We have just returned from our second cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Prima. Following our first review, we received a lot of questions and comments about the ship. Further, there have been several not so positive reviews online about this new ship.

True, Norwegian Prima is unlike any other NCL ship in the fleet. Still, it seems like loyal NCL cruisers do not have much love for this new ship. Is this negativity justified? Well, now that we have been on the ship twice, we take aim at several of the common complaints we hear about the ship to see if the NCL fans are right about Norwegian Prima.

Are the NCL Fans Right About Norwegian Prima?

The Ship Décor

One common knock about Norwegian Prima has to do with the décor of the ship. Many claim that it is too bland and that the common areas lack character or personality. One individual replied that the ship isn’t “fun” like the other ships. Are the NCL fans right about the décor on Norwegian Prima?

When it comes to the décor, we are actually fans of the more subtle, neutral color palette. Similar to luxury cruise lines like Viking, the ship’s beechwood tones, pops of nautical blues, and diverse art collection feel upscale and sophisticated.

When compared to some ships in the fleet with loud theming, Norwegian Prima offers a more refined and elegant atmosphere.

We like that this design aesthetic carries throughout the ship, in both the indoor and outdoor public spaces. The new Ocean Boulevard is a big upgrade from the Waterfront, giving the area a more beach club-like feel.

Further, contrary to many cruisers, we actually like the Penrose Atrium. They find the design to be rather basic and closed off, and not as inviting as other Norwegian Cruise Line ships. While some say it resembles a shopping mall, we liken it to a grand hotel lobby.

We would agree that the Penrose Atrium is a completely new design and not as flashy as 678 Ocean Place on the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class ships. However, the new atrium on Norwegian Prima is actually more functional.

On Norwegian Prima, the shopping, coffee shop, and support services are all centralized in an inviting and fluid setup. The ship smartly uses this space to include all of these amenities but still offer an open three deck central area that can become a gathering space for cruisers.

Tucking the Guest Services and Shore Excursion desks out of the way, this central atrium creates more intimate spaces for socializing. From the coffee shop seating on deck 7 to live music on deck 6 in the evenings, we think the Penrose Atrium is more dynamic than other NCL ships.

While the vibe might be more understated elegance, theming is not absent on the ship. For instance, Le Bistro features oversized chandeliers and a very regal look. Los Lobos offers a Latin-inspired menu, with an equally well-appointed dining room. The vibrant colors and more seaside look of the Local Bar and Grill is a nice upgrade too. Not to mention, the Hudson’s main dining room offers stunning 270-degree ocean views.

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Reserving Entertainment and Shows

Another problem many cruisers cite about Norwegian Prima has to do with reservations. Specifically, cruisers have reported difficulty getting reservations to the nightly entertainment. Are the NCL Fans right about Norwegian Prima?

In the past, cruisers were able to pre-book reservations on the NCL website for entertainment. Honestly, the same was true for larger ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet as well. However, since the cruise restart, this has not been the case on either cruise line. 

With that said, if entertainment is your thing, then you should make your reservations as soon as you board the ship. Currently, cruisers can book shows using the touch screens in front of the elevators. Or, you can head to Syd Norman’s when you board the ship to book directly with the entertainment staff.

We booked our shows as soon as we boarded the ship and were able to secure reservations for all the shows without issue.

For our cruises, there were three main theater shows and two different comedians. Regardless of the itinerary, there should be a few showings of the Donna Summer Musical, Noise Boys, and The Price is Right in the Prima Theater.

We will admit that on our first 8-day cruise on Norwegian Prima there were not enough comedy showtimes; though, on our second 4-day sailing, there were two comedy shows each night.  

Even with reservations, like any mega ship, you do need to get to the venues early for optimal seating. We always show up at least 30 minutes before showtime.

Again, we can agree that the entertainment spaces might be smaller on Norwegian Prima, but even cruising on one of Royal Caribbean’s newer ships, optimal seats in entertainment venues are gone way before showtime.

For us, we had the most difficulty getting seats in Syd Norman’s Pour House. This venue has stunning theming and an amazing band. However, you are not able to make reservations for these rock shows.

With the band only playing three shows over a typical week, getting seats at this venue is almost impossible. Cruisers report lining up over an hour before showtime. For our cruises, we opted to just arrive 30 minutes before showtime for a standing room only view.

Aside from making the venue bigger on future ships, the only other solutions we see are making this a reservation only space on select nights or adding several more showtimes during the cruise.

Bars and Lounges

Now, we are big fans of several of the bars and lounges on other NCL ships. As a beer lover, I really enjoy the District Brewhouse. The large selection of craft beer, leather couches, and a hometown feel make the venue one of my favorites on any cruise line.

The wife loves the drinks at the Sugarcane Mojito bar, as well as the festive vibe of this lounge. Not to mention, the classics at the pool bar. An NCL cruise isn’t complete without at least one Mango Meltdown or BBC during your trip.

So, like many, we were disappointed that most of the bars on Norwegian Prima are new to the fleet. Yet, we quickly found some new favorites onboard the ship.

The Belvedere Bar on deck 6 was our go-to later in the evenings. I was a big fan of the bourbon myth, and Heidi enjoyed the all about that basil cocktail. These signature cocktails, crafted by the land-based Bar Lab, offer a nice alternative to our usual drinks.

The Metropolitan Bar on deck 7 is home to sustainable drinks. While many raved about the La Madrina, I preferred the croissant Mai-Tai, and Heidi enjoyed the Cucumber Cool. Not to mention, this venue now features live music in the evenings.

Other “on tap” cocktails also quickly became our go-to libations. The fruity vodka-based red bubbles or the signature smoked peach margarita were favorites for Heidi. On the new standard menu, I oscillated between the monkey business with peanut butter whiskey and my usual sidecar.

So, needless to say, we did not have any problems making use of the Norwegian Premium Beverage package during either cruise.

Too Many Up-Charges

One thing we are surprised to hear from frequent NCL cruisers is that there are too many up-charges on Norwegian Prima. Frankly, most NCL mega ships offer several up-charge activities. To us, this is no different than the Breakaway or Breakaway Plus class ships.

Yes, the more unique attractions do cost a fee. Thus, we just budget accordingly when cruising with NCL.

Norwegian Prima’s 3-story Speedway costs extra. In fact, it is the same price as the go-karts on the other NCL ships.

The Galaxy Pavilion, also found on other NCL vessels, is an up-charge across the fleet. So, it is not a surprise to us that this venue costs more.

Honestly, there are a number of onboard activities that are completely free. The new dry slides, the Drop and the Rush, are complimentary. Cruisers can race down 10 decks without incurring any fees.

The outdoor sports area, the Stadium, is also complimentary. The venue includes a variety of activities, like shuffleboard, ping pong, a version of beer pong, and a pickleball court.

The Wave waterslide is also free. Not to mention, all of the other included activities around the ship, like the interactive art tour, karaoke, trivia, game shows, and more.

However, there are some new activities on Norwegian Prima where we feel the up-charges are questionable.

For one, there’s the new Bull’s Eye darts pub. This lounge lets up to 6 individuals play 50 minutes of darts for $40. While we think the price might be a little steep, let’s be fair. If the cruise line didn’t charge, people would spend all day there, and other cruisers wouldn’t have a chance to use the facilities.

The one up-charge that’s a little harder to justify is the mini-golf. While Tee Time is currently complimentary, due to technical issues, NCL plans to charge for this activity.

Many cruise lines have mini golf, and it is always included in the cruise fare. Yet, NCL is trying to justify the cost of the mini-golf because cruisers can win prizes.

We suggest just getting rid of the free cruise grand prize and making mini-golf complimentary. After all, getting a free go kart ride or a free galaxy pavilion game for a hole-in-one on hole 9 wouldn’t hurt the cruise line’s bottom line.

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Not Family Focused

Similar to the concerns regarding all the up-charge activities, many cruisers are concerned about taking a family cruise on Norwegian Prima. Those interested in this new ship worry that their kids might be bored. Are the NCL Fans right about Norwegian Prima?

Admittedly, we do not have kids. So, we do not have any first hand knowledge of what it is like for families on this ship.

It is true that the cruise line removed the teen area, Entourage. Now, teens and younger cruisers share a rather small Splash Academy on deck 15, with additional activities occurring in other venues around the ship.

As for the programming or the youth activities staff, we do not know how it compares to other NCL ships. We would expect the same type of events and organized activities for junior cruisers are available on Norwegian Prima.

Further, there is no video arcade on this new ship or the games often found in the Local Bar and Grill. Yes, there are all the outdoor amenities like the Stadium and the slides; though, those do close by around 6 PM most days.

If you are cruising with younger kids, it’s important to note that there are height restrictions on the slides and other attractions. Additionally, there is only one small splash pad that is located away from the main pool area.

In our opinion, the ship does appear to be more family-friendly, than it is family-focused. When compared to the youth areas and activities on competitor cruise lines, it is certainly less appealing for younger cruisers. Teenagers will likely enjoy all the activities, but you will definitely need to budget in some extra money for all the attractions.

New Main Dining Setup

Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator of Freestyle dining. Typically, the complimentary main dining rooms offer a rotational menu each evening. This menu changes nightly, with a few select items that stay the same all cruise.

Well, on Norwegian Prima, NCL completely changed this setup. Now, the two main dining rooms, Hudson’s on deck 7 and the Commodore Room on 6, serve the same menu every night of the cruise.

The thinking behind this change is simple. The main dining rooms can offer a more elevated, expansive menu each night with better execution of the dishes.

While this sounds good on paper, many cruisers are not happy with the new fixed menu. Based on our main dining room experiences, we would rate it as average.

While the main dining room menu on Norwegian Prima features more upscale selections, we didn’t feel the food preparation was much better.

I did enjoy the spare rib appetizer and the short rib entrée. The wife also enjoyed the custom pasta selection. Though, we really couldn’t see ourselves eating here more than 2 or 3 times during a 7-day cruise. With so many other great options on the ship, it’s not so much of an issue for us.

Honestly, given most cruisers have two specialty restaurant credits from the Free at Sea perk, it never made sense for the main dining room menu to change every night anyway.

It would be nice if the Commodore Room and Hudson’s featured a different menu though for greater variety. We do still like the sit-down dining experience for dinner, so we don’t typically eat at the buffet (or the new Indulge Food Hall) in the evenings.

The Haven

We have never stayed in the Haven, the exclusive “ship within a ship” space, on Norwegian Cruise Line before. However, we did have the opportunity to stay in a Penthouse suite on our last Norwegian Prima cruise. We loved our cabin and the private amenities available to Haven guests.

Although, many regular Haven cruisers are not impressed with this space on Norwegian Prima. Some of the critiques we’ve heard are that the lounge is not open enough and they don’t like the general layout of the area. We must admit, we didn’t like that cruisers need to take an elevator to reach the lounge or restaurant from their cabins.

In our opinion, the Haven on Norwegian Prima accomplishes its goal of being a “ship within a ship”. Now that the Haven is at the back of the ship, the two-story sundeck offers the best views on the entire ship.

The aft, infinity pool is a major upgrade from the courtyard pool found on other NCL ships. With two whirlpools, a Finnish sauna, and an ice room, the sundeck is like a mini-spa reserved just for Haven guests.

Additionally, there is both an indoor and outdoor bar, and the Haven restaurant even offers al fresco dining.

For us, the Haven Restaurant definitely delivered. It provided an upscale, exquisite dining experience. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While the menus stay the same all week, the selections were an upgrade to the MDR menu and were expertly prepared. Some of my favorite dishes were the shrimp Louie, surf and turf, and cheesecake.

Service too was prompt and personable at the restaurant, bars, and concierge desk. Virginia, our concierge, was very helpful.

So, we have no complaints whatsoever about our time in The Haven on Norwegian Prima.

Size of Venues

Norwegian Prima is 143.5K gross tons and holds 3,099 passengers at double-occupancy. NCL boasts that Norwegian Prima offers the most outdoor space of any new build. Most of this space can be found in areas like the Ocean Boulevard on deck 8 or the additional sundeck all the way forward on deck 18.

While we do like these outdoor spaces, one of the biggest complaints about Norwegian Prima is that the venues are too small. Are the NCL fans right about Norwegian Prima?

We do tend to agree on this point, especially some of the indoor entertainment spaces. The Improv at Sea, the ship’s comedy club, only holds around 70 people. The two performances we attended here were standing room only. Similarly, Syd Norman’s Pour House is a popular music venue, with limited seating that is gone an hour before showtime.

Like the Breakaway Plus class ships, seats in the Observation Lounge were mostly gone by early morning on those chilly sea days as well.

Like any ship, the crowd in the other bars and lounges ebbs and flows throughout the night and getting seats was much more manageable. We never had issues getting seats in the main theater either as long as we arrived about 30 minutes before showtime.

Some of the dining spaces feel a bit cramped too. The Indulge Food Hall, one of our favorite new spots on Norwegian Prima, is very busy during peak lunch time. Likewise, the smaller Surf Side Café and Grill is crowded.

The cruise line is still working out these kinks. In warmer weather, it has added waitstaff to the outdoor seating near the Indulge Food Hall. Further, overflow seating is available for the ship’s buffet down the hall in the Food Republic.

The entire design of Norwegian Prima is to have a mega-ship that feels more intimate. To accomplish this goal, there are several smaller venues, instead of a few larger venues. While we do generally like this concept, it is possible that NCL did not allocate enough space to some of the more popular venues on the ship.

The Layout of the Ship

In keeping with this design concept, Norwegian Prima abandons the larger, open spaces for smaller, unique spaces. This is very similar to Virgin Voyages’ layout. Some cruisers love it, and others hate it.

The haters argue that the ship has too many dead ends and limited paths to get from one venue to the next. But, like any new cruise ship, it takes a little time to get adjusted to the deck plans. It is different, but not difficult to figure out. 

We like that the bars and restaurants on Norwegian Prima feel more private. So, we think it is worth the sacrifice.

Though, it is a bit surprising to us that the only way to get to the Indulge Food Hall is by walking through The Local Bar. You also might miss some of the specialty restaurants if you aren’t looking for them. For instance, the entrance to Le Bistro is tucked around the stairwell on Deck 7 removed from the rest of the public spaces. And, the entrance to Onda is tuck out of sight behind the Whiskey Bar.

When it comes to the outdoor decks, we feel a bit differently. If the ship is trying to compete with premium ships, like the Celebrity Edge class, then the pool deck falls short. It does feel small and rather closed off with the racetrack boxing in one end and the forward sun deck boxing in the other end. It also does not allow for prime sun-tanning space, as much of the area is shaded.

Further, it is not visually stunning, especially with the 3-story racetrack looming above.

Overall, when you consider the two pools on Ocean Boulevard and the additional forward sun deck on deck 18, there is still plenty of space to relax outdoors. Yet, the pool deck certainly does not give off the same luxurious feel of Celebrity’s resort deck.

Another issue we found with the design of the outdoor spaces was the location of the new sports deck attractions. Both the Bull’s Eye and Tee Time mini-golf are located in an alley midship on deck 18. With this design, the area creates a wind tunnel. Plus, the area is tight when many players are in the space.

Hopefully, there is some weather protection or a better layout on future Prima class ships.

WiFi and NCL App

Lastly, there have been many complaints about the WiFi and NCL app. Most of the reviews indicate the internet does not work well, and the app is spotty. Are the NCL fans right about Norwegian Prima?

Here, we have to agree with the critics.

Now, Prima was our first sailing with NCL since the restart. So, we are not sure if the internet issues are tied to this ship or the entire fleet. However, the internet was unbearably slow on both our Prima cruises.

During our first cruise from Iceland, the internet would barely load anything. On our second trip from New York, the internet was better but certainly not “high speed”. Now, we don’t expect cruise ship WiFi to be as fast as land-based services, but it was also not on par with WiFi on competitor cruise lines.

This does surprise us, as we would expect a brand new ship to have the appropriate infrastructure for highspeed WiFi.

The cruise line does charge a premium for internet service that advertises streaming capabilities. While we were able to post to social media and check our email, we could not stream content or upload/download large files.

With other cruise lines shifting to SpaceX’s Starlink, we hope NCL has a plan to improve WiFi speeds to keep up with the competition.

We had similar complaints about the app as well. During our two trips, the app was essentially a digital Freestyle Daily. We could not book any entertainment or dining through the app. Further, while it would show that we had items booked on a given day, we could not see any of our entertainment reservations. We needed to resort to our stateroom television to see those.

Having sailed on all the major cruise lines recently, NCL’s app ranks on the lower end in terms of functionality and capabilities. If the cruise line is trying to appeal to a younger demographic, the app definitely needs to be enhanced.

Comments

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