Norwegian Prima Review & Insights

Freestyle cruising got a bit better with the debut of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship, Norwegian Prima. The first vessel of the line’s ‘Prima’ class of ships combines a classy,  comfortable, and elegant setting, packed with all of the onboard activities, dining venues, and entertainment options you would expect from a ship of its size. 

Norwegian Prima made its official debut in August 2022 in Reykjavik, Iceland with a traditional christening ceremony with godmother Katy Perry. The ship has repositioned to the United States where it will spend its inaugural winter season sailing Caribbean cruises from Florida before repositioning to New York City in spring 2023. 

Here are some fast facts on Norwegian Pima: 

• Built in 2022
• Capacity: 3,100 guests (at double occupancy) and 1,506 crew
• The ship offers 36% more space for guests (compared to other mainstream ships of its size)
• 1,647 total cabins, with 35 different categories 
• A redesigned ‘The Haven’ ship-within-a-ship luxury offering 
• A number of specialty and included eateries, including Norwegian’s first food hall at sea, Onda by Scarpetta, Cagney’s, The Local, and more
• Onboard highlights include The Drop, the first freefall slide at sea, and Prima Speedway, the first-ever three-story go-kart racetrack at sea

Design 

Architecture and decor on Norwegian Prima was designed by famed names Piero Lissoni, Rockwell Group, SMC Design, and Studio Dado. The ship has a very unique way of mixing high-end, elegant design in a manner that suits a variety of travelers. Inside, you will find calming, neutral, grey, and beige decor, mixed with a number of teal shades to compliment the ocean that surrounds the ship.

The Penrose Atrium spans three floors (the first Norwegian ship of its size) and is dotted by a number of shops, lounges, seating areas, and guest service desks. It’s a great meeting place that is central to everything on the ship. 

Norwegian Prima offers the most outdoor decks of any new ship. Deck 8 is home to Ocean Boulevard which has spectacular lounging areas complimented by infinity pools open to all guests. On this deck, you will also find Oceanwalk, a suspended infinity glass walkway that spans around the ship. In our experience, this is one of the most relaxing areas of the ship and a great place to sit back and watch the waves roll by.

Up on top of the ship is where guests will find a lot of the action. Decks 16-20 are home to the main pool as well as Vibe Beach Club. On these levels, you will also find a lot of family-friendly entertainment options which we will cover in detail below. The main pool is located on 17, just outside Surfside Cafe. Its size is modest, but with a number of other pool and hot tub options around the ship, there’s plenty of room for crowds to spread out. Vibe Beach Club is an 18+ adults-only outdoor area with plenty of lounge space, two elevated infinity hot tubs, and a large bar serving up a variety of frozen cocktails. 

Around the ship, guests will find an art collection valued at over $6 million. Pieces include a mix of styles decorating the halls in and outside of the ship. Most pieces have a QR code that guests can scan to learn more about the work. One of the unique spaces you will find outside the ship is The Concourse sculpture garden. This section offers a range of unique sculptures and seating areas and is a great spot for photo ops. 

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Dining 

Norwegian Prima offers 4 included eateries (plus one additional for The Haven guests). Cuisine options across all venues vary and each eatery has been uniquely designed to match a theme. These venues include the two main dining rooms (Hudson’s and The Commodore Room), The Local Bar & Grill, Indulge Food Hall, Surfside Cafe & Grill, and The Haven Restaurant (Haven guests only). 

Both Hudson’s and The Commodore serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, each offering the same menu. With Norwegian’s Freestyle Dining style, no set dining time is required and you can choose either one of these venues if you opt for this dining option. Just to note, these venues can get rather crowded before/after shows so be prepared you may have to wait for a table, or plan accordingly. Food served in these main dining rooms, was in our experience, average to above average, however the service was very attentive. 

Surfside Cafe & Grill is the ship’s quick-serve buffet area, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night bites. It has both indoor and outdoor seating. We found the food options to be plentiful and to our liking. 

At The Local Bar & Grill, you can enjoy sandwiches, burgers, and wings, while catching a game on TV or just relax in the venue’s comfortable setting. We recommend grabbing a table outside of The Local. The eatery’s outside seating is right next to the end of The Drop free fall slide so you can see the reaction of all the daredevils as they come off the ride! 

The Indulge Food Hall is a new concept for Norwegian Cruise Line. Here you will find eleven food stations, where you can select a range of dishes to create a full meal. Options include Nudls (noodle dishes, Tamara (Indian cuisine), Seaside Rotisserie (roast meats), The Latin Quarter (Mexican cuisine), Tapas, The Garden (salads), Q Texas Smokehouse (bbq), Just Desserts, Just Ice Cream, and Coco’s (extra cost; custom milkshakes), and Starbucks (extra cost). 

Guests select a table or bar seat dotting the space and order dishes from an iPad. A crew member will bring the items directly to your seat for you to enjoy. It’s very unique and fun, and a great way to sample a number of dishes in one space. Of note, Indulge can get very crowded and the seated is very limited. We recommend if you want to check it out, come at an off-hour, or be prepared that you may have to walk around and look for a seat. The food selections are very unique and most of the items we tried were tasty. Some of our favorites included the Black Bean Toastada from the Latin Quarter and the Agnoletti from Nudls. Service is very quick and you will have the dishes you order within minutes.

There are eight specialty eateries on Norwegian Prima. Cagney’s Steakhouse (a Norwegian guest favorite) serves classic steakhouse fare. Hasuki, a fun option for families, offers teppanyaki served at a shared table. Food Republic offers an eclectic, fun menu, such as Mexican street foods, sushi, dumplings, and pho. Le Bistro is a romantic, elegant French eatery complete with attentive waiters and white tablecloths. Los Lobos is a premium Mexican restaurant, located on Ocean Boulevard with both indoor and outdoor seating. Palomar is Norwegian’s first-ever Mediterranean restaurant, serving fresh seafood with a European flare. Onda by Scarpetta serves high-end Italian cuisine paired with an exquisite wine list. At Nama Sushi and Sashimi enjoy a variety of sushi rolls and sake-based cocktail. 

On our short sailing, we were able to experience Nama Sushi. Some favorite dishes that we tried were the Salmon Nashi (raw salmon topped with miso and pear), the spicy tuna handroll, and the rainbow roll (a crab roll topped with yellowtail, tuna, salmon, shrimp, and avocado). Items are sold a la carte and there is no set menu price to dine at Nama. The service at Nama was quick and attentive and we enjoyed most of the dishes we sampled.

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Cabins 

Cabins Overview

Norwegian Prima offers six categories of staterooms (plus cabins in The Haven): Studio, Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, Club Balcony Suite, and Suites. 

Studio cabins are for solo travelers. These cabin types offer around 94 sq. ft. with a full-size bed and access to the ‘Studio Lounge’. There are three types of Inside cabins, ranging from 160-254 sq. feet, each with a queen bed and sitting area. Oceanview rooms (4 categories) can accommodate between 2-4 guests with 186-370 sq. ft. Balcony cabins come in 5 categories, ranging in 231+ sq. ft., plus a balcony area of at least 45 sq. ft. 

Suite-style cabins are divided by regular Suites as well as Club Balcony Suites, with 10 different categories overall. All Suites accommodate 2-4 guests, some with separate sleeping/living areas. Suites are great options for families or couples looking for some extra room to spread out. 

At the top of the ship at the aft is The Haven, the special ship-within-a-ship area. Guests in this area receive special amenities such as a dedicated concierge service, separate lounges, restaurant, bar, pool area, as well as a wet/dry sauna. 

There are nine types of suites in this area, ranging from a 368 sq. ft. Haven Penthouse with Balcony, all the way up to The Haven Premier Owner's Suite with a Large Balcony, located on deck 14 with three bedrooms, bathrooms, living area, and an outdoor tub (coming in at 2100 sq. ft of interior space and an 828 sq. ft. balcony). 

Cabin Impressions

My cabin was a Balcony cabin located mid-ship on Deck 10. Norwegian has designed Prima’s cabins to include more space, which was definitely noticed in a room for two people. The cabin offered a queen size bed, with a sitting area and a small desk. The decor was very calming, aesthetically pleasing, and designed with the comfort of guests in mind. 

The balcony was a good size for two people. The furniture is comfortable, stylish, and a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the ocean roll by. 

The closet area provided the most storage space in the cabin, with a two-sided dresser option, drawers for storage, as well as an open area for hanging items or luggage, plus an open cabinet area close to the floor that serves as good space for shoes. This area also included a small safe for valuables. 

The desk had a drawer to store papers as well as plugs for electronics. In this section, there was also a small mini-fridge, as well as shelves for glasses and other small items. On each side of the bed were nightstands, each offering USB plugs attached to a lamp.

The bathroom was surprisingly spacious and offered several closed and open areas for storage. The shower had a floor-to-ceiling door, and offered soap as well as shampoo/conditioner dispensers.

Room service is offered (24 hours/extra fee) and is ordered by calling through the cabin phone. Norwegian also offered a new room delivery service called SWIFT which delivers drinks/snacks via ordering through a QR code. Due to our shorter sailing, we did not get a chance to try this option, but this offering would be great on a longer trip when you are spending more time in the cabin. 

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Onboard Activities 

Norwegian Prima does its best to make sure there is always something to do while onboard. Almost every activity was suitable for all ages, so cruisers should have no problem finding something to do to pass time while onboard.

For the competitive types, Norwegian Prima offers a variety of different indoor and outdoor options to let your competitive spirit shine. For the outdoor activities, take your pick between racing laps in go-karts around the 3-story Prima Speedway track, working on your short game on the 9-hole, Las Vegas-themed mini golf course known as Tee Time, or lounging with friends while playing darts at Bulleye. 

For some activity-oriented exercise, The Stadium also offers several small-scale games like table tennis, shuffleboard tables, fusbol, tubular ping pong, pickleball, and subsoccer (a fun version of sitdown mini-soccer that gets all the fun parts of soccer without all the running around). These activities are all found in the same area atop Deck 16, so you can make a whole afternoon or evening out of these by bouncing around to try everything, and then you can always revisit your favorites later.

In the case of inclement weather or a desire to keep to air-conditioned spaces, there is an arcade-style option which is fun for both kids and adults. The Galaxy Pavilion is more of a VR-activity area rather than traditional arcade games, but it offers activities from a VR Maze to different kinds of simulators like offroading, flight, and racing sims. There is also an escape room that is charged a la carte but must be reserved at the start of your cruise. This area definitely has a futuristic feel to it rather than retro, though, so be prepared to find something new to try everywhere you look inside.

For cruisers looking to get some relaxation time aboard the ship, there is no shortage of pools on almost any outdoor space you can find. The main pool on Deck 17 has a plethora of deck chairs to soak up some sun, but you can find some style of infinity pool lining the sides of the ship on many different decks. The Mandara Spa offers a full Thermal Suite full of several different saunas and pools for a comprehensive relaxation experience. The Spa also has its own meditation room dedicated to providing cruisers with a space to completely relax and unwind if needed. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum from relaxation, the ship does have a dedicated gym area for cruisers hoping to stay in shape during their cruising experience. This gym comes with a gorgeous view through the aft of the ship which will make any workout a little more enjoyable.

As on any cruise ship, there is a massive casino onboard as well, so anyone looking to test their luck will have their share of opportunities. The casino is decked out with the typical array of slot machines galore and plenty of tables to play games like poker, craps, blackjack and more.

The Casino on Norwegian Prima - Photos by Cruiseline.com

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Entertainment 

Aside from the activities onboard Norwegian Prima, they do offer a complement of shows to enhance the nighttime experience. The shows are held in the Prima Theater and feature The Price is Right Live! and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. There is also a slate of comedians that perform in the Improv at Sea lounge each night, so there are plenty of options for any cruiser.

The Price is Right Live! called upon any audience member to participate in a slew of price-guessing games to bring you right into the world of the hit game show. Any cruiser is fair-game, but real prizes are given out if you are lucky enough to get selected. 

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical follows the life of Donna Summer, “The Queen of Disco,” and features excellent singing, dancing, and acting that fans of Donna Summer’s music will adore, and even those who might be unfamiliar with her music can still enjoy.

Kids & Teens 

Families looking for a space to enjoy some fun and the sun can head to the Kids’ Aqua Park located on Deck 18. This area offers sun loungers and a variety of water splash pads for kids to play in. 

Norwegian Prima offers complimentary youth programming for ages 3-17 at Splash Academy, located on deck 15. Opening hours include sea days and port days while the ship is sailing. Late Night Services are offered nightly from 11p – 1a for an hourly fee. 

Kids ages 3-12 will join the Splash Academy for fun, family-focused activities. Within Splash Academy is Encore, the teens club for ages 13-17. In this area, teen guests can enjoy games, parties, and activities with travelers their own age. Note, due to restrictions, Splash Academy and Entourage may operate with limited services. Check with guest services or your Freestyle Daily for hours of operation and more information.  

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