NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE SERVES UP ELEVATED EPICUREAN EXPERIENCES WITH NEW PRIMA CLASS
Brand Unveils Nine New Food and Beverage Concepts, Including First Sustainably-Focused Cocktail and Wine Bar, Debuts Companyβs First Three-level Atrium and Revamps Main Dining Offerings
MIAMI (March 8, 2022) – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, today revealed additional details regarding its elevated culinary and beverage offerings for its highly-anticipated new Prima Class vessels, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva.
The first two of six vessels within this cutting-edge class will push the boundaries of traditional cruise cuisine with the debut of nine new dining and beverage venues including Metropolitan Bar, the Brandβs first sustainably-focused bar. The Cruise Line also announced its first three-level atrium, the Penrose Atrium, in addition to major F&B updates including the launch of its revamped main dining menu set to rollout on Norwegian Prima as well as the enhancement to Norwegianβs guest-favorite culinary staples Le Bistro, Cagneyβs Steakhouse and Food Republic as well as NCLβs coveted Observation Lounge.
βWeβve been innovators in the food and beverage space for more than three decades, becoming the first cruise line to offer specialty dining and the first to introduce our βFreestyle Cruisingβ concept that allows our guests to vacation their way by giving them the choice to decide when and where they dine,β said Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive officer. βOur latest food and beverage offerings take our Norwegian Prima Food and Beverage experience to another level, one that travels well beyond the guest expectation to provide elevated gastronomical experiences featuring sophisticated design, masterful mixology and cuisine that delivers full-throttle flavor.β
Elevated Eateries
Meant to take guests on a global culinary journey, the seven new dining venues onboard Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva will take first-time and returning travelers on an epicurean adventure featuring tantalizing fare matched with thoughtfully curated design. Making its debut on Norwegian Prima, the all-new Mediterranean seafood specialty restaurantΒ Palomar, set in a relaxing atmosphere, features high-end Mediterranean cuisine made with simple yet sophisticated ingredients.Β
HasukiΒ the Brandβs new elevated take on the traditional “hibachi-style”, will boast an intimate space featuring design elements that invite guests into the artisanship of Japanese influence through minimalist decor, handcrafted pottery and featured Japanese artwork. NCLβs new contemporary sushi houseΒ NamaΒ will offer guests elevated sushi dishes prepared by master chefs who will create upscale sushi and sashimi masterpieces. The venue is set among a whimsical Japanese backdrop inspired by the restaurantβs menu items, including a marble sushi bar reflective of the marbling in the high-quality sashimi and subtle orange ambient lighting representing the color of masago (fish roe).
Main Dining Modernization
Located in the aft of the ship, guests will be able to take in stunning 270-degree views overlooking the stern, and sample mouthwatering menu items in the elevated new main dining room atΒ HudsonβsΒ or opt for upscale cuisine set in comfortable yet refined surroundings atΒ The Commodore Room. Both locations will boast a revamped extensive fixed menu that offers guests more variety to sample global dishes from Spanish Paella and Italian mussels prepared in a white wine sauce to fully vegetarian options such as mushroom risotto and cauliflower piccata.
In addition to offering travelers consistent high-quality dishes to choose from, the new menu will also boast a build-your-own-pasta section where guests can request a tailormade Italian classic pasta dish by selecting their choice of pasta, sauce, and topping, providing more than 24 meal combinations. The menu will also include a βSpecialtiesβ section where cruise goers can select a dish from one of the shipβs specialty dining eateries. The revamped menu will debut on Norwegian Prima and will roll out to the rest of NCLβs 17-ship fleet through 2023.
The Surfside CafΓ© and Surfside Grill located on Deck 17 will feature a diverse menu, with self-serve casual dining, and items prepared βa la minuteβ upon guest request.
Sustainably Focused and Handcrafted LibationsΒ
TheΒ Metropolitan BarΒ will premiere under the Brandβs Sail and Sustain program featuring responsibly crafted zero-waste cocktails prepared with surplus ingredients as well as offer a fully sustainable spirits menu and biodynamic wines. Working with βThe Drinks Businessβ Green Awards 2020 recipient Gerard Bertrand, NCLβs Metropolitan Bar will showcase more than 20 biodynamic wines produced using organic farming methods such as employing compost as fertilizer and avoiding most pesticides. Norwegian once again partnered with James Beard Award-nominee and Bar-Lab founder, Gabe Orta to pair elevated libation with sustainably focused practices. The Metropolitan Barβs signature sustainably made cocktail the βPrimadonnaβ, takes a play on an Old Fashion and is crafted using surplus banana peels with Flor De Cana rum that is produced with 100% renewable energy. Norwegian collaborated with Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana to introduce and produce responsibly sourced botanical gins specifically for NCL and made using 100% recyclable glass and wood for the bottleβs design.
Other new bar and lounge options on Norwegian Prima and Viva includeΒ The Belvedere Bar, a contemporary cocktail lounge featuring crafted cocktails with a modern, fresh take on classic drinks.
The Prima Class Penrose Atrium
Designed by Miami-based Studio Dado to evoke the sense of wonder felt by the ocean’s earliest explorers, NCLβs first three-story, glass-walled Penrose Atrium spanning Decks six, seven and eight will be one of the focal points on Norwegian Prima and Viva. The grand space will vaunt futuristic architecture including a large-scale chandelier custom built by the renowned Czech lighting design firm Lasvit. The installation was inspired by constellations and features moving light fixtures weighing more than 7,300 pounds (3,311 kgs). Lining the Penrose Atrium will be a three-deck-high light feature that will convey the feeling of the sun rising on the horizon and surround a three-level wall art piece that will resemble a topographic map.
Retail spaces and high-end luxury shops will also be located throughout the Penrose Atriumβs three levels, including the Brandβs newest Starbucks Coffee. Penrose will also be home to the decanter-inspired Whiskey Bar offering guests a curated selection of drinks and the Prima Casino and The Penrose Bar featuring video poker machines.
Returning Favorites
In addition to unveiling new dining, lounge and public spaces, Norwegian Prima and Viva will also feature enhanced specialty guest-favorite eateries. NCLβs signature steakhouse,Β Cagney’s Steakhouse, will boast a refreshed design featuring new dΓ©cor celebrating the 20th-century modernist architecture of Chicago. Capturing the French flair of the Palace of Mirrors in Versailles, the embellishedΒ Le BistroΒ FrenchΒ specialty restaurant willΒ showcase sophisticated dΓ©cor boasting three floor-to-ceiling chandeliers, coffered ceilings and plaster moldings.Β Food Republic, the Asian-fusion specialty venue also returns on the first two Prima Class vessels with elevated dΓ©cor, a larger restaurant space and better views of the outdoors.
The guest popularΒ Observation Lounge, a multi-use refuge with different areas designated for lounging, and socializing, will be back on Norwegian Prima and Viva on Deck 17 with a more cozy, homey ambiance featuring different alcoves, separated by elegant screens and partitions. Designed to let the outside in with expansive views, the enhanced Observation Lounge will also offer telescopes so guests can better see ports of call upon arrival. TheΒ Humidor Cigar LoungeΒ will continue to serve as NCLβs premiere cigar shop and cigar lounge.
Previously revealed food and beverage venues on Norwegian Prima and Viva included NCLβs first-ever food hall Indulge Food Hall featuring 11 different eateries, Onda by Scarpetta, Los Lobos, The Local Bar & Grill, Vibe Beach Club, Waves Pool Bar, and the Prima Speedway Bar. Both ships will feature a total variety of 35 dining and lounge options for guests.
For more information about the Company’s award-winning 17-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com.
SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line
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