Great and No So Great Ship

Norwegian Prima Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 137

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5
Norwegian Prima

14 Night Caribbean Repositioning: Curacao Aruba & Cozumel (New York To Galveston)

Sail date: December 01, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Prima

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 15180

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 months ago

Review summary

The NCL Prima is a different ship that take a little getting used to but nice, new and refreshing.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Embarkation was normal

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
The ship was different. We liked the decor, the "convertible" theater, the speciality restaurants and the bar selection. The room was fabulous and especially liked the 4 hooks by the entrance. The staff were excellent as usual on NCL. I don't know how they stay so upbeat being away from home so long.

Indulge Outdoor Lounge

4 out of 5

What we had in Indulge was good but the concept will take some getting used to.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

Cagney's Steakhouse always has great steaks and service. Thank you NCL.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Trivia was fun. We missed the mini golf. On Prima it's something completely different and they charge for it. Not able to be by the pool much because the area is so small. I would get rid of the go-cart track and add another pool area. Dry slides were very slow or closed, the look fun but really are not.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The entertainment was great as usual on NCL. A big drawback was the atrium band area was hidden under a celling so the upper decks could not enjoy the music.

Children's Programs

No Children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Great as usual.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
The ship had a good feel being new and modern. The layout was different, but we learned to get around quickly. The biggest disappointment was the buffet, small and always crowded. The local restaurant was smaller also and hard to get into at times. The think the Indulge Food Hall would grow on us but it will take some time.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The cabin was very comfortable, normal size balcony room. It was very clean. We really liked the 4 wall hooks by the entrance. Used them all the time.

Ship tip

Be prepared for the changes

Ports of call

New York, New York

5 out of 5
Taking into consideration that the port building is small it was more than adequate.

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

5 out of 5
Fun port even without an excursion.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5
One of our best ports. Docking right in old town. Seeing the old fort from the 15th century as we sailed into port is unforgettable. Walking oldtown with no excursion is fabulous. So much to see.

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

5 out of 5
Nice port with shops close to the port. I would do an excursion here.

Willemstad, Curacao

5 out of 5
First time there. We did an excursion to tour the island. Very informative.

Kralendijk, Bonaire

5 out of 5
We did the best glass bottom boat tour we ever had in Bonaire.

Oranjestad, Aruba

5 out of 5
Did a lot of walking but well worth it.

Falmouth, Jamaica

3 out of 5
We did not get off the ship.

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5
Ship did not stop because of high seas. They need to build a pier.

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
Fun as usual. So many things to do in Cozumel. This time we did Paradice Beach for the first time and we had such a good time we plan to return.

Galveston, Texas

4 out of 5
Busy and a little cramped. A lot of traffic.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Quick and seamless until we got out of the terminal.
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