ncl prima excursions

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Norwegian Prima

Former name: fincantieri venice 6298.

Cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line

• Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida)
• Galveston (Texas)
• Southampton (England)
• Reykjavik (Iceland)
• New York (NYC Manhattan-Brooklyn)

Norwegian Prima current position

Norwegian Prima current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 66.17768 N / -18.38389 W) cruising at speed of 19.3 kn (36 km/h | 22 mph) en route to GEIRANGER, NORWAY.. The AIS position was reported 22 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Norwegian Prima

Norwegian Prima current cruise is 10 days, one-way from Reykjavik to Southampton . The itinerary starts on 15 Aug, 2024 and ends on 25 Aug, 2024 .

Specifications of Norwegian Prima

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Norwegian Prima Itineraries

Norwegian prima review, review of norwegian prima.

The 2022-built Norwegian Prima cruise ship is the first of all six PRIMA-Class NCL liners constructed in Italy by Fincantieri (Marghera Yard/ Venice ). By volume (142500 GT-tons) Prima's sistership is Viva (2023). From the PRIMA PLUS series are the 10% larger (158000 GT-tons) sisterships Aqua (2025) and TBN4 (2026), as well as the 20% larger (172000 GT-tons) sisterships TBN5 (2027) and TBN6 (2028).

The vessel (IMO number 9823986) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 311001059) and registered in Nassau .

NCL PRIMA class unit's building cost is EUR 730 million (USD 850M).

NCL's previous BREAKAWAY PLUS-Class boats were all built by Meyer Werft Germany (in Papenburg ).

The design is based on 20 decks, 1646 staterooms, gross-tonnage/volume 142500 GT-tons, passenger capacity 3215 (double occupancy), 16 elevators (passenger lifts, including 2 dedicated to The Haven complex). The Haven complex (public areas and all the 107 staterooms) were designed by the Italian interior design company Lissoni & Partners (Piero Lissoni).

NCL Prima's hull artwork was designed by Manuel Di Rita (aka Peeta/Italian graffiti artist).

History - construction and ownership

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a subsidiary company of the shipping corporation Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH). NCL was founded in 1966, headquartered in Miami (Florida USA) and publicly traded (NASDAQ) company listed on NYSE ( NYC ). NCLH's major shareholders are the corporations Apollo Global Management (American), Genting Group (Malaysian) and TPG Capital (American).

In 2017, the brand NCL had a worldwide cruise market share 8,7% (passengers) and 8,4% (revenue).

NCLH (shipowner) owns the brands NCL , Oceania , and RSSC-Regent .

Decks and Cabins

Norwegian Prima staterooms (1646 total) are in 35 grades and 7 types - The Haven Suites (107x total), Suites, Club Balcony Suites (Mini-Suites), Balcony-Oceanview- Interior staterooms, and Studios (single-occupancy Interior cabins / no single supplement is required). The NCL PRIMA design boasts 18x Suite categories (including the fleet's first 3-bedroom suites) and the NCL's biggest-ever Inside-, Oceanview- and Balcony staterooms.

The ship has a total of 41 handicap staterooms (ADA-certified, wheelchair-accessible cabins) in the following categories/types: HB-Haven Aft Penthouse (1), BA-BB-BF-Balcony (16), O4-Oceanview (7), IA-IB-IF-Inside (17). "Guaranteed" cabin categories are MX-Club Balcony Suite, BX-Balcony, OX-Oceanview, IX-Inside.

The smallest category is T1-Studio (95 ft2 / 9 m2). Inside cabins are sized 160-255 ft2 (15-24 m2). Oceanview cabins are with a Large Round Window and in types Standard (185 ft2 / 17 m2), Large (235 ft2 / 22 m2) and Family (235-370 ft2 / 22-34 m2). Balcony cabins vary in sizes between 230-270-360 ft2 (21-25-34 m2), with step-out balconies sized between 45-70-100 ft2 (4-7-9 m2). The largest accommodation is The Haven Premier Owner's Suite (capacity 8 passengers) sized 2100 ft2 (195 m2) and with a wraparound terrace sized 830 ft2 (77 m2).

The boat has 20 decks , of which 16 are passenger-accessible and 9 with cabins.

Staff/crew cabins are 912.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

NCL's PRIMA-class ship design features more and larger public spaces (both indoor and outdoor), smaller passenger capacity (in comparison to the preceding designs/BREAKAWAY and BREAKAWAY PLUS), new dining and entertainment options, a total of 35x dining venues and bars/lounges (including 7x fleet-first food venues), higher service levels.

The Waterfront (outdoor Promenade deck space found on other NCL vessels) was reimagined by doubling the space on Ocean Boulevard. The 360-degree Promenade complex (sized 44000 ft2 / 4090 m2) completely wraps around the entire deck 8 , offering unobstructed seaviews and housing multiple spaces. The Ocean Boulevard features two large infinity pools, Oceanwalk (glass-bottomed bridges), Indulge Food Hall (NCL's first open-air marketplace), The Concourse (outdoor sculpture garden with "selfie" installations/metal sculptures by Alexander Krivosheiw and David Harber.

Penrose Atrium is NCL's first 3-level atrium (spanning decks 6-7-8). The glass-walled Atrium is marked by scenic sea views, futuristic architecture, a 3-ton crystal chandelier (custom-built by Lasvit / Czechia, constellations-themed), a full-height wall artwork (resembling a topographic map), retail shops and bars on each level (including Starbucks Coffee Shop, Whiskey Bar, Penrose Bar, Prima Casino).

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Prima restaurants and food bars.

• The aft-located "Indulge Food Hall" (with a Firepit) is an open-air Marketplace that houses total 11x eateries (with indoor-outdoor seating, 120 items in 3x different menus/breakfast, lunch, dinner), Luna Bar, Indulge Outdoor Lounge, Soleil Bar, Waves Pool Bar, Prima Speedway Bar, a seating area serving Starbucks coffee.
• "Los Lobos Cantina" is new for NCL dining concept. Los Lobos is a la carte-priced restaurant that has both indoor and outdoor seating and offers traditional Mexican cuisine specialties. The menu includes tableside-made guacamole, fresh-baked corn tortillas, Tacos Al Pastor (with marinated pork, similar to doner kebabs/gyros), Chicken Enchiladas de Mole, handcrafted cocktails.
• "Onda by Scarpetta" is an Italian specialty restaurant (reservations-only, cover charge, kids charged a full cover) with both indoor and outdoor seating. The Onda restaurant is open between 5:30-9:30 pm and has large tables. The liner's Italian dining experience is marked by a casual atmosphere and large portions (perfect for family dinners) and traditional fine Italian wines and gourmet cuisine specialties - including oven-baked pizzas, homemade daily pasta, top-quality seafood, classic salads, freshly-baked bread, gourmet desserts (including gelato ice cream). Onda by Scarpetta features an outdoor terrace (Waterfront seating area).
• "Coco's" (patisserie shop) serves artisan sweet treats.
• "Seaside Rotisserie" offers a variety of grilled and spit-roasted meat dishes.
• "Nudls" is a food bar offering noodle dishes and global street food.
• "Tamara" serves classic Indian dishes along with multiple vegetarian options.
• "Tapas Food Truck" offers Spanish-inspired street food.
• "Q Texas Smokehouse" offers Southern USA comfort food and barbecue dishes.
• "The Local Bar & Grill" provides a beach club experience and serves classic American cuisine and premium cocktails.
• "Garden Kitchen" offers customized salads with 12+ ingredients to choose from.
• "The Concourse" is an outdoor sculpture garden (located midship-starboard) featuring an art wall designed by David Harber (who specializes in outdoor sculptures, sundials and water features) and 6x "Instagrammable/selfie" installations by Alexander Krivosheiw and David Harber, both specializing in bronze and aluminum sculptures. The cruise ship's 7x sculptures are valued at USD 2+ million (~EUR 1,7M).
• "La Terraza" is an open-air Promenade lounge featuring a quaint retreat with forward-facing sea views.
• "Infinity Beach" (sundeck) has 2 infinity swimming pools (at the edge of the deck / aft-midship) and two Oceanwalks (glass-bottom bridges / midship) - a first feature for the NCL brand.
• Palomar (specialty Mediterranean seafood restaurant)
• Hasuki (specialty Japanese hibachi restaurant, decorated with original Japanese artworks and handcrafted pottery)
• Nama (specialty Japanese sashimi and sushi bar house)
• Le Bistro (specialty French restaurant)
• Cagney's Steakhouse is a specialty dinner restaurant (open 5:30-10:30 pm) for prime steaks (Certified Angus Beef) and gourmet seafood specialties. The Cagney's restaurant is reservations-only, with a cover charge of US$30 per person and a free Kids Menu. At Cagney's, kids are charged a full cover. Additionally, the steakhouse is open for suite guests only serving Breakfast (7:30-9:30 am) and Lunch (12-1:30 pm).
• Food Republic (Asian-fusion restaurant) is an exclusive dining concept (via a partnership with the Pubbelly Restaurant Group). This specialty restaurant is open lunch through dinner, and offers international cuisine with a la carte menu and an iPad ordering system.
• Observation Lounge & Bar (also has telescopes)
• Humidor Cigar Lounge (cigar shop and bar)
• The Belvedere Bar (cocktail lounge)
• Metropolitan Bar is NCL's first "sustainable bar" serving zero-waste cocktails, "green spirits" (produced with renewable energy), 20+ biodynamic wines (organically farmed).
• Surfside Cafe and Surfside Grill offer self-serve casual food and a-la-minute items (upon request).

Both MDRs/Main Dining Rooms are aft-positioned (The Commodore Room/deck 6, and Hudson's Room/deck 7) and with revamped fixed menus that offer a sampling of various international dishes, fully vegetarian and vegan options, as well as build-your-own-pasta (24 combinations/custom-made dishes can be requested by selecting the Italian pasta, sauce, topping) plus Specialties menu (you can select/sample a dish from one of the specialty restaurants).

Other onboard culinary choices include "The Latin Quarter" (classic Latin food with a twist), "Just Desserts" (including pies and cakes), "Just Ice Cream".

"The Haven by Norwegian" on PRIMA-class NCL ships (designed by Piero Lissoni & Partners) spans 8 decks and groups suites, public areas, and exclusive venues, all positioned in the aft/stern section.

NCL's luxury "ship-within-a-ship" ( exclusive/keycard-access-only) complex has 107x Haven Suites (aft-positioned) and 2x private elevators - exclusively for Haven passengers. The aft lifts rise into The Haven's public areas and interconnect decks 6 through 18. For the first time, every public area offers sea views from floor-ceiling windows. The Haven Sundeck is an exclusive sunbathing area with plenty of padded sun loungers and deckchairs and is located aft on decks 16-17.

• Deck 16's Sundeck has an infinity pool at the stern (swimming pool overlooking the ship's wake), an outdoor Spa (featuring a glass-walled Sauna Room and Cold Room), Concierge Desk, Haven Outdoor Restaurant, Haven Outdoor Lounge & Bar (offering a limited buffet for breakfast and lunch, with traditional Chinese and Western cuisine specialties).
• Deck 17's Haven Sundeck has two Jacuzzis (outdoor whirlpool hot tubs) and outdoor Showers.
• Deck 18's Haven Sundeck has an infinity pool (with a stern-facing glass wall) and a large sunbathing area with padded loungers and Showers.

The 24-hour butler service is provided complimentary.

The ship's wellness complex groups the facilities of the Mandara Spa and the Pulse Fitness Center.

• The Gym is fitted with ultra-modern equipment (treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, free weights) and features a separate Aerobics Studio (for classes/spinning, yoga, pilates, dance, cardio, fitness and strength training, TRX workouts) and a Performance Recovery Room (for group fitness classes and gym workshops using Hyperice products).
• The indoor Spa features a charcoal Sauna Room and a 2-story/2-deck cascading waterfall, as well as Salt Room, Steam Room, Ice Room, Infrared Sauna, Finnish Sauna, Experiential Showers, Vitality Pool, Flotation Salt Pool, Relaxation Lounge (fitted with 22x hot-stone loungers), 20x Treatment Rooms (for massages), Changing/Locker Rooms.

With the PRIMA-class ships, NCL also introduced new spa services, including computer-controlled acoustic and vibrational therapies (via 2x Gharieni massage beds - Welnamis, and Wellmassage5D), as well as "Ocean Spa Wave Massage" (therapeutic warm wrap using sea plants and marine algae, based on seaweed masks, aromatherapy essential oils, massages/scalp and feet), "Zero Gravity Wellness Massage" (8x tables/the body is suspended on the treatment table) and ELEMIS' "Musclease Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap" (beneficial for rheumatism, arthritis, muscle spasms, fatigue, based on essential oils/pine and rosemary) and "Cellutox Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap" (reducing cellulite and fluid retention, based on detoxifying essential oils/juniper and lemon).

The Aqua Park (3-decks high) has 2x swimming pools, 5x multi-level waterslides (Ocean Loop), 2x racing slides (The Rush), 1x freefall dry slide (The Drop), "Tidal Wave" waterslide (fleet's first to allow innertube surfing), 4x Jacuzzies (2x infinity pools/hot tubs), poolside bar, sundeck/sunbathing area.

Vibe Beach Club is an adults-only relaxation area (surcharges per day apply) with cantilevered whirlpools (2x infinity spa pools/hot tubs), an outdoor pool bar, sunbathing area (with loungers and luxury chaise lounge chairs), private cabanas.

Syd Norman's Pour House (debuted on Norwegian Breakaway in 2018) is a rock-and-roll-themed bar lounge with live band music (all-time-greatest songs).

At the Headliners Comedy Club Lounge are presented the shows "The Second City" (comedy), "Howl At The Moon" (piano), "The Improv at Sea" (standup performances), "Science of Comedy" (intellectual).

The Sensoria Theatre Lounge (aka Prima Theater & Club Bar) spans 3 decks (6-7-8) and features a large stage (for live performances), a huge dance floor, customizable seating, a large LED moving screen lowering down from the ceiling (sized nearly half the venue's size), UHD media, surround sound, special visual effects. In the evenings, Sensoria transforms into a Vegas-style disco nightclub with live DJ programming and high-energy music.

Daily at Sensoria Theatre are held enrichment lectures, bingo, trivia games with prizes.

• Exclusively for NCL Prima was developed the interactive "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical" themed on the American singer and actress Donna Summer (born as LaDonna Adrian Gaines/1948-2012). The 75-minute show features 20+ of her hits including "Heaven Knows" (1978), "Last Dance" (1978, from the "Thank God It's Friday" film's soundtrack), "Hot Stuff" (1979), "Bad Girls" (1979), "Dim All the Lights" (1979).
• Sensoria Theatre also houses the NCL's series of interactive game shows "LIVE on NCL", featuring grand prizes and themed "The Price is Right", "Supermarket Sweep", "Press Your Luck", "Beat the Clock".

Norwegian Prima's interactive show productions are the first at sea when the Prima Theater transforms into a nightclub and all guests participate in the show. The shows were developed via partnership with Fremantle (fka FremantleMedia, British/London-based TV production and distribution company, subsidiary of the RTL Group/Luxembourg-based media broadcasting corporation). The theater lounge also hosts the 2022-debuted game show "The Price is Right LIVE".

Like all boats from the BREAKAWAY and BREAKAWAY PLUS series, NCL's Prima has the "Prima Speedway" (fleet's largest racetrack), "The Rush" (2-tube/dueling dry slides) and "The Drop" (world's first freefall dry slide/10-deck high).

"Prima Speedway" is NCL fleet's first racetrack on 3 levels/decks (the old racetracks are 2-level), with a longer straightaway/straight section, 14 turns and total length 420 m (1378 ft), which is ~1/5th larger than the racetrack on Norwegian Encore (fleet's previous largest). The racetrack goes around and through the funnel/smokestack, max capacity 15 cars (racing simultaneously) and allows max speeds 50+ kph (30+ mph). The unique sports facility is served by the Speedway Bar (located beneath the racetrack).

The "Galaxy Pavilion" is an indoor complex for virtual-world and multi-player gaming, equipped with interactive video walls and virtual reality technology.

• On NCL Prima ship, the complex has 14 total attractions, including 4x new simulators and 2x Escape Rooms.
• Also new is the Topgolf Swing Suite (fleet's first golfing venue to deliver "social experiences") fitted with Topgolf's games (virtual golf courses, multi-player gaming) and powered by Full Swing Golf (the same simulation technology used by PGA Tour professionals).
• "The Bull's Eye" is a new competitive gaming experience (based on the classic darts game) featuring a video tracking system that automatically calculates each gamer's score and offers instant replays.

On Prima, NCL offers "Tee Time" (interactive mini-golfing) where gamers can play on a 9-hole Mini-Golf Course.

NCL debuted on Prima its own gin brand "'66 by Norwegian" (sustainably sourced, distilled and bottled in Nicaragua) named after NCL's founding year (1966). The new '66 Gin was first offered at Prima's Metropolitan Bar (aft-starboard on Deck 7). A new draft beer ('66 by Norwegian) was also introduced on Prima and first served at the Soleil Bar (aft of Deck 8). The new '66 beer (brewed by the 2002-founded, Athens GA USA-based Terrapin Beer Company) is with a citrus flavor.

The list of the rest of Norwegian Prima lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults include the following:

• Viva Theater & Club (Bar/Disco Nightclub) fka Sensoria Theatre Lounge
• Penrose Atrium
• Penrose Bar (a morning and late-night venue serving wine, beer, cocktails, and more)
• Cruise Next, Sales Office, Shore Excursions & Guest Services Desk
• Casino (VIP & Smoking)
• Belvedere Bar is a contemporary bar & cocktail lounge serving crafted bottled cocktails
• Splash Academy (kids 3-12 yo, is a 2-story facility with Nickelodeon-themed activities, a light-up floor (interactive dancing), a resident clown at the circus school, Nintendo and PS3 consoles, kids cinema, crafts-arts activities, pirate parades), Guppies Nursery (for kids 6 months to 2 yo), Kid's Aqua Park (with a splash pool, Nickelodeon characters entertainment).
• I-Connect Internet Cafe (24-hour), Art Gallery
• Whiskey Bar
• The Gateway mini mall offers various brands and items.
• Beauty by Design & Aficionados (shop) sells top-brand cosmetics/fragrances, including IT Cosmetics, NYX, Clinique, Chanel, Lancome, and more. Guests can save up to 50% on spirits, including Prima exclusives.

The ship's other shops include Roberto Coin (jewelry), Effy Jewelry, Timeless Luxury & Fine Watches, Pandora Jewelry & Lifestyles, The Zone & Eye Style, Tech @ Sea, Perspectives Photo Studio & Gallery.

Itineraries

Norwegian Prima itinerary program is based on European and Caribbean seasonal deployments with seasonal Transatlantic voyages (RepositionCruises.com) and three USA homeports - two in Florida ( Port Canaveral , Miami ) and one in Texas ( Galveston /since 2023 December). Bookings opened on May 12, 2021. On May 17, NCL bragged that (by first-day bookings and week of sales) Prima has become the brand's most popular ship ever.

NCL Prima ship's Maiden Voyage was initially scheduled to start on August 17, 2022. The inaugural season included 10-day Baltic itineraries leaving from Amsterdam Holland and Copenhagen Denmark and visiting ports in Northern Europe (including Norway's Fjords).

• On September 22, 2022, departed the 12-day Transatlantic crossing from Southampton to NYC New York , with call ports in Scotland (Lerwick), Iceland (Reykjavik), and Nova Scotia Canada (Halifax).
• On October 10th started the inaugural ex-USA voyage (5-day to Bermuda) out of NYC.
• On October 15th started the 12-day relocation from NYC to Galveston Texas (first-ever time for NCL), visiting in the Caribbean Dominicana (Puerto Plata), The Netherlands' ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) and Mexico (Cozumel).
• On October 31st started the 11-day relocation from Galveston to PortMiami , visiting Cozumel, the ABC islands, and The Bahamas ( Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island ).

Between December 11, 2022, and March 19, 2023, the liner was based in Port Canaveral for 5-7-9-day roundtrips to Western Caribbean ports (Cozumel Mexico, Ocho Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, Great Stirrup Cay). Then the ship was shortly homeported in NYC (March through May 2023) for 5-7-day Bermuda cruises.

In summer 2023 (May 25-Nov 20), Norwegian Prima was deployed in Northern Europe (10-11-day "Norway and Iceland" itineraries leaving out of Reykjavik Iceland and Southampton England UK) and also in the Mediterranean (9-10-day voyages from Civitavecchia-Rome to Barcelona).

From November 19 through December 3, 2023, Norwegian Prima cruises from PortMiami offering three 7-day Western Caribbean voyages to Harvest Caye Belize (NCL's private island) , Cozumel Mexico , Roatan Island Honduras .

In September 2021 NCL announced that for season 2023-2024 Prima will be homeported in Galveston Texas . The 7-day Western Caribbean roundtrips visit Mexico (Cozumel, Costa Maya ), Belize (Harvest Caye) and Honduras ( Isla Roatan/Mahogany Bay ), with call port stays between 8-9 hours.

Photos of Norwegian Prima

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Other Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships

• Norwegian Aqua
• Norwegian Bliss
• Norwegian Breakaway
• Norwegian Dawn
• Norwegian Encore
• Norwegian Epic
• Norwegian Escape
• Norwegian Gem
• Norwegian Getaway
• Norwegian Jade
• Norwegian Jewel
• Norwegian Joy
• Norwegian Pearl
• Norwegian Sky
• Norwegian Spirit
• Norwegian Star
• Norwegian Sun
• Norwegian Viva
• Pride of America

Norwegian Prima Wiki

On February 16, 2017, the shipowner NCLH (Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd) signed with Fincantieri an order for 4x NCL LEONARDO Class (renamed to "NCL PRIMA" in 2021) units for the NCL brand.

• The newbuilds were scheduled for deliveries in 2022 through 2025 (one ship per year), with an option for two more units to be added to the order in the future. On July 12, 2018, NCLH ordered two more units (PRIMA PLUS series) currently scheduled for deliveries in 2027 and 2028.
• The NCLH-Fincantieri deal was backed by CDP (Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA/1850-founded, Turino-based Italian investment bank) and SACE SpA (Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero/1977-founded Italian Export Credit Agency).
• All shipbuilding orders were signed by Frank Del Rio (NCLH's President and CEO) and Giuseppe Bono (Fincantieri SpA's CEO).

Next YouTube video is NCL's official release with renderings of the new-class cruiser.

The ship was launched (floated out from drydock at Marghera yard/near Venice Italy ) on August 13, 2021. The float-out ceremony was attended by Harry Sommer (NCL's President and CEO) and Luigi Matarazzo (Fincantieri's Merchant Ships Division's General Manager).

The Norwegian Prima vessel was initially scheduled for delivery to NCLH (shipowner) on June 30, 2022, but was delayed to July 29th. The ceremony was held at the Marghera yard and attended by Harry Sommer (NCL), Pierroberto Folgiero (Fincantieri's CEO and Managing Director), Captain Roger Gustavsen (the ship's first Master), as well as by Frank Del Rio (NCLH's President and CEO).

Prima is the first of all six PRIMA-class (fka LEONARDO) units ordered by NCLH for its subsidiary NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line . The deliveries of all PRIMA-class units were originally planned for 2022 through 2027 (one vessel per year).

The NCL ship's namesakes are the AmaWaterways ' riverboat AmaPrima (2013-built) and the AIDA 's liner AIDAprima (2016-built).

The vessel (Fincantieri Marghera yard/hull number 6298) has a powerplant based on 5x main Wartisla diesel engines - 3x model 8L46 (8-cylinder) and 2x model 12V46 (12-cylinder), plus 1x Caterpillar diesel generator (model 3516C HD) and 6x Alfa Laval auxiliary boilers (1x oil/gas fired plus 5x exhaust gas heated).

The propulsion system is diesel-electric and based on 3x bow thrusters (model Brunvoll FU115) and 2x aft thrusters (model ABB Azipod XO).

The registered shipowner is LEONARDO ONE LTD (subsidiary of NCLH) while as ship manager is listed NCL BAHAMAS LTD.

Ship christening 2022

On March 17, 2022, NCL announced the name of the ship's godmother - Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (Katy Perry, 1984-born American singer, songwriter, "American Idol" judge).

• Having sold 143+ million records (as of 2022), Katy Perry is listed among the "best-selling artists of all time" (those with 75+ million record sales). She has 9x US No1 singles, 3x US No1 albums, 5x Billboard Music Awards, 5x American Music Awards, 1x Brit Award, 1x Juno Award.
• She also has 4x Guinness World Records - 2010 ("Best Start on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist"/2+ million digital single copies sold), 2013 (female artist with five No1 "Billboard Hot 100" songs), 2014 (the most-watched show in history/Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, 118,5 million viewers in the USA), 2015 (for most Twitter followers).
• As of 2022, she has the most Twitter followers (100+ million).
• Since 2018, Katy Perry is among the judges on "American Idol" (2022-launched singing competition TV series, since 2018 aired on ABC).

NCL Prima's christening ceremony was initially scheduled for September 3, 2022 (to be held in Amsterdam Netherlands , right before the Maiden Voyage) but actually happened on August 27th, in Reykjavik Iceland . The "naming party" was attended by 2500+ guests.

The naming was in Reykjavik's Harpa Concert Hall (where are regularly scheduled live performances by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Icelandic Opera and Reykjavik Big Band). The special event was attended by Frank Del Rio (NCLH's President and CEO), Katy Perry (godmother) and Richard Ambrose (NCL's Senior VP of Entertainment and Cruise Programs). Performances were made by IDC-Iceland Dance Company (1973-established), Briet Isis Elfar (1999-born Icelandic singer), and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra's 8-person Cello Ensemble.

The ceremony was opened with a LED light show designed by the Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson (1967-born).

Inaugural itineraries 2022

Next tables show the liner's Maiden Voyage and the first cruises by destination/homeport) with lowest prices per person with double occupancy.

( MAIDEN VOYAGE ) 10-day from Amsterdam to Copenhagen (US$2250 pp)

(inaugural Transatlantic crossing) 12-day from the UK to USA (US $3730 pp)

(inaugural Bermuda) 5-day roundtrip out of NYC (US$985 pp)

(East Coast USA relocation) 12-day from New York to Texas (US$2045 pp)

(repositioning) 11-day from Texas to Florida (US$2085 pp)

(inaugural Caribbean from Miami) 7-day (US$1330 pp)

(inaugural Caribbean from Port Canaveral) 5-day (US$980 pp)

a collection of travel diaries

Review of the Norwegian Prima: A 10-Day Cruise of Iceland, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, and England

When my husband saw that one of Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ships had a summer Iceland and Norway itinerary, we knew we wanted to be on it.

I have wanted to visit Norway and Iceland for  years . But for some reason, Iceland just never worked out, and figuring out where to go in Norway felt intimidating. So a cruise seemed ideal!

We made our reservation in August 2022 and spent the next year counting down to our 10-day cruise in late July/early August on the Norwegian Prima   around northern Europe... and the cruise was just as stunning as I'd imagined it would be.

With so many different ports, this review is a long one... so let's dive in!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

thoughts on the prima :

The  Prima  is truly a beautiful ship. Even the bathrooms throughout the ship were so pretty! (Which seems like a silly/weird thing to even notice, let alone say, but... it's true!)

I started to get worried about our cruise after reading what felt like one negative review after another of the Prima , particularly with regard to crowd management.

But I didn't really find that to be a problem. The first few days of our cruise were chilly and misty, leading everyone to stay inside, but I didn't feel as though the ship felt overly crowded or like we couldn't find seating (though we might have had to wait a few minutes for a space to clear, like at Indulge Food Hall).

So while the Prima  does seem better-suited for a Mediterranean or Caribbean cruise, it ended up working great for our northern European one (especially once we got what seemed to be unexpectedly nice weather in Norway).

In fact, my only complaints about the deck plans were that 1) there wasn't a jogging deck and 2) you have to walk through the (potentially very crowded and very busy) Surfside Café and Grill on Deck 17 when heading to the Observation Lounge from the aft (back of the ship).

If you do  feel like the inside space is too crowded, there's likely an overlooked space nearby! Here are some tips I gathered from other reviews and from our experience:

• If the bar for the Local on Deck 8 is busy, try the Luna bar inside Indulge.
• If the main bar at the pool on Deck 17 is busy, try the bar inside Surfside.
• If the area around the main pool on Deck 17 is busy, there's a sun deck on Deck 18 that seemed to be a hidden secret. It's on top of the Observation Lounge toward the bow (front of the ship). While it's only 50 feet from the main pool, it was also a lot quieter!
• If you're looking for a quiet bar, try the Belvedere on Deck 6 (which only seemed to get busy around dinner time) or the Metropolitan Bar on Deck 7 (which was busy our first night but nearly empty the following nights).

A second set of stairs in the Atrium overlooking Decks 7 and 8 (you can somewhat see the glass walkway outside on Deck 8)

Soleil Bar was at the aft (back of the ship) on Deck 8, near Indulge Food Hall. It wasn't open for the first few days of our cruise, though (likely because the weather meant most people were inside)

Our view from our balcony on Deck 11

One of the infinity pools on Deck 8 — they're heated!

Our balcony room on Deck 11! We had initially opted for an oceanview room with a window but put in a bid for a balcony room that was accepted.

We lay our suitcases flat and slide them under the bed to maximize space/act as additional drawers.

The furniture on our balcony was much nicer than what we had on previous cruises!

Here's part of the Studio Lounge, which requires keycard access (aka your cruise ID indicates you have a studio room).

We sailed with a group of 7 total, and one member of our group was staying in a studio room, all of which are off of hallways that connect to one private common area (only for other studio guests) to relax, watch TV, and grab drinks or light snacks... without any crowds.

A great way to meet other people cruising solo if you'd like! 

Some of the seating in Studio Lounge dining area

NCL offers "freestyle" dining, meaning that you can eat where you want, when you want, as opposed to being assigned meal times like some other cruise lines. 

My husband and I have always been very happy  with the food on all of our cruises with NCL. (We've cruised the Jade in Greece, the Encore in Alaska, and the Sky in the Caribbean.) 

But, again, after reading some negative reviews, I was feeling apprehensive. 

Fortunately, neither I nor my husband had any complaints about the food on the Prima !

There were a few times where other members of our group did feel as though  their noodles were over- or undercooked or their meat had some gristle, but as one of them said, "You won't — you can't — go hungry on this ship!" 

Why? Because you can flag any issues with the staff to fix, opt for another meal (whether in the same restaurant or another one), or ask to make a substitute to your meal ! 

• Some of the Main Dining Rooms are sit-down restaurants with a menu where you order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, but NCL will let you order multiple dishes (I believe you can order multiple appetizers at once but only one entrée at a time). 
• One member of our group really wanted to order a certain meal but didn't like the side it came with, so he was going to order a different meal until he realized he was allowed to request a different side.

We love NCL for the freestyle dining.  However, many of the restaurants do have certain hours, so be sure to check them in advance (which you can do on the website, on the app, or in the Freestyle Daily newsletter left at your cabin door every day). 

The complimentary dining includes the Commodore Room (a Main Dining Room with waiter service on Deck 6); Hudson's (a Main Dining Room with waiter service on Deck 7);   Indulge Food Hall (Deck 8); the buffet at   Surfside Café & Grill (Deck 17); and the Local Bar & Grill (divided into a restaurant with waiter service and a bar, both of which are open 24/7, on Deck 8). 

Click here for more information on Prima 's complimentary dining , including sample menus!

Then there are specialty restaurants (like French, Italian, and Mexican, among others), which require paying  à la carte  unless your cruise reservation includes a night or two of specialty dining. 

Click here for more information on Prima 's specialty dining , including sample menus!

We primarily ate at Hudson's, the Commodore Room, or the Local, and we never had to wait more than 15 minutes, even when we had our full group of 7. 

Everyone in our group had a dining package that included at least one specialty restaurant, so we chose Le Bistro, and everyone was extremely satisfied with their meal (and the service). My parents received one more specialty dining restaurant (due to their room type) and picked Cagney's Steakhouse, and they came back raving about the meal. 

We always get the beverage and dining package that includes drinks up to $15, and we've never gone over that price. My husband was very happy that the Whiskey Bar on Deck 8 used Woodford Reserve in the old fashioned (and he said it was the only place on the ship where you could get Woodford Reserve under the $15 limit).

My favorite drinks were strawberry daiquiris, Moscow mules, and Mudslides, while the rest of our group enjoyed the Mango Meltdown and Tequila Sunrise! 

For the occasions I didn't want alcohol but still wanted fun drinks, I inquired about mocktails and was told by a bartender that they could make anything I wanted, so I had a few virgin daiquiris and Mudslides.

And I tried to end every day with a hot fudge sundae from the Local :)

The menu by the pool. My husband tried a few of the Sail & Sustain drinks (like the BananaRuma) and thought they were pretty tasty!

One of the Main Dining Rooms had this risotto ONE time and it was so good, I kept checking the menus for it the rest of the trip

The menu for specialty dining Le Bistro, also available here

Duck breast at Le Bistro

Dessert at Le Bistro: Pear with spices, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce

Watching women play in the World Cup while having a hot fudge sundae... because sundaes are for the girls :)

Another hot fudge sundae

[ DJ Khaled voice] A nother one

entertainment

It's been my experience that the entertainment on NCL is always  impressive, and the Prima  was no exception.

When it comes to reservations, NCL opens up a limited number of slots for dining and entertainment in advance of Embarkation Day and then releases the rest of the slots on Embarkation Day. (Wondering when you can pre-book? Find out here .) So w e reserved a spot for  Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and The Price is Right  before embarking.

Both shows had incredible  production, and the Summer  singers amazed my whole group, as did the host for The Price is Right .

As always, my husband wanted to attend everything, so in order to save seats, he would head down to the venues early so that he was there when the doors opened for The Not-So Newlyweds Game , Perfect Couple , karaoke, magic show, etc. So even though the venues like Improv at Sea and Syd Norman's Pour House were small, we always had seats. 

For a 10-day cruise, it does feel as though there should be at least one more show, so I hope NCL adds more in the future. But we were very happy with all the shows we did attend.

Our group was also so impressed with Simon Akinwolere (the cruise director) and his assistant cruise director Alexis, both of whom were hilarious, clever, and quick on their feet (especially when dealing with some unpleasant guests!).

tips and general info :

• If you can, I'd recommend exploring the ship deck-by-deck once you board. It'll just help your sense of direction for the rest of the trip, and it's fun to see your home away from home!
• BUT if there are any reservations you still need to make, do them right away! You can make reservations at the kiosks or in person.
• Whenever my husband and I board early and knock out both of the above bullets with time to spare, we like to grab a spot at the pool or in the hot tub (and try to beat the rush).
• Your room will likely not be available immediately, and it may take time for staff to bring your luggage to your room, so pack anything you anticipate needing in a separate bag before embarking, since you may not have access to your luggage for several hours. (E.g., you may want a swim suit, sunscreen, sunglasses, charger, headphones, or a book.)
• Bring  any  medicine you might anticipate needing, like a decongestant or aspirin. Medications will be much more expensive on the ship.
• Remember that if you want to try something at a meal or swap out a side, you can ask your waiter!
• The NCL app is helpful (though could definitely be better).
• The ship has its own Wifi, which you can use for free with the app.
• We were able to send iMessages to other Apple users while connected to the NCL Wifi (with or without internet). But if your group has any Android users, then you can purchase the messaging feature on the app for $10 per person.
• If you want to go to other sites or use other apps, NCL will prompt you to officially start your paid minutes (I always visit loginnow.com to start my time), and you do  have to log out once you're done ( not  just exit out any apps or Safari pages) or else the minutes will keep counting down.
• Pay attention to ship time versus port time, as well as when you have to be back onboard the ship. Some of our phones didn't update when we switched time zones (due to being on airplane mode), but we were paying attention so we caught it. 
• You will likely find external vendors offer similar but more affordable excursions as the ones offered by NCL. The trade-off is that booking through NCL offers more peace of mind if your excursion is late to return to the ship or what to do if the ship leaves without you.
• While the ship will have American outlets, hotels in Iceland and England will not, so if you're spending a few days in Iceland before the cruise or staying a few days in England after, pack adapters!
• And pay attention to the voltage off the ship! I completely forgot to bring my T3 travel blow dryer , which is dual voltage. I only brought my L'ange Hair blow dryer , which worked great on the ship but not in the Iceland hotel! (Both links are affiliate links — it looks like my T3 was discontinued, so here’s   T3's updated version , with auto dual voltage for when you travel!)
• The front row of the theater was good for things like the Summer  musical, but I'd recommend sitting a few rows back for bingo (we had to crane our necks to look at the screen) and maybe even The Price is Right (we sat approximately 5 or 7 rows from the front and it was perfect).
• The arrows in the carpet of the ship point forward, toward the bow! (In the past, NCL's carpet featured fish.)
• Read the Freestyle Daily every day! It's NCL's daily cruise pamphlet that gets delivered to your door every day with information for the next day. Not only can you see dining hours, there's SO much information about upcoming activities and events!
• The fitness center is located inside the spa (I assume to try to entice people to book some treatments upon walking through). Perhaps as a result, the fitness center seemed much warmer than on other ships, so I'd recommend keeping your water and towel handy.

If you book your airline travel through NCL, I can't stress this enough: If you can, choose to arrive at least one day early, if not two. That way, if anything goes wrong, you still have a buffer and can make the cruise.

This was our second time booking our flights through NCL, and both times it went well, so my husband and I were happy customers.

But two members of our group who also booked their flights through NCL had a more stressful experience. They were at the airport when the first of their 3 (!) flights was canceled,  and NCL told them to talk to the airline to figure it out themselves. 

We were then worried the airline would refuse to speak to them, since NCL had booked the itinerary, but fortunately the airline was able to put them on a different flight. And  their new itinerary even made it to Iceland 5 minutes earlier than they were originally supposed to! But I'm not sure they'd choose to book flights through NCL again after the experience.

• Embarkation Day: Reykjavík, Iceland ( depart 6pm )
• Day 1: Isafjordur, Iceland ( this was canceled due to dredging, so we had a Sea Day instead )
• Day 2: Akureyri, Iceland ( arrive 6am, depart 4pm )
• Day 3: Sea Day
• Day 4: Ålesund, Norway ( arrive 11am, depart 10pm )
• Day 5: Olden, Norway ( arrive 8am, depart 6pm )
• Day 6: Bergen, Norway ( arrive 8am, depart 5pm )
• Day 7: Sea Day
• Day 8: Amsterdam, Netherlands ( arrive 7am, original plan to depart 5pm )
• Day 9: Brussels, Belgium ( this was canceled due to the damaged port , so we had an overnight in Amsterdam instead )
• Day 10: London, England ( arrive 6am — we were off the ship by 7:30am or so )

what i packed:

• Tops (aka l ots and lots of layers. With unpredictable weather, I wanted to be able to add or remove clothing if I were cold or hot)
• L.L. Bean 3-in-1 fleece with jacket ( affiliate link )
• L.L. Bean rain jacket ( affiliate link )
• Old Navy puffer jacket
• Barbour jacket ( affiliate link )
• 2 Old Navy flannel button-ups
• 2 Gap long-sleeved tees in black and white ( affiliate link )
• 2 J. Crew turtlenecks in black and white ( affiliate link )
• Amazon vest ( affiliate link )
• Mango skirt ( affiliate link )
• Old Navy black jeans ( affiliate link )
• Old Navy blue jeans
• Express white jeans
• Amazon one-size-fits-all fleece-lined leggings, which were so comfy and so warm! ( affiliate link )
• Amazon leggings ( affiliate link )
• Zella leggings ( affiliate link )
• Abercrombie high-waisted black jean shorts ( affiliate link )
• Old Navy high-waisted white shorts ( affiliate link )
• Lulus off-the-shoulder dress ( affiliate link )
• Amazon ruffled shoulder dress ( affiliate link )
• Lulus maxi dress ( affiliate link )
• Merrell hiking boots ( affiliate link , also available here  and here )
• Allbirds wool runners  ( affiliate link )
• Sam Edelman combat boots ( affiliate link )
• Hunter packable short rain boots  ( affiliate link )
• Tory Burch sandals  ( affiliate link )
• Steve Madden sandals ( affiliate link )
• Old Navy rubber flip-flops  ( affiliate link )
• Target swim suit ( affiliate link )
• Summersalt swim suit ( affiliate link )
• Accessories/extras
• Exercise clothes
• Hiking socks  ( affiliate link )
• Beanies  ( affiliate link , also available here )
• Gloves  ( affiliate link )
• Sunglasses (Iceland gets 20-22 hours of sunlight in summer)
• Waterproof phone pouch (for the pools/hot tubs, kayaks, or lagoons/waterfalls)
• Sleep eye mask (so you don't wake up with the sunrise at 4am if you don't want to)
• Lip balm/chapstick
• No-rinse detergent for washing clothes in your bathroom sink on the ship (I mostly do this for my exercise clothes so that they don't sit around before going back in my suitcase)
• NCL does offer a laundry service but for a fee
• Lotion!!! You will wash your hands a lot (to try to prevent norovirus or COVID), and the ship soap does not seem to contain any moisturizing properties whatsoever
• Any over-the-counter medication you might use, like Ibuprofen, Pepto-Bismol, Dramamime, Nyquil, etc
• Phone battery brick so you don't have to return to your room to charge
• Lanyard for your cruise ship card ( affiliate link )
• Hanging toiletry bag ( affiliate link ) to have more counter space
• Hair wrap to try to dry hair faster ( affiliate link )
• Quick dry towel ( affiliate link )  for the kayaks or lagoons/waterfalls
• L'ange Hair blow dryer ( affiliate link )

r eykjavík   pronounced ray-kyuh-vik

What we did

My husband and I left D.C. in the evening and landed in Reykjavík at 9am the next morning.

For our first day (the day we arrived), we had initially booked a Golden Circle tour that started at 12noon, but it was canceled at the last-minute.

So instead we signed up for a puffin- and whale-watching tour at the harbor, explored Reykjavík, and grabbed some lobster soup at the Sea Baron  (also called Saegreifinn).

For our second day, we booked a private tour of the South Coast through Arctic Adventures with other members of our group, who had flown in that morning. Our guide Alvaro was lovely, and our tour included the  Seljalandsfoss (which you can walk behind) and Skogafoss waterfalls; Reynisfjara black sand beach; and a hike on the Solheimajokull glacier.

We ended the evening with dinner at Messinn , which was incredible . Every single person in our party of 7 said their meal was delicious.

The next day, our boarding time was 1:30pm, but we arrived around 10:30am and were on the Prima  by 11:30am!

• All day tours around Iceland (you can rent a car to drive yourself or purchase a tour — we chose to purchase a tour because we didn't want to deal with the hassle/time to rent a car, and we'd rather relax/nap on the drive than worry about navigation, weather, or jet lag)
• The Golden Circle tour is a 186-mile loop that often includes three popular sites: Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir geothermal area, and Thingvellier National Park. People often add Blue Lagoon or the K erið volcanic crater, too. And y ou can purchase the option to scuba dive between tectonic plates at Thingvellier! I was dying  to do this but it didn't work out with our schedule. Next time!
• The South Coast tour  often includes the  Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls; Reynisfjara black sand beach; and a hike on the Solheimajokull glacier. Some people add the Solheimasandur plane wreck.
• Blue Lagoon (or any of the other lagoons — Secret Lagoon and Sky Lagoon were recommended)
• I've read that you need to protect your hair by either slathering it with conditioner (provided by Blue Lagoon) in advance or not getting it wet, but others say that's a myth.
• Blue Lagoon is close to the Reykjavík airport (KEF), so check to see if it makes the most sense to visit on your way to or from the airport.
• Climb to the top of the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík.
• Entrance is free, but you'll have to buy a ticket to climb the stairs or take the elevator to the top.
• Hike Glymur Waterfall, an hour outside of Reykjavík.
• If you're visiting from May through mid-August, go on a puffin-watching tour.
• Visit Settlement Exhibition or Volcano House to learn more about Iceland's history and geology.
• Take a photo on Rainbow Street, with Hallgrímskirkja in the background.
• If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes — that's how unpredictable the weather is in Iceland and how quickly it can change!
• Hungry Chef Café
• Sandholt Bakerí
• Braud & Co
• Icelandic Street Food
• Old Iceland
• Apotek Restaurant
• Messinn (5 stars out of 5!!)
• Sea Baron (aka Saegreifinn)
• Harbor Restaurant
• Hlemmur Food Hall
• Tapas Barinn
• Grillmarkadurinn
• Miscellaneous/quick bites
• Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
• Black Box Pizza  
• Icelandic Street Food at Laekjargata 8 Street food
• Snaps Bistro
• Donuts! 
• Koku Kompaniio
• Bernhoftsbakari
• Pablo Disco Bar
• Kex Lebowski
• Slippbarinn

isafjordur   pronounced  ee-suh-fyor-dur

Isafjordur was supposed to be our second port, but it was canceled a few weeks in advance due to dredging issues.

Here are the recommendations I found while trying to decide how to spend our time:

• Visit Dynjandi Waterfall 
• Take a puffin-watching boat ride to Vigur Island (also called Puffin Island) in the Westfjords of Iceland. (You can also bird watch in general here.)
• Hike Naustahvilft Valley
• Visit the Arctic Fox Center

akureyri   pronounced ah-kuh-rare-ee

Akureyri is Iceland's second largest city (after Reykjavík), with a population of approximately 18,000 people.

My husband and I booked  a tour through Viator  ( affiliate link ) to see Lake Mývatn and the Skútustaðagígar craters; the geothermal area at Námaskarð Pass (hot springs and steam vents); the lava formations at Dimmuborgir; and Godafoss Waterfall.

Although the tour was long, I really liked it. It covered a lot and provided a good opportunity to see Iceland's diverse geography.  And we learned so much about Iceland's history from the tour guide, including that Iceland converted from paganism to Christianity in 1000 CE — with 3 conditions: People could still 1) "expose" "surplus" babies; 2) eat horseflesh; and 3) worship pagan gods in private...!

The only thing I would change about the tour is that I would have liked more time at each stop! Which is I guess at least a sign of good choices for the tour.

Things to do

• Travel to sites like Godafoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn,  Dettifoss waterfall, or Ásbyrgi canyon.
• There's a sightseeing route called the Diamond Circle that includes Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss waterfall, and the Ásbyrgi canyon, as well as the town of Húsavík.
• Take a boat tour to Hrisey to see puffins/birds.
• Visit Kjarnaskogur Forest. 
• Visit the Arctic Botanical Gardens. 
• Hike Mount Sulur. 
• Go whale watching. 
• Visit Santa's House in Akureyri.
• Apparently the traffic lights in Akureyri have hearts in them, if you want to check!

Restaurant recommendations

• Bláa Kannan
• Kaffi Ilmur

alesund  pronounced al-luh-suhnd

My husband and I opted against doing an excursion and planned to just meander through the city. So w e chose to walk approximately 45 minutes from the ship to the aquarium Atlanterhavsparken, aka Atlantic Sea-Park. (It's also possible to take the Hop-On Hop-Off bus directly from the cruise terminal, but we wanted a chance to stretch our legs.)

I generally find zoos and even aquariums to be depressing, but the Atlantic Sea-Park is  one of the largest saltwater aquariums in Scandinavia.  We got to see penguins, seals, and otters (all of which were in outside enclosures)!!

We then took the Hop-On Hop-Off bus from the aquarium to the Aksla Viewpoint . I could have stayed here so much longer just looking out over the city! (And there's a café called Fjellstua, but we didn't stop to eat.)

We then walked down the 418 steps back to town (which seemed like the better way to go, since many folks walking up the stairs seemed to be regretting their decision) to explore.

The rest of our group booked NCL's "Land of the Trolls" excursion, which they really liked despite what they described as terrifying hairpin curves on the road, haha!

• Ride the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus.
• Visit Atlantic Sea Park (Atlanterhavsparken).
• Take in the view from the Aksla Viewpoint.
• Visit the  Sunnmøre Museum, an open air museum to see farmhouses and boats.
• Visit Giske and Godøy islands and climb to the top of the Alnes Lighthouse on Godøy.
• Visit the Art Nouveau Centre.
• Real American Steakhouse
• Cinque Minuti
• Fisketorget
• Sjøbua 
• Lamella for ice cream

olden   pronounced old-en

I knew I wanted to hike at least once while in Norway, and Olden was the perfect place for it!

So my group and I hiked approximately 6 miles to the Mt. Huaren overlook. The terrain itself was easy (it was mostly paved except for the final .2 miles or so), but it was such a steep incline that I'd rate it as fairly moderate.

On the way down, we took the path to the town. We did some sightseeing and window-shopping and then walked back to the ship. Olden was beautiful but seemed small, so we were happy to sit outside on the ship and just take in the views.

• Hike Huaren
• Ride the  Loen skylift  (I wish we'd done this!)
• Hike Mt. Hoven
• Take the sightseeing bus to the Briksdal Glacier (which I believe you can hike)
• Book a Via Ferrata Loen tour
• Hike the Tystigbreen glacier
• Yris Cafe & Restaurant
• Molla Guesthouse
• Hoven Restaurant (in Loen)
• Café Gobeten (in Innvik)
• Aabrekk Gard (in  Oldedalen valley in Stryn)
• Stryn Kaffebar & Vertshus (in Stryn)

bergen  pronounced bur-gn

My husband and I took a  "chasing waterfalls" tour  (affiliate link) through Viator. We visited 3 waterfalls, including another one you can walk behind.

Apparently Bergen is the  rainiest city in Europe... so we got extremely lucky with perfect weather!

Our tour lasted 8 hours or so and dropped us off at the wharf upon our return, so we walked through the town back to the ship, stopping to grab snacks, people-watch, and take in the sights.

The rest of our group did NCL's "Norway in a Nutshell" excursion, which also lasted approximately 8 hours. They really liked it and took some great photos!

Recommendations + tips

• Hike Mount Ulriken (or take the cable car) for views of Bergen and the water.
• Ride the funicular to Mount Fløyen.
• Visit the the Gamlehaugen ( the official residence of the Norwegian Royal Family in Bergen).
• Check out the colorful row houses at Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf.
• Explore the University Museum of Bergen.
• Visit the Maritime Museum. 
• Explore the Botanical Garden. 
• See Bergenhus Fortress. 
• Visit the Leprosy Museum. 
• Visit the Market Square to try fresh seafood. 
• Ægir brewery
• Bryggeloftet & Stuene Restaurant
• Dr. Wiesener
• Trekroneren (hot dog stand)

amsterdam  pronounced am-stir-dam

While the rest of our group took a 90-minute "Waterways of Amsterdam" canal tour, my husband and I visited the Anne Frank House. This was our second time, and it was just as powerful and emotional as the first time. (The rest of my family had later ticket times for the Anne Frank House than we did, so we saw them entering the museum as we were exiting.)

After, my husband walked to the Verzetsmuseum — the museum of Dutch WWII Resistance. I'd always wanted to visit, so I was thankful we had the time to visit this trip. I definitely recommend going, I learned so much. It's hard to believe how much courage Europeans had fighting back against the Nazi regime.

I'd recommend checking in advance if there are any events taking place during your time in each city.  It was actually Pride Week in Amsterdam during our time there, so a lot of the areas had fences and barricades up for events and crowd control. It made it hard to get a sense of the city, so I was glad it wasn't our first time in Amsterdam.

My dad loved  watching the ship navigate the locks as we were sailing out of Amsterdam... he was sending us all updates, complete with photos!

• Visit the Anne Frank House.
• Per the website: "Tickets only available through this website! Every Tuesday at 10am CEST all tickets become available for a visit six weeks later."
• Update as of 9/19/2023: The Anne Frank House used  to save 20% of tickets to be released in batches the day of (that's how we managed to get tickets on our first visit to Amsterdam) —  but it appears as of 2023 it no longer offers that option and ALL tickets become available 6 weeks in advance. We set a reminder on our phone this time so we wouldn't forget when they become available or miss the window!
• Note that your ticket will have a 15-minute window for you to enter; our ticket was for entry at 12:30-12:45pm. We entered right at 12:30pm and were walking out of the museum by 1:30.
• Visit Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam (Museum of WWII Resistance) or the Jewish Historical Museum.
• Visit the Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandt House Museum, or Rijksmuseum.  
• Take a canal tour.
• Try the Heineken Experience. 
• Tour the Royal Palace.
• Tour the " church in the attic "
• Visit the Tulip Museum.
• Wilde Zwijnen
• Box Sociaal
• Café de Oude Wester (nearby the Anne Frank House)

brussels   pronounced bruss-suls

I was thrilled we found an Iceland/Norway cruise that visited Belgium. Sadly, our port ended up getting canceled, so we had an overnight in Amsterdam instead.

Although we didn't end up stopping here, here are the recommendations I found:

• Take a tour to Flanders Field in western Belgium (this is what I was hoping to do because of its WWI significance and the poem In Flanders Field). 
• Visit Grand Place Cantillon Brewery (aka Brasserie Cantillon). 
• See Manneken Pis (which is kind of weird... but apparently a tourist must).
• Visit the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. 
• Visit the Place Sainte-Catherine Jardin du Petit Sablon. 
• Tour the Palais Royal. 
• Visit the Palais de Justice Atomium (+ restaurant). 
• Tour Cinquantenaire &  Triumphal Arch Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
• Eat at Maison Dandoy. 

Amsterdam was our last real  port... the next day, we woke up in Southampton, England for Disembarkation Day!

My husband and I elected to take our luggage off the ship ourselves, so we were off by 7:30am or so and on the shuttle to the Southampton Airport by 8am.

And with that, our 10-day adventure across the Norwegian Sea came to an end. It had been well worth the wait.

Would I sail on the Norwegian Prima  again? Yes, absolutely.

While I can understand other people's complaints about the ship, the issues they described either didn't affect us or ended up feeling insignificant to our overall experience.

I also really loved this itinerary... especially Norway (if you couldn't tell from all the nearly identical photos).

Whether you're thinking about booking an NCL Northern European cruise, wondering about the Prima , or planning to visit any of these countries on your own, I hope this review helps! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

Thank you Sarah for your thoughtful insights. My husband and I are going on the Prima next week! I can’t wait! ~ Jennifer

Thank you for reading and commenting, I really appreciate it! Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions... I hope you have the best time!

We took the same cruise just an earlier sailing. We spent 2 days in Akeryrui, took the same tour and loved it. We went to Flamm instead of Olden and did go to Brussels. The ship broke away from the moorings while we were on our trip to Brussels and had to sit on the buses till they could figure out how to get us back safely aboard. Loved the ship and the cruise. Will take another cruise on the Prima, probably 2025.

I'm so glad to hear other people liked the Prima! I really feel like the ship is getting a lot of unfair criticism. How did you like Flam? And I'm jealous you got to see Brussels, I was really looking forward to it. Glad you weren't injured! Thank you for reading my review and for leaving a comment -- I really appreciate it!

Love Flamm. Took the railway to the top. Stopped at the waterfall along the way which is incredible, especially when the singing Huldra, beauty to lure you into the forest, came out. The Grand Centre in Brussels is incredible as was the Manneken-Pis, little boy peeing, the national symbol of Belgium.

Great review! I have read many reviews of this cruise (we’re going in the opposite direction July 2024), and yours is the most helpful. Really appreciate the detail you provided. I plan to go to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam so I’m glad you included the ticket information. If I can budget another pair of Allbirds (my fave travel shoe), I will use your affiliate link. Your wardrobe is adorable; I am just a little old for some styles. Thanks!

Thank you so much for reading and for the extraordinarily kind words, I'm thrilled to hear you found my review helpful! Here is more information about how to obtain tickets for the Anne Frank House: https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets/ Our tickets were for entry from 12:30pm-12:45pm and we entered right at 12:30 and were walking out of the museum by 1:30pm. PLEASE NOTE -- when I went to pull the website link for you, I could no longer find the language about the tickets released the day of (the website used to say 80% of tickets for any date went on sale weeks in advance, with the remaining 20% of the tickets becoming available online on the day itself), so I did some digging and it appears they now release 100% of tickets in advance and no longer save 20% for the day of!! I will update the blog with that information but wanted to make sure I shared it with you directly, too, so that you knew to set a reminder to purchase 6 weeks in advance! My apologies for any confusion! And +1 to your comment about Allbirds! I have worn mine everywhere, even Disney, and they stay comfortable. I even got my mom a pair for Christmas one year! Thank you again for your comment, it really does mean a lot to me. Please let me know if you have any questions about the ship or itinerary!

Wow, thank you for the updated Anne Frank House ticket information. I am following your suggestion with a calendar notation for ticket release!

Grand circle tour was long and somewhat disappointing. South Tour looks much more scenic than what we experienced on the grand circle. Norway was awesome, ship was beautiful. Donna summer review was not a winner, looked like a high school musical. Rumors show was the best, don't miss.

Thank you for your feedback! That makes me feel a little bit better about our Golden Circle tour getting canceled, though now I wish I'd made time to see the Rumours show! I still can't get over how beautiful Norway was. When did you sail? And thanks for reading and for commenting!

Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review! My family of 4 is set to sail on the Prima July 2024, and I am debating if we want to keep this itinerary with the Isafjordur port being unlikely to happen or if we should look at other options instead. Thanks again for the feedback!

Honestly, while I was really looking forward to both Iceland and Norway, it was Norway that truly took my breath away. So if you still have stops in Norway (and Belgium?), I think it's worth it, even without Isafjordur! Though it's possible they may have the dredging completed by July 2024. Also, thank YOU for taking the time to read AND comment... I really appreciate it!

This is great!! I'm so grateful! Thanks for taking all your time to publish your trip in such detail.

Thanks for reading and for commenting! Please let me know if you have any questions about the ship or itinerary, I'm happy to answer anything I didn't get cover in the post!

Thank you so much for your detailed review, it is very helpful. We are looking to book a cruise September 2024, but the reverse itinerary. Which side of the ship would be the best to book a balcony stateroom? Did you like deck 11 for your room, which side was it on and were you forward, mid or aft? Thank you for your opinion.

Hi! Thank you for being here :) I think the reverse itinerary will be better because you will gain hours rather than lose them! I'm not sure I'd say there's a side that's better - the ship docks on both sides. I would just watch out for staterooms marked "partially obstructed," since that could be an indicator of the water or dry slides. And I really liked being on Deck 11! I dislike spending time waiting for elevators and like stretching my legs on the boat, especially with so many big meals, so I prefer to walk or take the stairs whenever I can... and being on Deck 11 felt perfect for that because it felt so in the middle of everything -- I could easily take the stairs down to Deck 8 to get to the Infinity Pools or Indulge Food Hall, or I could take the stairs up to Deck 17 for the Observation Lounge.

Thank you for your thoughts. Happy travels!

I thought of one more thing that might be helpful! I've heard people sometime complain about noise in rooms with balconies or near the elevator, but we never hear anything (despite occasionally sleeping with our balcony door open to hear the waves). We were farther from the elevators this time, but even when we're right off the elevator lobby, we don't hear anything. I asked my mom, who was on Deck 9, how she liked it or if she heard any noise, and she said that while she didn't hear any noise, she did wish they'd been a little higher up for better views. Hope this helps, and happy to answer any other questions that come up for you!

Thanks for the detailed review. We are wondering about the Vibe area on the ship. We have been told the weather maybe too cool to enjoy it. Most of our traveling companions are doing the spa for a week. I like that the Vibe has it's own private bar and hot tub. What do you think, we are going July 25-August 4th. Do you think the weather will prevent us from using the Vibe?

Thank YOU for reading and for commenting! That's a great question about NCL's Vibe Beach Club. Here are my thoughts... My husband and I debated purchasing passes but ultimately decided against it (not everyone in the rest of our group would have wanted to spend the funds), but I remember seeing the space (maybe from the stairs/decks above? Can't remember) and thinking it was a really beautiful space, lots of room, a private bar. It was VERY empty the few times I checked it out, I don't remember seeing anyone in the space, just NCL staff chatting to each other as they set things up or cleaned the bar. SO, it's up to you. It's a gorgeous space that's definitely intended for warmer weather itinerary. But if it's warm enough, that means other people have the same idea. On the Iceland/Northern Europe itinerary, it probably wasn't warm enough to REALLY make the most of it... but then again, you might have the space to yourself because everyone has the same thoughts about it not being the right weather. And on our itinerary, there were definitely days we spent by the pool relaxing and drinking (though only one of those days I actually wore a swimsuit), and my husband tries to spend time every day in a hot tub. So it could be worth it if you're someone who doesn't like crowds or waiting for a lounger or fighting for hot tub space. I asked my husband, to get another perspective, and he said, "If it's the Iceland itinerary, I don't think it's likely to be warm enough for it to really be worth the cost. In a warmer weather itinerary, I think it would be a great buy." FWIW, if it had just been my husband and me, I might have pushed a little harder for us to buy the passes, but we didn't want to be separated from the rest of our group. I also checked some Reddit posts for additional opinions and found these comments: - "We upgraded to the Vibe Beach Club on the Prima for our sail out of Reykjavik to Southampton and it was completely worth it. The temps were in the 40s - 50s in Iceland and the hot tub made us completely forget about it....until it was time to get out. Small.price to pay, though. We asked our cabin steward for robes (recommended to do so) and we would just hop out, wrap up in the robe and high-tail it back to the room. Much nicer to towel off in the room We counted perhaps 30 different people over the course of the 10 days. There was always room in the hot tub and a place to sit." - "If anything, it’ll be better. We had vibe access during a summer cruise on the Escape and while the loungers, umbrellas and bar were all nice, it was frustrating that the only water feature was a hot tub that was useless to me since we were in the Caribbean." I know this is long but I hope it helps!

Hi Sarah! I've really enjoyed reading this thorough review. My son and I are doing this trip in reverse as a high school graduation trip next summer. The Golden Circle tour is exactly what we want to do in Reikjavik, especially the dive between the tectonic plates. Can you share the name of the company you used? I also noticed you guys did a lot of independent tours (vs the ships). Were you ever concerned about not making it back on time and missing the ship departure time? Thank you!

Hi there, the trip sounds like such a lovely experience for y'all! We booked both our Golden Circle and South Coast tours through Arctic Adventures. I think for our Golden Circle tour, they coordinated with another company to handle it (our final details were through BusTravel Iceland), but everything for our private South Coast tour said Arctic Adventures (and we had the BEST time -- our guide was lovely and knowledgeable and went above and beyond ensuring we had a positive experience). When we were considering snorkeling Silfra, I read these blogs that I wanted to share in case they're helpful for your planning! - https://www.theblondeabroad.com/snorkeling-silfra-fissure-iceland/ - https://www.onegirlwholeworld.com/europe/silfra-snorkeling-iceland/ - https://www.ourescapeclause.com/thingvellir-silfra-snorkeling-iceland/ And to answer your second question: While running late IS always a risk when booking excursions through external vendors, we personally weren't worried. The way we look at it, most of these companies have been coordinating their schedules with the cruise ships weekly or even daily for years and their businesses wouldn't survive if they didn't get you back in time. And there were always at least a few other people from our ship, which also gave me comfort/peace of mind. But if you are worried, you can always look for excursions that end much earlier than you need to be back on the ship, to ensure you have a buffer/plenty of time! I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions, and thank you for reading and commenting!

Thanks! Super helpful and I will definitely check out those links. He is PADI certified but momma can barely swim, so I want to make sure he goes down with a group that includes an experienced dive master. Good perspective on the cruise excursions, I didn't think about it this way.

Thank you so much for taking the time to thoroughly detail this particular cruise and the excursions!! We are leaving in June to go on almost the exact trip, but we are leaving out from London. Question for ya, was the weather ever nice enough on the ship to lay out in the sun or was it always kinda too chilly for the outdoor pools? I really feel overwhelmed with trying to pick the right excursions, I just don’t want to miss out but also don’t want to be on a rushed schedule the ENTIRE time!! Also, is tipping a thing in the different countries? I heard they usually don’t tip in Iceland, but not sure if it was true. Do they take the US Dollar if so? Thank you again!

Hi there! You are going to have such a great time, I really think going from London to Reykjavík is the better direction. We definitely spent time outside by the outdoor pools! It was a little chilly and misty in Iceland, but we got (perhaps unseasonably) warm weather in Norway. There were definitely a few days where we were all sitting in lounge chairs by the pool in normal clothing and even one day (in Ålesund) where I put on a swim suit to sit outside (though I think I kept a towel nearby for when the sun dipped behind clouds so the air felt colder). And my husband used the hot tubs every day. It's my understanding that tipping in Iceland, Norway, Netherlands, and England is nowhere like it is in the U.S., though I do think American tourists are slowly starting to spread our tipping culture (or maybe that's just because tip touch screens are so easy to implement). In my experience, you don't need to tip in Iceland (your bill may already include a service or gratuity charge), in Norway (which is already a pricey country), or in the Netherlands (where it's appreciated but not mandatory), but in England it's becoming more common to tip 10% or round up a restaurant bill. You should be able to use your credit card in most places (check if your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee, which is often 3%!), but if you're paying in cash you'll likely need to pay in the local currency. I completely get it about the excursions -- if you can, I would have at least 1-2 cities where you don't have an excursion so you can just explore at your own pace. There are also excursions that are much shorter/don't take up the whole time on land, so you can get those in while still being able to wander solo. I hope this is helpful, please let me know if you have any other questions!

Hello Sarah, great commentary and photos. I am cruising the opposite itinerary from yours and am hoping we cross the Arctic Circle north of Iceland…did you?

Hi there, I actually couldn't remember, so I asked my husband. He said yes but that as far as he could remember, the ship didn't acknowledge it in any way (e.g., no announcement that we were crossing the Arctic Circle in case anyone wanted to take a look). So I'd recommend paying close attention and if possible confirming with a crew member when the ship is expected to cross. I hope you have a wonderful trip!!!

Hi there! Loved reading about your trip and thanks for providing so much info and tips! Have a few questions for you regarding Norway excursions at all 3 stops: 1. In Alesund, we were thinking about booking the Hjorund Fjord Cruise offered through NCL. Heard it's the prettiest of all the fjords? Any feedback here? 2. In Geiranger, we are debating between visiting the Herdal Farm Tour vs doing the RIB Boat Tour on the Geiranger Fjord. Any feedback from these tours from other guests on your cruise? 3. In Bergen, we cannot decide if we should do Norway in a Nutshell or finding a RIB boat tour of the fjords. So hard to decide where to do boat tours vs on-land tours. Although your chasing waterfalls tour sounds great, we are worried we will be sick of waterfalls after spending 4 days in South Iceland before the cruise. Lastly, is it totally safe to book outside tours...heard stories that some people miss their boat cruise vs through NCL, they will hold the boat until you return. Thanks!

Sorry, forgot to ask if you heard any feedback on these two Iceland excursions through NCL: Dynjandi Waterfall & Local Village in Isafjordur, Iceland AND Jewels of the North in Akureyri, Iceland.

1. ÅLESUND: I'm unfortunately not familiar with the NCL Hjorund Fjord Cruise BUT I did some digging and found this post by someone who toured Bergen, Ålesund, and Geiranger on the Prima who did this tour! https://journeyswithsteve.com/three-days-in-spectacular-western-norway/ "The initial part of the journey took us along the waterfront residential areas of Ålesund, followed by quaint and colorful farms and villages. The further we traveled inland, the mountains became more dramatic, reminding me of the Swiss Alps, with occasional waterfalls cascading down the mountains. My only disappointment with our excursion is the size of the boat, and the number of people on the tour. It felt like there were too many people booked for the size of the boat, and many of the people had to sit inside on the lower level away from the windows. We were lucky that we could grab a spot on the open deck to witness the beauty." I'll add that no matter which tour you end up booking, I hope you have time for the Aksla Viewpoint in town... I could not get enough of that view! 2. GEIRANGER: The same blogger above reviewed an RIB Boat Tour in Geiranger (though it sounds as though he booked through Viator, not NCL): "RIB Boat tour – A great way to experience the fjord is to take a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) tour. A RIB boat is a lightweight, open air high performance boat that has inflated side air tubes to provide resilience at high speeds. The tours allow passengers to get close to the mountain sides and see the fjords and surrounding scenery from right on the water. The tours can range from one to two hours. Our group had an amazing time taking the 90 minute tour, listening to our guide tell the facts and stories of the fjord and history of the area." 3. BERGEN: Completely understand about the waterfall concern! My travel companions did the Norway in a Nutshell tour in Bergen, and they really liked it (and did see at least one waterfall). My mom said: "Yes, I definitely would recommend it! I remember it being a little scary for me, I think the train had some sheer drop-offs, but the views were amazing." 4. NCL tours vs. non-NCL excursions: I would never want to state that it's 100% safe to book excursions outside the ship. You're right that booking through NCL offers more peace of mind in case anything goes wrong (but the trade-off is that NCL's are usually more expensive than ones offered by third parties). However, we've never had a situation where we were worried we wouldn't get back in time. My husband's view is that if these companies have been doing these tours for years, they won't take any risk, as they don't want any reputational damage and for business to suffer if they can't get people back in time. But if you're going to book third parties, I would only pick reputable ones that have stellar reviews and that give you enough of a buffer to give you some peace of mind.

Continued... 5. ISAFJORDUR: I found this comment about the Dynjandi Waterfall & Local Village tour on Reddit: "For Ísafjörður we did the Dynjandi Waterfall & Local Village. Beautiful scenery. The village was cute and fun. The tour guide at the village lived there but he can be very busy so I’m not sure if you’ll get a chance to have him tour the town and his fish making factory." And I found this comment on a Cruise Critic review: "The Northwest is where even Icelanders consider remote and unbearable. It’s colder and geologically older, and in many ways it resembles Norway because of the many fjords. The star attraction in the northwest is Dynjandi, the crown jewel of Iceland's countless waterfalls because of its extraordinary scale and unique layered drops. Though it's only a short 40-minute ride from the port, it appeared that it did not get the attention it deserves among fellow passengers. Isafjordur is more an expedition and adventure hub than a leisure destination, so if you are not interested in Dynjandi, there aren't an awful lot of things to do other than mountain hikes and bird-watching trips. Parts of the mudslide dams close to the town centre also serve as an observation deck to offer a better view of the town." 6. AKUREYRI: I looked up the NCL Jewels of the North excursion and it sounds as though it features many of the same spots we went to (the waterfall Godafoss, the craters of Skútustaðir and Lake Mývatn, the lava formations at Dimmuborgir, and the hot springs at Namaskard). So while I don't have feedback on that specific tour, I absolutely think all of the locations are worth visiting! I only wished we'd had longer at each stop. Speaking of Lake Myvatn, find out if midges (gnat-like bugs) will be in season at the time of your cruise. They were AWFUL, just constant swarms around our head. If they are in season (I believe May/early June and then late July/August, but I'm not sure), I HIGHLY recommend a mosquito net hat! (I think the gift shop at the lake sells netting, too.) -- I hope this is helpful, please let me know if you have any other questions!

Hi. We are taking this cruise in May 2024. We are new to cruising so found this very helpful. One question is how dressy are the restaurants on the ship? We will try minimize buffets and have 2 ala cart restaurants included in our package. Thank you!

Oh I hope you love cruising! We took our first cruise in 2021 and were immediately hooked, we're about to book our 6th! That's a good question about dress code for the restaurants. I feel as though people are pretty casual but put together (e.g., no ripped or hole-y jeans). To double-check, I looked up what the NCL FAQ says about dress code: "Dress cruise casual anytime during the day, in the buffet and in most specialty restaurants. For women, it includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops. Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts are fine for men. Swimwear is acceptable at the buffet and outdoor restaurant, but a shirt or a cover-up and footwear are required. Be sure to pack a sweater — the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants. Please Note: We want you to be comfortable, but tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants. Dress smart casual in our more upscale specialty restaurants. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it's jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes." I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for such a great review. We sail this same itinerary on Sept 22 (but Geiranger instead of Olden). We are staying 3 nights in Reykjavik prior and staying 3 nights in London after cruise. Your review has given me so many ideas as to what we want to see. We are looking for tours that do not require a lot of walking as my in-laws will also be on this trip. I am also looking for waterfalls for my mother-in-law to see. Our main reason for this trip is to chase the Northern Lights (my mother-in-laws dream is to see them).

I have heard great things about Geiranger! I think 3 nights in Reykjavik is a great amount of time, I wish we'd had one more day. If you need London ideas, I've written about 2 trips here: https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2022/09/travel-diary-london-england-including.html and https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2023/02/travel-diary-4-days-in-london-england.html Highly recommend Churchill War Rooms, we've gone on both our trips to London! If anyone in your group is a Harry Potter fan, the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour is worth it, although it's outside of London and requires some travel. And you can search NCL excursions on the NCL website by activity level (on the left-hand column). They're ranked 1, 2, or 3 in terms of difficulty, and each excursion should say what to expect in terms of the terrain, amount of walking, etc. You may also be able to search third party excursions by difficulty level. You might also be able to rent scooters from the ship (we tried to look into it for my aunt after we boarded, but they'd all been reserved by then), although I'm not sure you can take them off of the ship. Personally, I always like the Hop On Hop Off buses - pretty much guarantees you'll see all the "must see" spots, it's an opportunity to rest your legs, and you can listen to the audio to learn about the city you're visiting! I hope you see the Northern Lights, that is one of my dreams as well!! Some day!

Hi Sarah, We are booked on this cruise for this summer. Your blog post has been extremely helpful! I was wondering if you had any recommendations on dining times-we also are interested in attending the shows in the evenings. We are usually early risers so we do not want to be eating after the shows and I cannot find a schedule with times for the entertainment and don't want to miss out nor be eating too early or too late!

So it really depends, but I feel like shows started anywhere from 6:30 to 9pm, so you’ll probably be safe in general if you aim for 5pm or so. However, the ship will leave the ship’s Freestyle Daily newsletter at your door every evening, and you can check that for show times the following day and plan your day that way! I hope you have the best time, please let me know if you have any questions! (FYI, I deleted my original comment because for some reason I wasn't signed in, and I didn't want to confuse you by having it look like another anonymous user had answered.)

Hi there, I wanted to follow up and let you know I posted a follow-up Q&A on the Prima, and in it I include some photos of the Freestyle Daily that might be helpful for you! https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2024/04/norwegian-prima-q-answering-questions.html Here are some of the show times according to the newsletters from my trip: - Summer: The Donna Summer Musical started at 6:30pm with another show at 10pm. - The Price is Right started at 7pm with another show at 9pm. - Shane Hampsheir: Bublé & Friends started at 9pm.

Hi Sarah, we are considering booking this cruise for July 2024. Can you let me know if you booked a room in The Haven or if you booked a regular balcony or suite. Most of the better reviews I see online are those that booked in The Haven so I'd be happy to know that you booked outside The Haven and still had a wonderful experience.

Happy to answer this one :) We booked a regular cabin, no Haven!

Thank you. Appreciate the feedback and all your information about this cruise.

Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help! I can try to track down some Haven reviews from the Prima if you'd like.

Hello, I have a question about Reykjavik.. We scheduled the Golden Circle Tour, but my family wants me to change it to a South Coast Tour. I know you went on the South Coast tour. Did you happen to feel like it was a lot of time waisted because it took too long to get there by vehicle? I didn’t know if we only have one day in Reykjavik, if it’s worth the time. If so, do I need to pack anything specific for the glacier hike?

I wouldn't say that I felt like it was a lot of time wasted, but it WAS a lot of time in the car. However, that didn't bother us because my husband and I had just landed the day before, so we were still adjusting to the time change, and the other 3 in our group landed that very morning (our tour picked them up at the airport) -- so we all took advantage of the time in the car to nap! You don't need to bring anything special for the hike, my husband and I brought our own hiking boots (because we knew we wanted to hike in Norway, too), but the others in our party rented hiking boots from the tour organizer, which worked out fine for them (and my husband and I could have gotten away with sneakers on the hike in Norway, since it was mostly paved). I find the Earth Trekkers blog to be enormously helpful, they've done the Golden Circle tour so you might be able to read through their different experiences to see which you would prefer! https://www.earthtrekkers.com/iceland-travel-guide/

Great review … we are considering this cruise for June 2025. Wondering what we should budget for the extra excursions. We are Canadian so with the exchange this is already a very pricey trip!

Hi there, I'm happy to try to help! - Our Golden Circle + Blue Lagoon admission was 28,900 ISK each (before it was cancelled and refunded). - Our private South Coast tour was 237,450 ISK for 5 people, which included our glacier hike and gear. (I think it was 170,000 ISK for 5 people without the glacier hike.) - Our Akureyri tour (booked through Viator) was probably 150ish USD each. - We did not do an excursion in Alesund but paid for our aquarium tickets and the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. - We did not do an excursion in Olden but hiked on our own. However, NCL did offer an excursion for this hike, and we crossed paths with them toward the top. But we were glad we didn't pay. - Our Bergen tour (booked through Viator) was probably 150ish USD each. - We did not do an excursion in Amsterdam but paid for the Anne Frank House and the Verzetsmuseum (Museum of Dutch WWII Resistance). Meals in the countries on the itinerary (particularly Iceland and Norway) can be pricey, but if you're looking to save money, you can at least eat breakfast and dinner on the ship. In some ports (like Olden), I think we could have easily gotten back on the ship for lunch and then disembarked again in time. I hope this helps, please let me know if there's anything else I can answer!

Going on this cruise but out of London end of may. Will you post again your excursions you chose to do in each spot traveling with 2 sons 17 and 20. Hoping the fjords dredging to be finished. Is this a time you said the gnats were in season? Also wondering about the weather ?

That's going to be such a nice trip with your sons! - We purchased a Golden Circle + Blue Lagoon tour in Reykjavík through a third party (Arctic Adventures): https://adventures.is/iceland/day-tours/golden-circle/golden-circle-afternoon/ - We purchased a private South Coast tour in Reykjavík through a third party (Arctic Adventures). - We purchased a highlights sightseeing tour in Akureyri through a third party (Viator): https://bit.ly/448GeGL - We did not do an excursion in Ålesund but visited the aquarium on our own and rode a Hop-On Hop-Off bus. - We did not do an excursion in Olden but hiked on our own. However, NCL did offer an excursion for this hike, and we crossed paths with that group toward the top. - We purchased a waterfall tour in Bergen through a third party (Viator): https://bit.ly/3DT6J8h - We did not do an excursion in Amsterdam but visited the Anne Frank House and the Verzetsmuseum (Museum of Dutch WWII Resistance). The other people in our party did 3 NCL excursions (in Ålesund, Bergen, and Amsterdam). For the midges at Lake Myvatn, I THINK they're in season May/early June and then late July/August, but I'm not sure). There is a gift shop at the lake that I believe sells mosquito netting if you end up wanting it! I thought the weather on our cruise (July 27 through August 6) was excellent. It was a little dreary and overcast on our stops in Iceland, but the weather in Norway was perfect, same with Amsterdam. Partially because of the weather and partially because of the waterfall mists, I think I always carried a light jacket or rain jacket with me but there were plenty of times I didn't need either (as you can tell from the photos where I've taken them off!).

Thanks for all the info! We're doing this cruise this summer. Do you by any chance have pictures of the Freestyle Daily for each day? - Tara

I do have nearly all, if not all, of the Freestyle Daily newsletters (I am sentimental and like to save them), but I'm not sure if I can add images to a comment, and each Freestyle Daily is at least 4 pages (2 pages front and back). Let me try to figure that out!

I just realized, I've been meaning to make a follow-up Q&A post featuring all the questions I've received on this post, so when I do, I'll include photos of the Freestyle Daily and will drop the link to the new post here!

Hi Tara, I just published the Q&A that includes some photos! https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2024/04/norwegian-prima-q-answering-questions.html

Sarah, Thank you SO much for this post! It has been extremely helpful as we plan our trip. We have booked our air through NCL, adding on the two extra days allowed on each end. However, they will not tell us our flight schedule until approximately 30 days before travel. I noticed you did both the Golden Circle Tour and were also planning the South Coast. They both seem to be full days. Did you have enough time once arriving in Reykjavek?

I'm so glad my review was helpful for your planning! We arrived at KEF in Reykjavík at 9am, so we used Arctic Adventures to pick a Golden Circle afternoon tour that departed at 12noon (the other option was 8am) and lasted for 6 hours: https://adventures.is/iceland/day-tours/golden-circle/golden-circle-afternoon/ Our South Coast tour the next day was a private tour (also booked through Arctic Adventures), so we were able to customize the pick-up more than if it'd been a regular group tour. The guide picked us up in Reykjavík at 8:30am, then went to KEF to pick up our remaining guests, who landed at 9am. We were VERY lucky in both cases that neither flight was delayed!

We stayed at the Fosshotel Reykjavík: https://www.islandshotel.is/hotels-in-iceland/fosshotel-reykjavik/ I forget why we picked this hotel, but we had no complaints! Room and bathroom were both fairly spacious, and the lobby was really nice -- lots of sitting room -- with a restaurant and beer garden attached. The only potential negative is that it's not in the main area but in the business district. However, it was still walking distance to the main area (around a 25-minute walk), and we love to walk (especially when the sun is still out at 10pm!), and I'm sure it was cheaper than staying in the main area.

Hi there - what time could you get on the ship? We are flying on a red eye and want to see if we will be able to get on and have a nap before the ship leaves port.

Hi there! Our boarding time was 1:30pm, but we arrived very early (at 10:30am) because my husband likes to try to get aboard the ship as early as possible, and we were on the Prima by 11:30am! I don't know if it's always so smooth, but this was one of the better embarkation experiences we've had with NCL.

Hi Sarah! Thank you soooo much for the detailed and interesting review. There are generous informations! We do this cruise on opposite way next August. There is something I wonder that you might help me with. I want to book some excursions that are not sold by the ship. I wonder... how long does it takes approximately to get off of the ship when we are at port of call? In the NCL informations, I read 2 hours but it seems a lot to me. But I'm new to cruise, maybe it's normal, I don't know. Also, I booked an interior room because it's cheaper and I said to myself that if I want to see the landscape, I would go on decks. Now I read *many* complaints about the lack of space for observation on the ship. Based on your experience, should I keep my first idea or I really should bet on an upgrade to at least a window or a balcony? And is it cold to see sit outside during this cruise? Thank you for helping if you can! Caroline

Hi Caroline, I hope you have a great time on your cruise. Per my understanding, with regard to disembarking, the ship does need time after docking in order for the local port authorities to clear the ship and allow passengers to exit. However, the "arrival times" listed on your itinerary factor that time in and thus should be the time you're allowed to disembark the ship. Because of lines of other passengers waiting to disembark, that CAN be a lengthy process, but in my experience, I don't think it's ever taken us more than 30 minutes (if that) to exit the ship! The 2 hours that you're seeing online may be referring specifically to Disembarkation Day, the final day of the cruise. When it comes to the "lack of space for observation," if I had to guess, I would guess people are talking specifically about the Observation Lounge on Deck 17 -- because it WAS smaller than I expected. However, we were still often able to get seats for our whole group (7 people). That said, there is still plenty of actual observation space on the Prima! It does depend on the weather (if it's TOO cold and misty, people will stay indoors) -- but I would just keep an eye on the weather forecast and pack accordingly (we used towels from the pool to wrap around ourselves as a "blanket" when necessary).

Hi Sarah! This is all such great information. We are going in July / August and are planning on visiting Anne Frank's house but I am curious about the times. Do you remember if ship time was based on Iceland? Amsterdam is two hours ahead of Iceland and so when it says the Prima is there from 07:00 - 17:15, I am not sure if that is local time or an established ship time from when we departed in Iceland. I don't want to get tickets for the wrong time! Thank you so much. - Mark

Hi! I hope you have a lovely time on the ship, and I'm glad you're going to visit the Anne Frank House. Just don't forget to set a reminder to purchase tickets when they go on sale six weeks in advance of the date you want! Otherwise, you won't be able to go. In my experience with NCL, the ship adjusts so the ship time will be local. We purchased tickets for entry between 12:30 and 12:45pm, and we had plenty of time to get there even though we *walked* from the port to the museum. The rest of my family had 1:30pm tickets, I think, and were able to fit in their 90-minute canal tour beforehand.

Thanks Sarah! - Mark

Hi Sarah! My husband sent me your review back in January when we booked our trip. We will be doing the reverse trip. I can't wait. I have been rereading your review as we get closer to our trip in July. You gave so many great tips and ideas. You gave me ease of mind with booking excursions that are not with NCL. We have been on many cruises but never booked an excursion that was not with NCL. The port times on this cruise are long, so hopefully, that helps with returning on time. Also, most times we have seen dock runners, it is individual people and not a bus load. Fingers crossed! I am concerned with amount of clothing I take. I tend to overpack and since the clothing will be heavier (not a Caribbean cruise) I don't want my suitcase to be overweight! I was thinking of taking a Lands End Wanderweight Ultralight Packable Hooded Long Down Jacket and a rain jacket. Do you think that will be enough? I will also pack a sweatshirt or 2 so I can layer. Thanks again for your great review. I CANNOT wait for this cruise! - Paula

Hi Paula, I really appreciate your comment, I'm so glad you found this information helpful! And you are going to have a great time, especially doing it in reverse. Regarding the excursions, I don't think we've ever been on a non-NCL excursion where there wasn't at LEAST one other person from our ship. So I hope that gives you some peace of mind, too! I am an overpacker, too, so I feel your pain! I definitely didn't need as much as I packed. I think having the down jacket, a rain jacket, and a sweatshirt will certainly be enough, especially since you can layer with the sweatshirt if you need to, like you mentioned. I would just double-check the weather right before you leave to make sure there aren't any surprises, like extremely cold or rainy or hot weather. But we had much warmer weather than I expected, you can see in my photos that although I sometimes started with a lot of layers, I'd end up taking a few off. And the people around me are similarly prepared with layers (in the Norway photos, many folks are carrying rather than wearing their jackets). I really hope you have the best time, Iceland had such diverse landscapes and Norway was just so pretty!

Thanks again, Sarah! I keep reading and re-reading your review and pick u a new tip each time! You were very thorough! We were supposed to do the Land of the Trolls in Alesund but the road had a rock slide!! so it is closed. Was there much to see walking around the town? 12 days! Can't wait!!!

Yes, I definitely think there was enough to see just in town! I always like checking out the stops on the local Hop On Hop Off buses because that's a pretty easy way to get a sense of the highlights (since the itinerary will likely include anything that's worth seeing). And I LOVED the aquarium (if only for the seals) and could have spent hours at the Aksla Viewpoint, taking in the view (and I believe there's a café there, too). We had no regrets about not doing an excursion! I hope you have the best time!! Please let me know how it goes!

This review was the best I have ever seen. We have cruised many times but mostly in the Caribbean, but we will be doing this cruise in July 2024 only in reverse. We have never been to Europe or any of these countries and did not see this addressed but will we need to bring any local currency? Thank you

I think doing it in reverse is the right move! I'm so excited for you, first trip to Europe! I said in another comment that Iceland had so many diverse landscapes, and all of our stops in Norway were stunning in different ways. Plus I just love Amsterdam! (And I'd been really excited about Brussels, still bummed the port was damaged during our cruise). We did not bring any local currency with us, we used our credit cards everywhere. If you plan to use credit cards, double-check with your financial institution as to whether they charge a foreign transaction fee (if they do, it'll likely be around 3%, which can add up -- but there are some cards that waive the fee). Also, if you do end up using an ATM outside the U.S., it's possible both your bank AND the foreign bank will charge you a fee (usually $5-10 each), so I would also check with your bank about that, just to make sure you don't have any nasty surprise charges at the end of your trip. Lastly, while tipping isn't typically expected in Europe, it does seem as though America's tipping culture is slowly spreading (likely due to having iPad tip screens so accessible). However, expectations are still MUCH lower than in the U.S. because European restaurants pay their staff differently, so if you tip, you do not need to tip as much as you would in the U.S. -- for example, in England, it's my understanding that it's common to simply round up. I would google the tipping culture in each country to help you decide what you're comfortable with. Are you going to spend a few days in London ahead of your trip? If so, I highly recommend the Churchill War Rooms!! And if you're a Harry Potter fan, you can tour the Warner Brothers Studio where the movies were filmed (though it's not in London proper, it's a bit of a trek). I have London diaries here in case they help! - https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2022/09/travel-diary-london-england-including.html - https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2023/02/travel-diary-4-days-in-london-england.html - https://www.abreathoffreshsarah.com/2023/02/travel-diary-warner-bros-studio-tour-in.html And thank you SO MUCH for your kind words! It means a lot to me.

Hi there! I have another question regarding what to wear and pack for excursions in Iceland and Norway. Is it really cold where we need a thermal tights, waterproof pants, and a very thick coat or can you get away with normal tights, layers and a light puffer? And during the daytime on the boat, is it warm enough to wear a swimsuit, swim and wear a light over up? And for the dinners, is it too cold to wear summer dresses and a light cardigan or jacket? Sorry first time on a cruise and I have no idea what to expect. I have been to Iceland before in June and know it’s very cold when the sun is not out. I just want to make sure I pack correctly for this trip. Hoping it’s going to be sunny and a nice temperature but I think this is wishful thinking :).

In my experience, thermal tights/waterproof pants/a thick coat weren't necessary! I'd debated bringing waterproof pants to protect against any mist from the waterfalls, but I opted against it and just having my raincoat was sufficient. I did bring fleece-lined leggings, but I think I could have gotten away with normal leggings. I only brought a light puffer coat, a raincoat, and some sweaters, and that was sufficient. During our glacier hike in Iceland, I even ended up taking off my puffer coat and just wearing my tank top (however, I do get hot easily, so YMMV!). I packed 3 dresses, a swimsuit, and shorts, and I was able to wear the swimsuit in Ålesund (and put on shorts once we got back to the ship), shorts and a tank top for our hike in Olden and a dress once we got back on the ship, a dress in Bergen, and a dress in Amsterdam (though I brought a sweater with me). I will say that the weather was warmer than I'd initially expected so definitely check the anticipate weather before you leave, because I'm not sure if what we experienced was the norm! For the boat itself, the inside is basically like an air-conditioned store or restaurant. So I think you're good to wear dresses if you have a cardigan or light sweater to throw on top if you need it. My husband loves the hot tub so he spent some time every day in his swimsuit!

So helpful thanks! So with all the pools and waterslides there… do people wear swimsuits on the ship and lay out at all? Just trying to envision this and pack properly! Thanks!

Yes, we definitely saw people in their swimsuits and laying out by the pool, and I sat by the pool in a swimsuit at least once, while my husband got in the hot tub every day.

Thank you for your detailed analysis of your trip. Question for you. How far is the Anne frank museum from the NCL port? We will be arriving in Amsterdam at 8 and I would like to visit the museum first. Thank you

I believe we disembarked at Cruise Port Amsterdam, and it was a ~30-minute walk for my husband and me to the Anne Frank House. However, there is also the option to get taxis or buses from the terminal. If you'd like to visit the Anne Frank House, tickets are ONLY sold by the museum (per my understanding, I don't think it's possible to book tours through 3rd parties) and they go on sale exactly 6 weeks in advance. If you don't get tickets in time, you'll be out of luck because they no longer release tickets in batches the day of the way that they used to. My husband and I set a calendar reminder 6 weeks in advance of our Amsterdam port to be sure that we would remember to buy them, highly recommend doing that!

I am going on this cruise, alone, in September 2024. Thank you so much for sharing this wealth of information to which I will keep referring

I hope (and think) that you will have the best time! Are you staying in a studio? The Studio Lounge was really nicely decorated, spacious, and relaxing, and it seemed like a great way to meet other people cruising solo if you wanted to! Please come back and let me know how your cruise goes!

One question. How far is the cruise port from downtown Reykjavik and is there a shuttle service?

I'd say it's about a 10-minute drive or an hour-long walk. I'm not sure about the shuttle service -- we ordered a taxi through our hotel, if I remember correctly. I tried to take a quick look online but found some conflicting information, so I think your best bet is checking directly with NCL!

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Norwegian Prima Overview

The first in her class, Norwegian Prima is designed with guest experience at the forefront, promising to elevate every expectation, while providing you with the classic Norwegian Cruise Line touches you know and love. Whether it’s a solo escape, a romantic getaway for two or a vacation for the whole family, everyone will find a favorite onboard activity, a restaurant they’ll tell all their friends about and return home with memories to cherish for a lifetime. The revolutionary Prima even has accommodations for every traveler! Singles can enjoy the privacy of a studio inside cabin, while those who enjoy the panoramic views allowed by a balcony have spacious options with modern décor! There’s plenty to do outside of your stateroom though! Take a stroll down Ocean Boulevard and make sure you don’t miss the one-of-a-kind infinity pool at Infinity Beach, engineered to blend right into the ocean. Every meal is bound to be memorable, too, when you enter the Indulge Food Hall! You’ll have to continue reading to learn more about all the options, or simply call one of our cruise experts at 1-800-377-9383!

• Passenger Capacity: 3,099 (double occupancy)
• Year Built: 2022
• Last Refurbished: N/A

• The Haven Luxury, perfected. Step into The Haven onboard Norwegian Prima and be transported to a new world. A world of luxury, exclusive amenities and unmatched service with a 24-hour butler.  

• Infinity Beach The first of it’s kind at sea, the infinity pool on this exclusive section of the deck is designed to blend in to the ocean below! Grab a lounge chair – drinks are on their way.  

• Indulge Food Hall Full of comfortable seating, the Indulge Food Hall onboard Prima is the place to satisfy those mid-day cravings while enjoying the hammocks and cabanas. Healthy options like The Garden, a spot for the sweet tooth at Coco’s and of course, a Starbucks for a pick me up are available all day here.  

• Ocean Boulevard At the corner of fun and memories you’ll find Ocean Boulevard on Norwegian Prima. Whether you’re strolling on the glass bridge that is the Oceanwalk or simply enjoying a nightcap at one of the firepits at the Indulge Outdoor Lounge, Ocean Boulevard might be your new favorite spot onboard. Did we mention it’s lined with your favorite Norwegian Cruise Line restaurants?  

• Onda by Scarpetta Enjoy the classic elegance of Onda by Scarpetta with their signature scratch-made Italian cuisine onboard Norwegian Prima. Modern fixtures provide comfort while world class service makes your dining experience truly five stars.  

• The Local Bar & Grill Spent all day in the sun and looking to cool off with some hearty pub fare and a beer? The Local on Prima is for you – featuring beers on tap, IPAs, and a full menu I’m sure you’ll explore once you’re there.  

Norwegian Prima Cruise Destinations

Travel the world on Norwegian cruises! This fantastic cruise line boasts over 120 different ports of call, located in countries all over the world. Norwegian Cruise Line is always breaking new ground in their itinerary offerings. You can choose from over 145 different itineraries, each of which has been carefully chosen to present the destination in a unique and exciting way. Kick back on the beautiful beaches of the Bahamas. Become a culinary expert in the Mediterranean. Golf on professional links in Bermuda. Explore the wonders of South America. Enjoy the colors of New England in the fall. Or even sail the Panama Canal!

Luxurious tropical days can be spent on the white-sand beaches or on the links during your Bermuda cruise.

Water sports and intriguing tropical ports highlight the Caribbean region.

Eastern Caribbean

Magnificent days at the beach, tasty fare, and sun-soaked excursions lie awaiting you in the Eastern Caribbean.

Diverse cultures, outstanding historical attractions, and intriguing peoples are a few of the features of a cruise to Europe.

Europe Cruisetours

Explore Europe in a deeper way with a Norwegian Cruise Line Europe Cruisetours, featuring the chance to spend more time in Europe’s most interesting cities.

Mediterranean

Comb the Greek Isles for culinary delights and immerse yourself in the religious history of Italy on a cruise to the Mediterranean and Greek Isles.

Northern Europe

Create your own fairytale – complete with towering castles, elegant palaces and royal gardens – on a Northern Europe cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Transatlantic

Coast to coast, port to port, the Grand Atlantic will astound you with its beauty and intriguing stops along the way during a Transatlantic cruise.

Western Caribbean

Mayan ruins will astound you and Jamaican fare will delight you on a cruise to the Western Caribbean.

Norwegian Prima Departure Ports

Looking for a getaway without the need to fly far, then Norwegian has options for you. The cruise line has ships leaving from New York, Boston, Miami, New Orleans and Seattle. If you do want to travel abroad they have ships in Europe leaving from ports like Venice, Barcelona and Copenhagen. Isn’t it time for you to cruise with Norwegian. Check out all of their itineraries on our site and then call us to discuss the best vacation option for you with our expert cruise consultants. 

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is a delightful city with some of the world’s most interesting places, like the longest pedestrian street and one of the oldest amusement parks in the world.

Reykjavik was just a small village until seeing a major expansion after World War II, but this popular cruise destination still offers a small town feel different than any other European capital.

A cruise to Civitavecchia is a chance for you to hop a quick train to Rome and explore the enormous history through ruins, galleries and The Vatican museums.

Galveston, Texas

Indulge in the local flavor with fresh Gulf shrimp, Galveston Bay oysters and pristine Gulf coast beaches as you relax in southern comfort in Galveston, Texas.

Take in the incredible art scene of New York City, expand your cultural horizons in the city’s diverse neighborhoods and marvel at the architectural wonders.

The seafood is fresh, the sun is shining and there’s a whole lot to do, so get out there and explore the city before, during and after your cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida.

The cruise port of Southampton features tons of diverse attractions that provide insight into England’s culture and storied past, including fortresses, gardens and national parks.

Norwegian Prima Deck Plans

Norwegian prima staterooms.

Balcony (B1)

Balcony (b4), balcony (b9), balcony (ba), balcony (bb), balcony (bf), balcony (bt), balcony (bx).

Inside (I4)

Inside (ia), inside (ib), inside (if), inside (it), inside (ix).

Inside (T1)

Oceanview (O2)

Oceanview (O4)

Oceanview (oa).

Oceanview (OB)

Oceanview (ot), oceanview (ox).

Photo Gallery for Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship

Before you experience “Freestyle Cruising” with Norwegian check out this photo gallery which features many of their ships, specialty dining options and innovative staterooms. 

Firepit by the Food Hall on Norwegian Prima

The Local Bar & Grill on Norwegian Prima

Onda by Scarpetta on Norwegian Prima

The Concourse on Norwegian Prima

Glass-bottom Oceanwalk on Norwegian Prima

Ocean Boulevard Infinity Pool on Prima

La Terraza on Norwegian Prima

The Haven Lounge on Norwegian Prima

The Haven Bar on Norwegian Prima

The Haven Outdoor Dining on Prima

The Haven Outdoor Bar on Prima

The Haven Outdoor Lounge on Prima

Infinity Pool in The Haven on Norwegian Prima

Starbucks in the Indulge Food Hall on Prima

Nudls in the Indulge Food Hall on Prima

More Options at the Indulge Food Hall on Prima...

"Indulge" in Cocos in the Food Hall on Prima

Top 10 Norwegian Prima Cruises

• Norwegian Prima 12 Night Europe - Classic Mediterranean (SOU/CIV) Departing From Southampton, England (Oct 2024)
• Norwegian Prima 10 Night Greek Isles & Italy (CIV/CIV) Departing From Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy (Oct 2024 - Oct 2024)
• Norwegian Prima 16 Night Repo - Transatlantic (CIV/NYC) Departing From Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy (Nov 2024)
• Norwegian Prima 7 Night Bermuda - New York (NYC/NYC) Departing From New York, New York (Nov 2024 - Apr 2025)
• Norwegian Prima 11 Night Southern Caribbean - New York (NYC/NYC) Departing From New York, New York (Nov 2024)
• Norwegian Prima 10 Night Eastern Caribbean - New York (NYC/NYC) Departing From New York, New York (Dec 2024)
• Norwegian Prima 12 Night Southern Caribbean - New York (NYC/NYC) Departing From New York, New York (Dec 2024)
• Norwegian Prima 15 Night Caribbean - Other Product (NYC/GAL) Departing From New York, New York (Jan 2025)
• Norwegian Prima 14 Night Caribbean - Other Product (GAL/GAL) Departing From Galveston, Texas (Jan 2025 - Jan 2025)
• Norwegian Prima 7 Night Caribbean - Other Product (GAL/GAL) Departing From Galveston, Texas (Feb 2025 - Mar 2025)

Learn More About Norwegian Cruise Line

Accessibility

Learn about Norwegian Cruise Line's handicap accessible cruises and accommodations for guests with special needs or disabilities, including service animals, Braille and special rooms.

Savor Freestyle dining aboard Norwegian Cruise Line, including the specialty restaurants like Ocean Blue, Cagney's, Le Bistro, Moderno Churrascaria, The Haven Restaurant, the main dining rooms and several pubs, bars, grills and cafes.

Entertainment

Enjoy Norwegian Cruise Line's onboard entertainment, including Broadway productions, comedy clubs, dueling pianos and much more.

Onboard Activities

Engage in Norwegian Cruise Line's onboard activities, including water parks, casinos, dance clubs, arcades, ropes courses, sports courts, duty-free shops and more.

Service & Awards

Learn how Norwegian Cruise Line takes care of your every need with an extensive list of onboard services. Plus, view Norwegian Cruise Line's awards.

Spa & Fitness

Participate in Norwegian Cruise Line's fitness centers, training programs and relax at spa treatments, including massages, body wraps, acupuncture, facials and more to relax and soothe.

Special Events

Learn about Norwegian Cruise Line's special themed cruises, including popular rock music themed cruises through a partnership with Sixthman.

Learn about Norwegian Cruise Line's staterooms, including suites, mini-suites, balconies, oceanviews, interiors and solo-traveler Studio rooms.

Youth Programs

Learn about Norwegian's Splash Academy youth programs and cruising with children of all ages.

Cruise Type

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Norwegian Prima: 9 Must-Know Things About the New Ship

Looking for a reason to get excited about sailing again? How about the introduction of a major new cruise ship from one of the biggest lines in the world… that’s wholly different than anything else in its fleet? That’s what we’re getting with Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship — Norwegian Prima.

While cruise lines often roll out new ships that are essentially carbon copies of past ships, with entirely new classes of vessels the lines get the chance to completely redefine what’s possible at sea.

That’s exactly what NCL is doing with Prima. From changing the entire design of the ship from anything else in the fleet, to the amenities offered onboard (infinity pools?!), Prima promises to be a dramatic departure from anything else.

Here’s what to know about this brand-new cruise ship.

Prima Is The First of SIX New Ships in its Class

Norwegian Prima is the first ship of the brand-new Prima class — the cruise line’s first new class of ships in nearly a decade. In total, the cruise line plans for five more Prima-class vessels, meaning that relatively soon there will likely be one of these ships sailing from your favorite cruise port.

With six ships, that would make the Prima class the largest group of ships within Norwegian’s fleet — overtaking the four ships in the Breakaway-Plus class. The current schedule is for one new ship to roll out yearly from 2022-2027, built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

Prima Is the Line’s First New Ship Since Encore

Norwegian Encore made massive headlines and saw lots of fanfare when it first sailed in 2019. Then, the health crisis hit. The steady stream of new ships that the industry had seen for years dried up. By the time Prima is launched in 2022, it will be the first ship added to Norwegian’s fleet since Encore — a span of three years.

From 2013 through 2019, Norwegian Cruise Line had introduced a new ship each year and plans to return to that schedule again starting in 2022 for the foreseeable future, helping to make up for lost time.

Prima Will Be Smaller Than Previous Ships

It’s rare — though not unheard of — for cruise lines to downsize their ships. Over the past 10-15 years, the trend has definitely been that new ships continue to increase in size . For instance, Carnival’s new Mardi Gras is by far the largest ship in that cruise line’s fleet.

That makes it interesting that after years of increasing ship size, NCL is going smaller with Prima. The ship will be “just” 965 feet long, carry 3,215 passengers, and weigh 142,500 gross tons.

By comparison, Norwegian Encore is nearly 1,100 feet, holds 4,000 passengers and weighs 169,000 gross tons. In other words, Encore is about 20% larger (based on tonnage) compared to Prima.

There are some concerns with ever-increasing ship size and the ability to dock in certain ports. However, the smaller size also seems to fit in with a new focus on luxury in the Prima class.

Prima Puts Luxury at the Top of the List

In general the mass-market cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian have a goal to appeal to everyone. There are tons of things for families and adults to do (several NCL ships even have go-kart tracks), and the feel is nice without being stuffy.

With Norwegian Prima, it appears that the cruise line is putting new emphasis on luxury. In fact, the first images of the ship are much more in line with luxury brands like Celebrity than the mass-market brands like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

For one, the ship will have 13 different suite categories, along with the largest-ever standard cabins from the line. There also is a renewed focus on The Haven, which is the “resort within a resort” that offers exclusive access to certain areas for passengers paying up for these rooms.

Then there is simply the design. Renderings show high-end design with modern style. Go-karts and waterslides don’t appear, although it’s not clear if these or other kid-friendly features are axed completely. The result is a ship that looks much more luxurious and focused on adults than rivals in the mass-market space.

An Even Greater Emphasis on the Outdoors

One of the features of newer Norwegian ships has been the emphasis on the outdoors. Every ship you’ll ever sail has a pool deck where people can get out and soak up the sun. But for many ships, that’s the extent of the outdoor area.

For many ships in the fleet, NCL has put a renewed emphasis on being outside. This includes outdoor dining and promenades set out from the body of the ship to give both nice views and sunshine.

Prima looks to do even more. First is Ocean Boulevard. Wrapping around deck 8, this outdoor area measures 44,000 square feet. It allows passengers to walk around the entire ship while still being close to the sea. There is also Infinity Beach, which puts infinity pools on lower decks on each side of the ship, two glass bridges, an outdoor sculpture garden (with $2 million worth of sculptures) and an outdoor open-air lounge at the front of the ship called La Terraza.

A New Concept With The Indulge Food Hall

It’s normal for a ship to have a number of restaurants all around the ship. What’s unusual is that Prima will introduce a new dining option known as the Indulge Food Hall. Here, the ship has 11 different places to eat (ranging from BBQ to rotisserie to salads and desserts), along with a mix of both indoor and outdoor seating.

This hall now serves as a hub for grabbing a bite to eat, but is far from the only place to dine. A number of other options are also available including The Local, Onda by Scarpetta, and Los Lobos.

On previous ships NCL did a great job in managing outdoor dining and the challenges such as the sun and wind. Prima looks to take that one step further with the new food hall, while also offering lots of options.

Infinity Pools Come to Prima

Frankly, most pools on cruise ships aren’t that memorable. Given the weight of water high-up on the ship, pools are relatively small and shallow, plopped in the middle of the deck.

Norwegian Prima is changing that. It will feature several infinity pools around the ship with clear edges offering a spot to take a dip that’s unlike anything else at sea. True, the pools still will be modest in size, but they will offer an unforgettable experience, especially with the pools being on lower decks, closer to the ocean.

Perhaps the most interesting location to take a swim is in The Haven. The exclusive pool for guests in these rooms is at the top of the ship at the very back, giving you an uninterrupted view as the ship is in port or at sea.

Prima Starts Sailing in Summer 2022

The current plan is for Prima to make her debut in the summer, with cruises beginning in Europe and the United Kingdom. The first public cruise sails from Amsterdam, on August 17, 2022. It will take passengers around Northern Europe, including stops in Belgium, Norway, and Iceland. The 8-day trip currently starts at $1,539 per person for an interior cabin.

As mentioned earlier, this will mark the first new ship from NCL in approximately three years, putting a premium on the chance to sail.

Prima Will Sail From a Number of Ports Before Settling Home in Port Canaveral

If you want a chance to sail on Prima, then you just might find a departure nearby. That’s because the ship has an odd schedule starting out, departing from several different ports around the world.

As mentioned earlier, it will sail from Amsterdam, but also depart from England to New York. From there, it will sail a trip to Galveston. Departing Galveston, Prima sails to Miami before sailing a handful of cruises and then homeporting in Port Canaveral until 2023.

Even then, Prima will be on the move in 2023. She will leave Port Canaveral, offering several trips from New York before moving back across the Atlantic.

Bottom Line About Prima

Put simply, Prima is not just another Norwegian Cruise Line ship. The ship and the entire class take a turn from the rest of the fleet, with an experience that definitely seems more upscale and adult-oriented. Instead of putting NCL in competition with Royal Caribbean and Carnival, it seems more in line with what you’d see from Celebrity or Princess.

Furthermore, the ship offers more in the way of outdoor experiences, with a number of new design features not seen in the Norwegian fleet or industry as a whole. When she sets sail, there’s going to be a lot for cruise fans to be excited about.

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NCL Excursion Reviews

By Coastalbreezes , May 16, 2016 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Coastalbreezes

When I was deciding on what excursions to take on my upcoming cruise, I found it so helpful to read the reviews on NCL's website. Some excursions that sounded great had some terrible reviews and others enlightened me that it might be an hour catamaran ride followed by a 45 minute bus ride to get to a particular place (something I wouldn't be interested in).

One thing I did notice is that most excursions only had a few reviews (maybe a few had 10 or more but that was the minority).

Considering the thousands of people who take excursions, I was surprised that there weren't more reviews.

To those who post them, thank you. And if you do take a ship-sponsored trip, I would love to read about your experience. It really helps especially with the high cost involved for most of them.

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BirdTravels

One thing I did notice is that most excursions only had a few reviews (maybe a few had 10 or more but that was the minority).   Tracy

I am a "Top 10" shoreex reviewer on NCL.com. The majority of the reviews that I have done over the years are no longer on the NCL website. I've never tied to figure out how it all works.

I had originally assumed that between seasons, tours were removed from the website when they were no longer offered. Then when the cruise line contracts with a tour provider for the next season, they were created with no reviews. Now I just don't know.

All I can say is that there were many more reviews written than what you find on the web site.

You would be shocked at how many posters just walk aimlessly around the ports and don't venture further...so no reviews needed

Many just take a cab to the beach...which is a perfect thing to do in the Carib...so no reviews

Sent from my iPad using Forums

When I was deciding on what excursions to take on my upcoming cruise, I found it so helpful to read the reviews on NCL's website. Some excursions that sounded great had some terrible reviews and others enlightened me that it might be an hour catamaran ride followed by a 45 minute bus ride to get to a particular place (something I wouldn't be interested in).   One thing I did notice is that most excursions only had a few reviews (maybe a few had 10 or more but that was the minority).   Considering the thousands of people who take excursions, I was surprised that there weren't more reviews.   To those who post them, thank you. And if you do take a ship-sponsored trip, I would love to read about your experience. It really helps especially with the high cost involved for most of them.   Tracy

Something to remember is that when booking an ncl excursion....you are basically using the same operators that you would book if booking on your own

Price notwithstanding....it is quite likely that you won't even be able to book a particular say snorkel excursion on your own in many case as ncl has already booked the boats for their excursions

When you can find a private snorkel excursion the prices are usually very high but you are getting more time

While you can dig around to find one I myself have found it easier to do certain excursions through the ship

Fwiw the last thing I want or need is a bus tour of an island. If I book ncl tours I want snorkeling or I can just grab a cab to a beach....which btw in a place like st kitts will also get you a stop on a mountaintop to see the monkeys and where the Atlantic and Carib meet.

Any taxi driver worth their salt in st kitts knows to stop there if you are going to that part of the island

99% of the time I am cruising solo so I only take NCL excursions because I don't feel comfortable jumping in a taxi alone.

I love going to the beach and for my upcoming cruise, I was about to book a certain beach excursion when I decided to read the reviews. Most of them talked about how rocky the beach was, lots of seaweed and how the local vendors refused to leave you alone. Not my idea of fun so I nixed the idea.

Fortunately by continuing to read additional reviews, I found the perfect beach trip.

I submitted a review of an excursion in Tangier that was a bit critical - NCL never published it.

Check out the ports of call you are visiting here on CC you will get more info than you will ever find on NCL's web site. Or any one ships web site.

Or check out Trip advisor.

The posted ones are approved by NCL so not everything gets posted.

That's too bad because I would think it would help others make an informed decision. I've also written some critical (yet honest) reviews and have had both my positive and negative ones published.

99% of the time I am cruising solo so I only take NCL excursions because I don't feel comfortable jumping in a taxi alone.   I love going to the beach and for my upcoming cruise, I was about to book a certain beach excursion when I decided to read the reviews. Most of them talked about how rocky the beach was, lots of seaweed and how the local vendors refused to leave you alone. Not my idea of fun so I nixed the idea.   Fortunately by continuing to read additional reviews, I found the perfect beach trip.   Tracy

I don't actually believe you would be solo in a taxi to the beach anyway.

They usually wait until the van is full or semi full and then try to agree on a pick up time at the beach for the group

That's been our experience anyway

We get in taxi...with others whom we do not know...but who usually are agreeable to whatever beach the group wants....although you can go to any beach you want but the dispatchers know to group riders by beach preference....then....

Upon drop off at the beach the group usually agrees to a pick up time....as no one wants to miss the ship

Its all very civilized and easy

The group can agree to make sure they locate you before they leave just to be sure you don't miss the ride back

No need to stay with them at the beach but honestly just agree to meet up at agreed upon time

All pax have the same concerns so you will be ok doing this IMHO

I have to debate the NCL sanctioned excursions. Coming off the Getaway back in the end of April, this was the first time I booked third party excursions (and one NCL) for this trip. And to be honest, I did a lot of reading here (CC) and with TripAdvisor to select my excursions. The cost savings is substantial when you are a family; (I had two adults and two kids). Every NCL excursion was a budget buster and I saved at least close to $200 per excursion going third party. Each one had absolute assurances to make sure you didn't miss your boat. Many rely on reviews to maintain their business model and they know we (Americans) like to speak our mines so many won't risk a bad review.

I did Cozumel (last port) on NCL as a "last minute" selection since we had nothing planned. The cost was the highest of all the excursions.

Do your homework and have confidence that there are plenty of good third party excursions out there.

Hope this helps.

Don't forget to join your roll call and go to the Meet & Greet! Most people on the roll call have already researched/arranged independent tours (many based on Trip Advisor reviews and are looking for people to round out their groups. If the groups are full, you can contact the tour operator directly about starting another group.

We have never done a ship-operated tour, most because they are so expensive, and the groups are always sooo large! On private tours, you have smaller groups/buses, so it is easier and faster to get around/stay ahead of the ship tours.

On our most recent cruise, we met up with a couple from our M&G. The husband would go ashore as soon as the ship was cleared, survey all the tour operators selling tours, and then negotiate a price for a group of us (made up of M&G'ers and other people we met on the cruise). We ended up saving a ton of money on these private excursions, and the service was often better because the companies are smaller and more reliant on good reviews on sites such as TA.

Last three posts = great suggestions!

• 5 years later...

Has this not changed in the last 6-years?  Still no way to post a tour review (I just poked around for 20 minutes and couldn't figure it out)?  The descriptions on their reviews leaves MUCH to be desired (ex. recent "7 hour tour including Mayan ruins etc"....but 6 of it is BUS transport time). 

I guess as the seller (and profiter), they are likely not going to want any negative reviews so I suppose I am not surprised, but I never realized they were so curated.

Happycrafter123

I really wish there were reviews posted for the NCL excursions too.  Upcoming Baltic cruise, and I’ve compared prices with other tour operators, when factoring in the free at sea discount, it really is about the same price give or take a couple dollars as going with non-NCL operators, but not sure of the quality, and really don’t like the risk of missing boat…. 

Sailing12Away

Best bet is to search in the port of call forums. That's where you'll get unfiltered and honest opinions on the best (and worst) cruise-sponsored tours, as well as options for ones found via Viator or private companies.

• 1 year later...

On 5/16/2016 at 8:43 AM, BirdTravels said:   I am a "Top 10" shoreex reviewer on NCL.com. The majority of the reviews that I have done over the years are no longer on the NCL website. I've never tied to figure out how it all works.   I had originally assumed that between seasons, tours were removed from the website when they were no longer offered. Then when the cruise line contracts with a tour provider for the next season, they were created with no reviews. Now I just don't know.   All I can say is that there were many more reviews written than what you find on the web site.

do you have a place where you posted your reviews? looking for the mediterranean

littlelulu01

18 hours ago, Joan18 said: do you have a place where you posted your reviews? looking for the mediterranean

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2727265-mediterranean-ship-excursions-review/page/2/#replyForm

Not Bird travels but I posted reviews of about 14 Mediterranean ncl excursions on this review.  It was just prior to the pandemic but same excursions still on offer through ncl so you might get some ideas. 

12 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2727265-mediterranean-ship-excursions-review/page/2/#replyForm Not Bird travels but I posted reviews of about 14 Mediterranean ncl excursions on this review.  It was just prior to the pandemic but same excursions still on offer through ncl so you might get some ideas. 

I remember reading your review, it was great!

19 hours ago, Joan18 said: do you have a place where you posted your reviews? looking for the mediterranean

Sorry. They were NCL reviews which are probably OBE. The pandemic cancelled our last med cruise and we have been staying closer to home since. 

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Making money on 'Echo of World Cup': about how head of tourism state committee gives tours around Kazan

The centre of tourism development of the Republic of Tatarstan has launched a free project under unconventional name 'Oh, my guide!'. With its help, local residents will have an opportunity to go to a free tour with famous people of the city, not only around Kazan, but also abroad. The first such famous person was Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan Sergey Ivanov, who, armed with a speaker and facts, led the tourists by the traces of the World Cup. He could not resist and divided the group in two parts in Kazan Arena and brought them to the football field to music — as if they were real players. Read the details about the interactive and new tourist project in the material of Realnoe Vremya.

'Oh, my guide!', it means free excursions

Tatarstan Tourism Development Centre has launched its new project — a series of free tours 'Oh, my guide!'. For Kazan citizens, they will be given by famous residents of the city, and the topic will depend directly on the guides themselves.

''We involve various experts — cultural and sports figures, those who are experts in a particular field of excursions. We will hold them regularly — once a week or in two weeks. Our next guides are sports figures. We are planning to attract racers, we do not disclose the names yet, but we will certainly inform you on the accounts of Visit Tatarstan,'' said Director of the Tourism Development Centre Dilbar Sadykova.

According to her, excursions will presumably be held until October this year. It all depends on the weather, so it is possible that the project will be extended. It is necessary to sign up for them quickly, for each of the trips they will take up to 45 people — that is how many the tour bus can hold.

They promise that tourists will be shown beautiful views, parks and squares, they will be taken to the regions of the republic — for example, to Great Bolgar, Sviyazhsk, Naberezhnye Chelny. With the project 'Oh my guide!', the organizers plan not only to interest Kazan citizens, but also to check what topics and routes they will be interested in, in order to launch commercial tours for tourists in the future.

The project started from the tour 'Echo of World Cup', where they invited journalists and citizens

The project started from the tour 'Echo of World Cup', where they invited journalists and citizens. There was a full house in less than two hours, Dilbar Sadykova said. This tour became the first, tickets for it can already be purchased in travel companies and the tour centre of Kazan. The price — less than 500 rubles, the price includes the services of a guide and bus rental.

They tried to implement this idea as soon as possible — while the traces of the World Cup are still ''hot''.

''I think the idea was on the surface, on the one hand. Each city is proud of the events that took place there, and for us, for the republic this is a historic event. Naturally, we want people who come to us also knew about this,'' explains Sergey Ivanov. ''Moreover, due to the infrastructure, interesting events and facts that were here, we are becoming more attractive to tourists. Our task is to make it acquired the shape of a particular product.''

Ivanov noted that they have not heard about similar projects in the regions of Russia after the World Cup, but this practice is common in other host countries of the World Cup.

Graffiti route

The chairman of the State Committee for Tourism got used to the role of a guide pretty quickly — he told a variety of interesting facts and did not forget to even draw the attention of the group in the bus. The tour 'Echo of World Cup' began from the hotel Ramada, where world famous players stayed. Sergey Ivanov first told about the World Cup and took everyone to the portraits of Ronaldo, Messi and Luka Modrić, in front of which he invited to take a selfie and was first to take the phone in front of the portrait of winking Ronaldo. Of course, it couldn't do without jokes about the heroes of graffiti, because in Kazan there appeared its own phenomenon — all teams, the leaders of which were drawn, lost matches in the World Cup.

It couldn't do without jokes about the heroes of graffiti

The next point of the tour was another hotel — Mirage. It is not difficult to guess why it was chosen because it offers the view on a portrait — this time of Neymar. There our guide asked the tricky question — does anyone know the full name of the player? No one except Ivanov could pronounce 'Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior'. And no one knew.

Another picture, which was shown to the tour group, is located on Bulak. There were the best football players — the world team. From there, on the route 'Echo of World Cup', they all went to the letters 'Kazan' in front of the Kremlin, and after them — to Chasha family centre, where the fan-fest was located, and to the Boulevard of Fans — of course, under the comments of the VIP-guide. For example, it turned out that sawdust near the family centre Kazan was collected and processed from the residual materials in a production facility and the trees were not destroyed specifically for this.

Related articles

Realnoe Vremya is an online newspaper, providing business news and sectoral analytics, up-to-date information about the development of economy and technology in Tatarstan, Russia and the whole world. Every day Realnoe Vremya’s Editorial board prepares materials and interviews with the leaders of different sectors and markets on the most relevant topics.

I've sailed on 50 cruises. Here are 4 I'd book again as someone without kids.

• I've been on over 50 cruises with eight different lines and almost always travel without kids .
• I love Virgin Voyages since the line is dedicated to its adults-only ships.
• Celebrity Cruises is also a great adult-centric cruise with elevated dining and entertainment.

I've been cruising for over a decade and in that time, I've sailed on more than 50 ocean ships across eight different cruise lines .

Since I don't have kids and rarely travel with children, I've learned that some cruise lines cater to adults better than others.

Here are my top four cruises to book for an adults-only vacation .

I love Virgin Voyages for its clear adults-only policy.

Virgin Voyages is one of the few major ocean cruise lines that does not allow children under 18, which I enjoy.

The Richard Branson-owned brand is known for its beautiful Lady Ships, which have ample outdoor space and nightclubs and party spots inside.

Unlike other cruise lines, Virgin Voyages' dining concept is truly unique.

You won't find massive rooms or long buffet lines. Instead, the ships have specialty restaurants, including an Italian eatery and a stunning steak house, which are all included in the cruise fare.

I love the line's fast-casual pizza spot, but my favorite place to eat on a Virgin Voyages cruise is Gunbae. The Korean barbecue-inspired restaurant has shared tables with grills in the center and delicious food.

Disney Cruise Line is perfect for adults looking for some childhood nostalgia.

I love going to Disney theme parks , so it's no surprise that I also love Disney Cruise Line.

The brand definitely leans more into family travel, but there are plenty of dedicated adults-only areas on each of the line's ships.

One of my favorite places to hang out on the Dream or Fantasy ships is Meridian, an adults-only bar nestled between Palo and Remy, the two adults-only dining options.

This space has great views of the ocean and incredible bartenders who can shake or stir up just about anything.

After the sun goes down, the party really gets started at the nightclubs on the Disney ships . On a recent sailing on the Magic, I watched game shows, sang karaoke, and played trivia.

Celebrity Cruises is a great option for luxury sailing.

I recently tried out Celebrity Cruises for the first time, and it was a luxurious step up from its family-friendly sister company, Royal Caribbean . The cruise line is known for its beautifully decorated ships, intimate spaces, and over-the-top entertainment.

While sailing on the Ascent ship, I spent a lot of time at the Sunset Bar, which features Mediterranean-style drinks , incredible views, and live music in the evenings.

I also loved watching live shows in the theater every night. They combined acrobatics, magic tricks, dancing, and singing into spectacular events that left my jaw on the floor.

Sights and entertainment of Tatarstan

This article has been translated from Russian language using an artificial intelligence-based translation algorithm. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the quality of the translation. You can read the original of this article in Russian here , and ask questions on the topic of our travel forum in English here .

In addition to attractions in the city of Kazan there are many interesting tourist places throughout the Republic of Tatarstan. This, for example, the famous ancient city of Bulgarians, a unique island-city of Sviyazhsk, Raif monastery, etc. most of these places can be visited with excursions, which are offered in all travel agencies of the city. Some of them, unfortunately, are not so popular that group excursions are organized there, and you can visit them only by private car or by commuter transport. Read more about all the interesting tourist places of the Republic of Tatarstan outside Kazan, ways to get to them, cost and opening hours.

And to make it more interesting to travel around Kazan and Tatarstan, we advise you to do it with the help of excursions. Interesting options for excursions with reviews can be found on these proven sites:

• 📷 search for excursions in Kazan on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 search for excursions in Kazan on Tripster.ru
• 📷 excursions in Kazan from the tour operator TEZ Tour

Raifa monastery

Raifa Bogoroditsky monastery (or simply Raifa) near Kazan in Tatarstan has the status of an object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation and is the largest of the 9 operating monasteries of the Kazan diocese, and one of the largest in Russia. It is surrounded by a picturesque pine forest, on the shore of Lake Sumy, which are part of the Raifa section of the Volga-Kama Reserve.

The monastery is an attractive sightseeing tourist destination, which is most often visited in the form of a one-day bus tour from Kazan, or in the form of an independent trip by car or bus. It is also an important place of pilgrimage.

Tourists here are interested in a unique architectural ensemble, more than four hundred years of history of the monastery itself, and, of course, the atmosphere of this place. As they say in such cases, this place is very "salted". You can freely walk around the monastery, go to the temples, of course, observing the rules of behavior and clothing. Be sure to look at the vodosvyatnaya chapel, to which water is supplied from the consecrated artesian well – the Raif spring. The chapel is located in the courtyard of the monastery and is accessible to all comers. You can not only drink consecrated water, but also collect it with you. Read more about the Raif monastery and photos here...

🕐 Working hours : the monastery is open to the public from 7:00 to 20:45.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price : free, bus tour from 650 rubles adult, 400 children.

🚶 How to get there : the monastery is located in the village of Raifa, 30 kilometers from Kazan ( Raifa monastery on the map . You can get here with a bus tour, by car or commuter buses. Excursions are purchased at travel agencies in the city, and one of the lowest prices is offered at the Spasskaya Tower at the entrance to the Kremlin.

Island-city of Sviyazhsk

Sviyazhsk is an island city located near the mouth of the Sviyaga river, 60 kilometers from Kazan. It appeared in the middle of the XVI century as a military fortress, and today it is a unique monument of Russian antiquity, the historical, architectural and Art Museum "Island-City Sviyazhsk", and one of the most visited sights of Tatarstan. Tourists are interested in its history, unique atmosphere, the spirit of Orthodox culture, architectural monuments, authentic frescoes of the XVI century. Here every street, every house has its own history.

Most of those who come to Sviyazhsk are tourists vacationing in Kazan. You can buy in the travel agencies of the city an excursion by bus or boat, or come here yourself. Access to the island is free, and visits to individual museums are paid extra. Usually one day is enough to see all the sights and museums, but some tourists stay here longer, for which there is all the necessary minimum tourist infrastructure: several hotels, cafes and restaurants, shops. Learn more about Sviyazhsk and photos here...

🕐 Working hours : access to the island is open around the clock, attractions operate on their own schedule.

• Monasteries and temples: daily from 09:00 to 18:00
• Museum of history of Sviyazhsk: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00; Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, Monday-day off

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price : access to the island is free. The cost of visiting museums from 100 rubles. A single ticket to visit paid attractions – 300 rubles adult; 180-children; children under 7 years-free of charge. Excursion support on a sightseeing tour from 1500 rubles from a group of up to 10 people. Learn more about all prices for of. site .

How to get to Sviyazhsk Sviyazhsk is located 60 kilometers from Kazan on an island connected to land by a narrow causeway with a road ( Sviyazhsk on the map . It is most convenient and profitable to visit Sviyazhsk as part of an organized excursion from Kazan, because in this case you will be accompanied by an experienced guide. On the spot, for excursion support, you will have to pay 1500 rubles (for a group of up to 10 people). However, group excursions are conducted quite fluently, there is no time for independent leisurely walks along the streets of the city. Therefore, many travelers prefer to visit Sviyazhsk on their own by car, train, bus or on the Volga by boat.

The Great Bulgarian

Great Bolgar (Bulgar) – ruins of an ancient city on the banks of the Volga River near the modern city of Bolgar, 180 kilometers from Kazan ( Bolgar on the map ), one of the main attractions of Tatarstan. In 2014, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This is a very interesting and large-scale attraction, which is definitely worth a visit during a trip to Tatarstan. Usually Bulgars are visited in the form of excursions from Kazan, but this place is worthy of an independent visit from the neighboring regions of Tatarstan. A full and detailed inspection of all its attractions and museums with excursion accompaniment can take two days, while ordinary tourists have half a day to see the most interesting places here.

On the territory of the ancient city, the Bulgarian state historical and architectural museum-reserve was created, a kind of open-air museum, which includes many historical monuments, architecture, museums. Access to the territory of the Museum-Reserve is free, entrance to individual attractions and museums is paid. In addition to the attractions on the territory, beyond its borders there are also several must-visit places: small town, White Mosque, bread Museum. Read more about the Great Bulgarians and photos here...

🕐 Working hours : the Museum-Reserve is open from 08:00 to 18:00, seven days a week. After 18:00 you can continue sightseeing outside, but the entrance inside is closed.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price : entrance to the territory of the Museum-Reserve is free, entrance to museums is paid additionally (from 50 to 200 rubles). Bus tour from Kazan from 1600 rubles. Excursion support on the spot from 250 rubles per person in a group.

🚶 How to get there : Veliky Bolgar is located 180 kilometers south of Kazan ( Bulgarians on the map . You can get here by private car, bus, motor ship, as part of a group excursion from Kazan, on a cruise ship along the Volga.

Elabuga is a small provincial town in the Republic of Tatarstan, 210 kilometers from the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan, on the banks of the Kama River ( Yelabuga on the map of Russia ). The city is quite small, the population is only 73 thousand people, but along with Kazan it is one of the oldest settlements in the Republic. Officially celebrated its millennium in 2007, although its history is associated with the events of an entire archaeological era, called the ananyin culture and dating back to the IX-III centuries BC. A more modern history of Yelabuga is associated with the names of poetess Marina Tsvetaeva, artist Ivan Shishkin, and writer Nadezhda Durova.

Yelabuga can hardly be called the center of tourist attraction. There is a very poorly developed tourist infrastructure, few hotels, almost no entertainment for tourists. However, due to the presence of unique attractions Yelabuga is one of the best provincial cities in Russia for sightseeing tourism, and has good prospects to become a popular tourist destination. In the meantime, Yelabuga is visited by very few tourists, and most of them are enthusiastic travelers trying to find new interesting places and attractions for themselves.

You can see the whole city and its sights in 2 days, you should not linger here for tourist purposes. Learn more about Yelabuga here...

Chistipol (Chistipol, Chistay) - a city in the Republic of Tatarstan on the banks of the Kama River, 140 kilometers from Kazan ( Chistopol on the map of Russia . The city is small, the population is slightly more than 60 thousand people, while it is a moderately visited tourist place.

In Chistopol, tourists rarely stay for long. Most often it is visited in the form of a bus or river excursion from Kazan for one day, or road travelers make a stop on the way. Indeed, Chistopol is a worthy place for an excursion visit accompanied by a guide, but self-inspection of local attractions will hardly be exciting. The set of interesting places of Chistopol includes several museums, monuments, temples and mosques, but you will not see anything outstanding or original here. The architecture of the city also stands out little among other provincial cities.

Despite all the rave reviews and descriptions of Chistopol on tourist sites selling tours and excursions to this town, we would recommend very carefully studying the reviews and descriptions of its attractions on independent sites before deciding on an independent trip or excursion here. Once again, there is something to see from the sights, and excursions to this city from Kazan are offered for good reason, just keep in mind that sophisticated and independent tourists may be somewhat disappointed. Learn more about Chistopol here...

Blue lakes in Tatarstan – one of the few natural attractions worthy of tourists. Moreover, a protected nature reserve was formed around the lake. There are three blue lakes, the most popular of which is the Big Blue Lake.

Lakes are of karst origin, so the water in them is always crystal clear and always cold. Unusual color is given to them by mineral deposits on the bottom. The water itself is very mineralized, as is the mud that is used by the local sanatorium for treatment. However, do not rush to drink water and smear yourself with mud from the bottom, this can not be done, and you are more likely to cause harm to health. The lakes have no tributaries, are fed by springs, and therefore the water here throughout the year is kept in the area of +4℃. This, by the way, is one of the reasons why walruses like to swim here, including in summer.

On the shore of the lakes there are changing rooms and bridges for swimming, around nature and relatively clean air. In general, this is a wonderful place to come here for a few hours to relax and admire the unusual wonder of nature.

If you want to stay here longer, there are several Glades for setting up tents and making a fire in mangalas, but you can not do this on the shores of the lakes themselves. Learn more about blue lakes here...

🕐 Working hours : round the clock, best visited during the day in summer or winter.

💵 Entrance fee / tickets price : free.

🚶 How to get there : the lakes are located on the outskirts of Kazan near the village of Shcherbakovo, about 20 kilometers from the city center ( lakes on the map . A large lake is located on one side of the M7, the other two on the other side. From the highway to the lakes go about 15-20 minutes, but you can drive by car closer to the lakes on the signs or navigator to the free parking.

You can also get from the center of Kazan by public transport, but you will have to spend about an hour and a half only in one direction. To do this, from the center you should take the Metro to the stations Severny Vokzal or Aviastroitelnaya (cost 25 rubles) there get off and change to the bus number 40 (also 25 rubles, goes about 1 time per hour) and get off in the village of Shcherbakovo at the stop "Blue Lakes". Further to the lakes 15-20 minutes on foot. As a reminder, The Big Lake and the other two are in different directions from the road and the bus stop.

Sights of Tatarstan on the map

You can download ⤓ points of interest, important transport points (bus stations, airports, etc.), districts and beaches from our map in KMZ/KML format. These files can be downloaded to the navigator or smartphone for use with offline or online Google Maps applications, Organic Maps and others that support this format, and use them to navigate and explore resorts.

Just in case, we remind you once again that the best way to get acquainted with Kazan and Tatarstan is excursions. And even better, if they are held by local residents who know and love their region well. Find and Book Group or individual excursions from locals with reviews on these trusted sites:

7-day Cruise   on   Norwegian Prima

Caribbean: great stirrup cay & dominican republic, from   orlando (port canaveral), florida.

• 04:00 PM Embark
• 10:30 AM - 06:30 PM
• 01:30 PM - 08:00 PM
• 06:00 AM - 12:30 PM
• 11:30 AM - 05:30 PM (Tender Port)
• 06:00 AM Disembark
• Itinerary Map

This is the place to shuttle from one exciting port to the next. Visit nearby Kennedy Space Centre for a day of inspiring and educational exhibits. Amuse yourself at any one of the world-class theme parks. Or spend the day watching for alligators from an airboat.

Puerto Plata (or officially known as San Felipe de Puerto Plata) is the ninth largest city in the Dominican Republic and the capital of the province of Puerto Plata. For spectacular city views, take a ride up the Pico Isabel de Torres mountain which stands over 2,600 feet high. History buff? Visit Fortaleza San Felipe, which was built in the 16th century and served as a prison under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Or head to the Amber Museum, a museum filled with a unique collection of valuable Dominican amber which is semiprecious tree sap that has hardened for millions of years capturing many fossils of plant and insect life.

The town of Charlotte Amalie has one of the most breathtaking harbors in the world. Once home to pirates of long ago, today visitors find treasures of a different kind, for now beautiful beaches and bountiful duty-free shopping are truly its claim to fame.

Discovered by Christopher Columbus himself in 1493, this exotic, peaceful island is home to both towering mahogany trees and white-sand beaches. The region offers a challenging hike that extends 1,780 feet up Sage Mountain. A great spot for great birdwatching and breathtaking views of Tortola and neighboring islands.

All our cruises to the Bahamas feature a whole day visit to Great Stirrup Cay, our idyllic island paradise reserved just for our guests. Stroll along soft, white-sand beaches and enjoy the many activities we have to offer. Snorkel and see underwater delights, kayak in crystal-clear water, then get revved up on a WaveRunner® adventure. The fun is endless here. Grab a bite at our new 8,500- square foot beach buffet and simply relax in your private beachfront cabana. This tropical paradise is just for you. Take advantage.

Find Your Endless Summer

Great Stirrup Cay is our sun-drenched private island paradise reserved just for Norwegian Cruise Line guests.

The island is yours for the day, so relax by walking along the expanded white sand beaches or, if you get a little adventurous, get up close and personal with the wildlife in Stingray Encounter.

250-Acre Island Oasis

Snorkeling in crystal-clear water beside a school of tropical fish is just one of the dozens of Great Stirrup Cay activities to do on the 250-acre island oasis.

Enjoy your favorite cocktail followed by a complimentary midday beach-side BBQ as calm ocean breezes blow through your hair.

• Check your specific sailing for exact departure and arrival times. All times are local to the port.
• Itineraries are subject to change at any time without notice.
• View a list of tender ports .
• Due to security reasons, all guests must be on board 2 hours before sailing on Day 1 of cruise.
• Disembarkation usually begins 2 hours after docking on final day of cruise.

Club Balcony Suite

• 2022 Year Built
• 3,099 Double Occupancy
• Bars & Lounges
• Entertainment
• Onboard Shopping

Onda by Scarpetta

The Latin Quarter

Indulge Outdoor Lounge

The Local Bar & Grill

Bossa Nova Beat

Syd Norman’s Pour House

Infinity Pool

The Concourse

Vitality Pool & Flotation Salt Pool

Relaxation Area

EFFY Jewellery & Fine Watches

Gifts & Souvenirs Pandora Jewellery

Explore Top Shore Excursions