Norwegian missed the mark with Prima. This was my first and likely last Norwegian cruise. It didn’t have the ‘grand’ feel nor functional layout that I’ve experienced with Royal Caribbean. The food was just okay, the lack of allergy food options for my son and kid entertainment was concerning. Our port stops were a fun experience overall, Jamaica gets more sketchy each time I’ve gone but the other were great. We made the best of our trip.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
It was easy getting checked in but everyones bags were just placed anywhere in the hallway on our floor. On other cruise lines they have been brought directly to our room.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The food overall was okay but this rating is mainly due to the lack of food options for my son with dairy, egg, peanut and tree nut allergies. Fruit Loops for breakfast and lemon sorbet for dessert was only options. Every meal had to be pre-ordered each night which was very difficult.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
The activities on ship were limited and for what was of interest were always full. The ship has multiple venues but all except main theater can only fit up to 50 people or so with a ship with thousands. You would have to be in line an hour plus before shows or activities to be able to get in.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, Bingo, Noise Boys were all very entertaining and well put together. The issue is you have to be on the ship early at embarkation to reserve your spot. Many didn’t get to go because the theater only a small percent of the total passengers.
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
The activities for kids less than 8 without an up charge were non-existent. My kids were too short for the slides, the kids academy was always full, the main pool was tiny and by the bar so always packed, the splash area for kids was basically a sprinkler, and the other things like go-karts or Galaxy area all cost $15+/person. The staff at the Splash Academy were great but again rarely any availability.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The staff overall was good. My complaints primarily are with ship design versus staffing.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This rating is for the ships design not cleanliness. The ship was spotless and very clean. However, the ships layout was horrible. Way too many small spaces. Essentially a hotel on water that was hard to navigate, cramped spaces, many bottlenecks. I would never go on the ship again.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Overall the cabin was great. They made great use of the space with multiple storage areas and a larger than normal stateroom bathroom. Only complaint is the railings on pull down beds were not long enough.
I wouldn’t write off an entire cruise line based on a single ship. None of NCLs other ships are anything like the Prima. You may very well like the Breakaway Plus class if you enjoy RCL.
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