on the NCL prima on back-to-back cruises: new york --> halifax --> sydney --> akureyri --> reykjavik . reykjavik --> alesund --> gerainger --> bergen --> amsterdam --> zeebrugge --> southampton the ship left new york on 5/14/23 and docked in southampton on 6/4/23. along the way, there was some bad weather, some bad tempers, some even worse weather, some canceled ...