ncl prima excursions

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.

After, we walked to the Verzetsmuseum — the museum of Dutch WWII Resistance. I was so thankful we had the time to visit this trip. I definitely recommend going, 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.

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Norwegian Prima

Former name: fincantieri venice 6298.

Cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line

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

Norwegian Prima current position

Norwegian Prima current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 62.05770 N / 4.27279 E) cruising at speed of 16.4 kn (30 km/h | 19 mph) en route to GEIRANGER, NORWAY. The AIS position was reported 5 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Norwegian Prima

Norwegian Prima current cruise is 11 days, one-way from Southampton to Reykjavik . Prices start from USD 1759 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 12 May, 2024 and ends on 23 May, 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.

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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)

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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.

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 10 Night EUROPE - ICELAND (REY/SOU) Departing From Reykjavik, Iceland (May 2024 - Sep 2025)
• Norwegian Prima 11 Night EUROPE - ICELAND (SOU/REY) Departing From Southampton, England (Jun 2024 - Aug 2025)
• 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)

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 Cruise Line Review: The Prima

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

To celebrate a milestone birthday for me and an anniversary for my parents, the three of us took a cruise on Norwegian Prima, the first in what Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) says will be a “new class of ships designed to elevate every expectation.”

I had cruised NCL three times before and was a silver member of the Latitudes rewards program when I booked.

After 12 nights on the Prima going from London to Barcelona via several stops in France, Portugal and Spain, we discovered there was a lot to like about the ship, but there were also several quirks.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Norwegian Cruise Line

Booking the trip

My family chose this ship and cruise line because of a great itinerary. There were a variety of port stops as well as a day at sea for some relaxing and recharging. As it turns out, one of the port stops we were looking forward to was changed. A few weeks before the cruise, NCL replaced a stop in Porto, Portugal, with one in Vigo, Spain.

Booking can be a bit of a game since cruise lines always seem to have sales and offers they say are for a limited time. On NCL’s site, there’s often a countdown clock showing how long a particular offer will last.

It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy, but it’s important to make sure the deal works for you.

On our booking, we had NCL’s Free at Sea offer, which includes perks such as a “free unlimited open bar” and specialty dining. Here’s the catch: The free open bar isn’t exactly free, and neither is the specialty dining. You have to pay 20% gratuity on what NCL says is the value of the package.

So, for example, an upcoming cruise on the Prima — a seven-day trip from Galveston, Texas, to the Caribbean in February — is about $2,400 per balcony cabin (with two people). Then you add on gratuities for the open bar at $305 and specialty dining of about $40. You’re paying $345 in gratuities for the “free” stuff.

So, if you’re not much of a drinker, you might want to consider declining the free open bar and just ordering and paying for drinks as you want them. That drops that charge for gratuities off your total cruise cost.

I chose to upgrade my package to NCL’s Free at Sea Plus because I needed unlimited Wi-Fi and wanted to have water and Starbucks drinks included as part of my drink package. Those are part of the upgraded package but not part of the basic one. With the upgrade, I also ended up with two more meals in specialty dining restaurants.

After looking at the non-suite cabin types, which include inside cabins, outside cabins with just a window, and balcony cabins, we booked two balcony cabins on deck 12 midship. I need fresh air, and I love the sounds the ocean makes when we’re at sea.

Keep checking on the rates until you make your final payment. If they drop, you can sometimes take advantage of a better deal by modifying the booking.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Online check-in

After booking, it’s time to start planning. Through the NCL website, you can look at and book shore excursions and some specialty dining reservations and entertainment reservations.

Exactly 21 days before sailing, you can check in and will likely receive an email telling you to do so.

To check in online, you’ll need your passport and a credit card to put on file for anything you purchase on board. You’ll also need a photo of your face to upload for security purposes. I had some issues doing this because the photo I tried to use did not meet the parameters, but if the upload doesn’t work, an employee can take a photo at the pier.

During check-in, be ready to pick a time when you want to arrive at the port to get on board. Time slots began as early as about 9:30 a.m. and continued for a few hours.

About a day after filling everything out, you can go in and download the eDocs, which serve as your boarding pass. You’ll need either a printed or mobile copy to show at the embarkation point.

One more thing about check-in: Each piece of luggage you want the porters at the pier to deliver on board to your stateroom needs a luggage tag. If you want personal tags that are pre-populated with your name and stateroom number, you must print them at home.

The button to print them wasn’t obvious, so I had to look for it a bit.

Embarkation

Boarding area/Southampton. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Our cruise was leaving from Southampton, England, a short ride from London, where we had spent a few days. I always arrive at least one or two days before a cruise leaves to give myself some cushion in case a flight is delayed or there is another travel issue.

When I was checking in, I chose a 12:30 p.m. embarkation time because I didn’t feel the need to arrive super early, and cabins usually aren’t ready until at least 1 p.m. anyway. I hate dragging my hand luggage around a busy ship with me.

When we arrived, there wasn’t much of a line, and what was there moved quickly. We handed off our checked luggage to the porters, who put it in a giant pile to eventually go on the ship.

I always take a photo of my bag before I leave it behind so I know what it looks like and how to describe it in case it gets lost.

After a security check and a brief health questionnaire, we were on board and heading to lunch with our carry-on luggage in tow.

» Learn more: How much luggage can you take on a cruise?

The Prima’s atrium. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Norwegian Prima was built in 2022 and has a capacity of 3,099 guests at double occupancy and 1,506 crew members.

The Prima docked in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Prima looks a bit different than other NCL ships I had been on in that it is more understated elegance than in-your-face opulence. There were many decorative touches I wouldn’t mind having in my house.

There are two main sets of elevators on the ship, one midship and another forward. A third set is available only to guests who are staying in The Haven , an exclusive area with a private concierge, butler, restaurant, bar, lounge, pool and other perks.

The Haven private area. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

You can look at the triangles on the carpet on the decks with cabins to know which way is forward and which is aft. The triangles face forward.

The triangles on the carpet face forward. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

NCL loyalists know the carpets on other ships have fish, which are always swimming forward. On the Prima, triangles replace the fish to help orient passengers.

Deck 8 with a small pool and seating areas. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Another big difference on this ship versus others with NCL is the pool deck. It’s near the back of the ship on deck 17, and it’s small compared to other ships, where the pool area takes up the majority of a deck.

Splash park. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There is an aqua park for kids, a waterslide and a few hot tubs and smaller pools and lounging areas on other decks, but no one large gathering place for water and sun fun.

Infinity pool. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Balcony cabin. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

I had a balcony cabin on deck 12 fairly close to the midship elevators. It was somewhere between 231 and 358 square feet with a balcony between 45 and 69 square feet.

The cabin seemed very spacious because the bed was by the balcony, which left a big open space in the cabin. While this was nice, anyone sleeping next to the balcony would have a difficult time getting out of bed without hitting the sliding glass door or the bed.

Hooks on the wall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There was a ton of storage both in the cabin and in the bathroom and hooks to hang things on.

One problem for me was that the safe was not big enough for my laptop. On a new ship, this surprised me. I also didn’t like the fact the bed didn’t have a bed skirt and I was always looking at my empty luggage I stored under the bed.

One plus, though, is there were several plugs and USB connections throughout the cabin, including in the bedside lamp so I could plug my phone in near my bed.

Lamp with USB charging ports. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

One problem my parents noticed, though, is there was only one electrical plug near the bed, which could be a problem for people with sleeping machines or anyone else vying for power.

Bathroom. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The bathroom had a lot of space and a walk-in shower.

Balcony. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The balcony had two comfortable chairs and a small table.

Cabin service is once a day, which means no turndown service or towel animals, but you can call the cabin steward if you need anything. Each evening, the steward delivers the Freestyle Daily, which is a printed copy of the next day’s activities and offers.

An electronic panel near the door allows you to turn on a light outside the door telling the steward to make up the room or “Do not disturb.” The same panel controls the temperature. It was nice to have an AC system that actually responded. When I turned the AC down, it actually got cooler in the cabin.

Food and drinks

Norwegian touts its Freestyle Dining as a way to have freedom and flexibility about where and when you eat. There are no set dining times, and while that sounds great, you can’t just walk up and go wherever you want.

I don’t love the idea of having to think ahead about where and when I want to eat when I am on vacation, but I made a reservation for each night so I had somewhere to go.

You can make reservations for specialty dining venues and the main dining rooms before embarkation and while on board at either a dining desk or on the TV system in the room. The TV system allows you to make a reservation, but not cancel one, so I had to wait in the dining desk line anyway.

Only a small percentage of specialty dining reservations are available before getting on board so it seemed like everything was booked. It wasn’t. Once passengers are on board, the remaining reservations open up.

With a reservation, the dining venue holds your space for 15 minutes and then gives up your table, which we learned the hard way one night when we arrived late. Our table was gone, forcing us to wait about 45 minutes for another one.

The Prima has a combination of complimentary and specialty dining, and I did both.

The two main dining rooms, Hudson’s and The Commodore Room, are the free options. They had the same menu, which changed nightly, and the food was good. The menu was a combination of starters, mains and desserts, and you could order whatever you wanted.

They were open at different times, with one also serving breakfast and lunch in addition to dinner.

The breakfast menu at The Local. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Local Bar & Grill was open almost all day and had pub-like food. We went there often for breakfast and lunch.

Outside the Indulge Food Hall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

My favorite was Indulge Food Hall with its take on a food truck rally.

Food stations in Indulge. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There were several stations, some even looking like food trucks.

Tablet ordering system (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Ordering was done on a tablet that had photos of all the items, and a server delivered the food to your table.

The variety was great since there were several stations like Indian, BBQ, Mexican, Asian, Spanish tapas and more. The dates wrapped in bacon with blue cheese and the guacamole were my favorites.

Then there was the buffet, the Surfside Cafe & Grill, which was tremendously undersized, always incredibly busy and without enough seating options. While the food was good, the traffic flow was not, and once you had your food in hand, finding a place to eat it was not easy. For breakfast one morning, I balanced my plate on the waitstaff’s cleaning area and ate there.

Now, for the specialty dining options, the Prima has eight where the food and presentation are elevated.

For this 12-night cruise, the Free at Sea package included three meals at specialty dining venues. Additional meals were available as an upgrade — $99 for two more, $139 for three more, and $30 more for each additional meal you wanted after that. The upgrades are per person, so you cannot buy a two-meal package and share it with another person, giving each of you one additional meal.

At most of the venues, the package included a starter, a soup or salad, a main dish and a dessert. If you choose to dine at a specialty restaurant without a package, the pricing is à la carte, with entrees about $40 and appetizers about $20. So if you know you want to dine at many specialty restaurants, the package upgrades are a good deal.

Outside a specialty restaurant. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

I ate at Cagney's Steakhouse, Hasuki for teppanyaki, Le Bistro for French cuisine and Palomar for seafood. The food at all of the specialty restaurants was wonderful, and I was definitely stuffed afterward.

Room service is available 24 hours a day but has an extra cost.

Bar. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Prima has several bars and lounges scattered throughout the ship. Each had a slightly different feel, from The Local Bar & Grill with its huge TVs, beers on tap and bar food to the aft-facing outdoor Soleil Bar and Indulge Outdoor Lounge with comfy chairs, hammocks and cabanas.

The Starbucks on deck 7 in the main atrium. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

There are even two Starbucks locations that serve up all of the favorites you can find on land.

The Starbucks inside Indulge Food Hall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Starbucks was part of my upgraded drinks package, so I ordered a lot of the things I had been wanting to try but hadn’t wanted to spend the money on in case I didn’t like them.

Entertainment

You may be used to lots of entertainment in the form of singing and dancing on cruise ships, but the Prima doesn’t have a lot of it. If you like game shows and smaller venues for comedy and music, as well as thrills like go-karts, slides and escape rooms, this ship is for you.

“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” was the only musical production show on the ship and was offered on two nights of the cruise. It was in the main theater, a venue that transformed into a dance club and other things throughout the cruise. Reservations were required, and people started lining up about a half-hour before the show began, since the theater is relatively small for the size of the ship.

A house band often performed in the main atrium area, but there wasn’t much room for large groups to gather and enjoy it. There was also a DJ who rotated between a few locations.

“The Price is Right” in the Prima Theater. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The theater also had game shows like “Deal or No Deal” and “The Price is Right,” which had high production value and audience participation.

The exterior of Syd Norman’s. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Smaller venues like Syd Norman’s Pour House were often packed and rocking.

The upper decks had lots of mostly daytime entertainment options, especially deck 18.

Taking up part of decks 18, 19 and 20 was the Prima Speedway, a racetrack where, for $15, you can zoom around and race others. Sometimes, you could hear the sound of the cars from other decks.

The slides. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Deck 18 also has high-tech mini-golf and darts, as well as the starting points for the two slides, The Drop and The Rush.

Because this cruise was so port-intensive, I didn’t take part in any of the entertainment because all I wanted to do after a day of touring was eat dinner and go to sleep. My parents went to see “The Donna Summer Musical” and “The Price is Right” and thought both were entertaining.

Spa and gym

The entrance of the spa. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

A highlight of the Prima is the Mandara Spa & Salon. It’s huge and beautiful.

Therapy pools with a two-story waterfall. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

To access most of what it offers, including the saunas, pools, salt room, steam rooms and heated loungers in relaxation rooms, you need to buy a pass either for a day or a full voyage.

Salt room. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The number of available passes varies based on the length of the cruise. For this cruise, the pass cost $399 for the full voyage or $99 for a day.

Relaxation room. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Having a spa treatment like a massage does not allow you access to the thermal suite. I had a nice treatment that included a body brush and massage.

If you’re not picky about the treatment you want or when you want it, keep an eye on the Freestyle Daily. During my cruise, the price of specially curated 75-minute treatments went from about $199 down to $139 toward the end of the cruise.

Cardio equipment. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The Pulse Fitness Center is also large with lots of weights and machines, as well as cardio equipment that faces the bow, giving exercisers a great view while working out. Access is free. Let’s just say I went in only to take a few photos.

The Norwegian app is available to download on mobile devices and is the place to keep track of things like dining times, activities and expenses. To use it on board, you don't have to pay for Wi-Fi, but you do have to be on the ship’s Wi-Fi network.

The Free at Sea package included 300 minutes of Wi-Fi for this entire 12-night cruise, meaning I had to remember to log off to keep from using minutes. My father quickly learned logging off was not the same as just turning off the Wi-Fi on his device after a bunch of his allotted minutes went away fairly quickly when he wasn’t doing anything.

As part of my upgraded Free at Sea Plus package, I had unlimited Wi-Fi, which wasn’t exactly speedy but allowed me to do what I needed, like check and send emails, upload photos and look at social media.

Off the ship

For me, European or other destination cruises are different from Caribbean cruises in that I spend most of my time off the ship. The ship is basically for eating and sleeping.

The ship had a small shore excursion desk where the staff mostly sold ship-sponsored excursions and offered limited information about the ports themselves.

On this trip, I did one ship-sponsored shore excursion to Normandy and the D-Day beaches, which was on the first day. My Latitudes status gave me a 10% discount on the tour itself, and the Free at Sea perk gave me $50 in onboard credit after completing the excursion.

My shore excursion ticket was in my room when I first got into my cabin, and it told me when to meet in the theater. At the specified time, someone called the number of the tour, and I went to the front of the theater to get a sticker with a group number on it and got off the ship.

Soon I was on my way for a daylong tour on a large and full bus. I returned to the ship in plenty of time to shower and get ready for dinner.

For two tours in Granada and Seville, Spain, I joined a small group using a private tour company. I liked the smaller tours and saved some money because they were a bit cheaper than the ship’s tours.

My slight disappointment came in the ports where I had nothing planned. The shore excursion desk didn’t have much information about the ports themselves or what was available.

In Ibiza, I decided to take the $20 ship-sponsored shuttle bus into the center of town. But instead of a drop-off in the city center, the bus stopped in the middle of a road about a 15-minute walk from anything.

In Valencia, several passengers were looking for the hop-on-hop-off bus stop, but nobody could help us find it. Overall, I would have liked a bit more information about the ports from the shore excursion desk.

In all ports, the disembarkation process was smooth and simple. I just had to tap my ship’s card to sign out, and when I returned, I had to go through security like in an airport and tap my card again.

Disembarkation

A couple of days before the cruise ended, I had to choose a disembarkation time and collect appropriate luggage tags from the guest services area.

The earliest time was for people who wanted to take all of their luggage off the ship themselves.

The other times were based on flight time and whether people had a ship-sponsored tour of the city.

I selected 8:45 a.m. because I was staying in Barcelona for a few days and had nowhere to be and no time I had to be there.

Each time had a corresponding color-coded luggage tag. I put the purple tag on my suitcase and left the bag outside my cabin door for the stewards to gather and take off the ship. Again, take a photo of your bag sitting in front of your cabin in case it goes missing.

The Prima was scheduled to dock in Barcelona at 5 a.m., and disembarkation was set to begin as soon as local authorities cleared the ship.

Announcements began at about 5:45 a.m. and continued about every 15 minutes after that.

After a breakfast in the crazy-crowded buffet and one final check of the cabin (which I evidently didn’t do well enough because I left a pair of my good compression socks in one of the drawers), I dragged my carry-on luggage through the hallways and off the ship.

Large crowd in the disembarkation area in Barcelona. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Claiming our checked bags was a disaster. The 8:45 a.m. time slot was last call, so everyone who was still on the ship had to get off. This led to hundreds of people filing down escalators and into a small area where luggage was coming by on a moving belt one suitcase at a time.

This seemed to be more of a port facility issue and not something the ship’s staff could have done anything about except to maybe hold people on the ship for a bit instead of having them disembark into an already crowded area.

Lots of people in a small space got really hot and disorganized, but soon my parents and I had our luggage and were out the door and into a taxi.

People were already lined up to board the Prima for the next cruise. They were ready to get their vacation started.

Overall observations

Ocean Boulevard on deck 8. (Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Overall, I had a great time on the Norwegian Prima. It had tons of outdoor spaces, but not many large spaces for people to gather. I thought the decor was beautiful and slightly upscale.

The crew was amazing, and after just a few days, the ladies at Starbucks were calling me by my first name when I approached the counter. Most crew members usually had a smile on their face and were willing to help.

I enjoyed too much good food in the free and specialty restaurants and did not spend nearly enough time in the gym or spa.

I didn’t miss the lack of entertainment options because I was spending most of my time either in port, eating or sleeping.

Speaking of sleeping, the beds were amazingly comfortable and the cabin was nicely furnished with plenty of room and storage.

The best part was spending time with my parents and making memories. Cruising is a great way to do that because there are a variety of activities and options available, and everyone does not need to be together all the time.

I’d definitely sail again on the Prima and her almost identical twin, Viva , which debuted in 2023.

(Top photo courtesy of Tiffani Sherman)

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Norwegian Cruise Lines

We warmly welcome all NCL Prima Cruise Ship Passengers to the Port of Costa Maya, Mexico. We hope you enjoy your visit to Costa Maya, Mexico the very best Costa Maya has to offer!

Costa Maya offers an abundance of excursions and activities to delight Norwegian Cruise Lines Prima cruisers of all ages and activity levels. From Beach Breaks, snorkeling, Mayan Ruins, exploring nearby beaches, ATV Rides on the beach, and Reef Fishing, Costa Maya has it all!!!

Costa Maya Cruise Excursions offers a variety of options for you to choose from. Our rates are direct rates from the operators which allow you to save money while providing you with a greater selection of shore excursions to choose from.

Costa Maya Cruise Excursions recommends excursions for NCL Prima passengers for your visit to Costa Maya based on the arrival times, departure times of the NCL Prima as well as the length of your visit to our Port.

We also take into account the number of cruise ships arriving on the same day your ship comes to port. We then can provide you with options on how to avoid the busy excursions when this is appropriate.

Please have a look at our recommended NCL Prima and itineraries. If you don’t find what you are looking for, click on Excursions in the top navigational buttons for a full listing of excursions.

Recommended Shore Excursions:

We are diligently working to bring you the best tours available in Costa Maya, Mexico.

Costa Maya, Mexico is uniquely situated in an ideal location that provides access to incredible sea and land adventures.

We specialize in unique and boutique tours in addition to our “best for less” excursions, offering excellent value for some of the most popular tours. Excursions International offers tours and excursions for almost every budget and individual need.

Costa Maya Cruise Excursions are tours and excursion experts representing the best independent operators in Mexico.

We provide firsthand information on each and every excursion we offer and recommend the excursions that work best for you.

That’s the Excursions International difference!

Recommended Excursions

Costa Maya Catamaran Sailing Snorkeling Excursion – $200us

• 1.5 hour Private Charters
• Sailing & Snorkeling Excursion
• Up to 4 Passengers per private Charter

Costa Maya Beach Break Day Pass – $69us

• Costa Maya Exceptional Beach Break Day Pass, guaranteed Palapa/Shaded Umbrellas and Beach Chairs.
• All day full Open Bar included! That's right, all drinks are included in the price, all day long!
• A multitude of delicious lunch options included! For Vegetarians too!

Costa Maya Chacchoben Mayan Ruins & Butterfly Farm Excursion – $54us

• Entrance fees into the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Site & Butterfly Farm are included.
• Chacchoben Excursion Pick up from the Port area of Costa Maya.
• 14 Seater, A/C Vans with Federally Certified bilingual Drivers

Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Beach Break Excursion – $87us

• Entrance fees into the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Site & Costa Maya Beach Pass included!
• Pick up from the Port area of Costa Maya.
• Costa Maya Beach lunch included!

Dzibanche & Kinichna Maya Ruins Excursion – $75us

• Entrance fees into the Dzibanche & Kinichna Mayan Ruins Site are included.
• A/C Vans with Federally Certified bilingual Drivers.
• All Guides are bilingual and INAH certified.

Costa Maya Snorkeling and Fishing Private Excursion – From $250us

• Costa Maya snorkeling and fishing private charter.
• 2.5 Hour or 5 Hour Boat Charter, beach to beach in beautiful Costa Maya..
• Choices of Snorkeling, Fishing or a combination of Snorkeling & Fishing Charters.

Costa Maya Kohunlich Maya Ruins Excursion – $75us

• All Guides are bilingual and INAH certified
• 14 Seater A/C Vans with Federally Certified bilingual Drivers
• Entrance fees into the Kohunlich Mayan Ruins Site are included.

Costa Maya ATV Excursion – From $80us

• The Excursion is 2.5hrs. Due to the fun nature of the excursion the tour is rain or shine.
• Ride along the Costa Maya beautiful Beaches!
• Tour meets inside the port, no additional transport necessary.

Other Destinations

Bahamas Excursions

Barbados Excursions

Belize Excursions

Cabo San Lucas Excursions

Costa Maya Excursions

Cozumel Excursions

Grand Cayman Excusions

Jamaica Excursions

Puerto Rico Excursions

Roatan Excursions

St. Maarten Excursions

St. Thomas Excursions

We guarantee a full refund of your excursion deposit if your ship can not make it into the port of Costa Maya.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

We warmly welcome all NCL Prima Cruise Ship Passengers to the Port of Isla Roatan, Honduras. We hope you enjoy your visit to Coxen Hole, Roatan.

Isla Roatan offers an abundance of excursions and activities to delight NCL Prima cruisers of all ages. From snorkeling, scuba diving, spa days, water sports, catamaran sailing, land tours, wildlife tours, horseback riding, or relaxing on the beach, Roatan has it all!!

Roatan Cruise Excursions offers a variety of options for you to choose from. Our rates are direct rates from the operators, allowing you to save money while providing you with a greater selection of shore excursions.

Roatan Cruise Excursions recommends excursions for your visit to Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, based on the arrival times, departure time of your cruise ship, and the length of your visit to our Island.

We also take into account the number of cruise ships arriving on the same day your ship comes to port. We can then provide you with options on how to avoid the busy excursions when this is appropriate.

Please have a look at our NCL Prima Recommended Excursions and Itineraries. If you don’t find what you are looking for, click on Excursions in the top navigational buttons for a full listing of excursions.

Recommended Shore Excursions:

We are diligently working to bring you the best tours available in Isla Roatan.

We specialize in unique and boutique tours in addition to our “best for less” excursions, offering excellent value for some of the most popular tours. Excursions International offers tours and excursions for almost every budget and individual need.

Roatan Cruise Excursions are tour and excursion experts representing the best independent operators in Roatan, Honduras, throughout the Caribbean and Mexico.

We provide firsthand information on every excursion we offer and recommend the best excursions for you.

That’s the Excursions International difference!

Recommended Excursions

Roatan Canopy Zipline & Reef Snorkeling Tour – $99us

• Roatan Jungle Zipline excursion + Reef Snorkeling
• 5 Hour Roatan tour, including round trip transport from the port
• Includes all Zip Line and snorkeling gear and instructions

Wild On Roatan Wildlife Tour – $42us

• 4 Hour Island Tour in A/C vehicle
• Highlights include: Parrot Tree Plantation, Iguana Farm,Monkey & Sloth Sanctuary and more
• Pick up and drop off at the Port

Roatan West Bay Beach Break – $35us

• 6 hours West Bay Beach Break
• Round Trip Transfer from the Cruise Ship Dock
• One Welcome Cocktail / local beer per Adult reserved

Roatan Garifuna, Mangrove Tunnel and Iguana Farm Island Tour – $45us

• Mangrove Tunnel Cayuco Tour + Visit Parrot Tree Plantation + Iguana farm + much more!
• Pick up and drop off at your Cruise Ship Port
• 4 Hour Island Tour in an A/C Vehicle

Roatan Canopy Zipline & West Bay Beach Tour – From $55us

• Roatan Zipline on14 Jungle Zipline platforms. With 13 ziplines ranging from 135ft to almost 1000ft in length
• 4.5 hr Zipline Roatan tour including 2 hours of beach time /3 Hour Tour for only Zipline Only : Times Includes round trip transfers from the Port
• Transport included in the cost of the Excursion (A $25usd per passenger value!)

Roatan 31 Ft Catamaran Sailing and Snorkeling Tour – From $85us

• 3 or 5 Hour Sailing & Reef Snorkeling at the beautiful Blue Channel
• Snorkeling Gear & Life Jackets included
• Local Beers, Soft Drinks, Rum Punch and tropical fruit platter included

Roatan Shipwreck Snorkeling Tour – From $79us

• 5 Hour tour including round trip transport from the port
• 2 Snorkel Stops + 1 Beach Stop +Fun Family Fishing (Optional)
• Onboard Local Beers, Soft Drinks, and Snacks

Roatan Private 51ft Catamaran Sailing & Snorkeling Charters – From $1,200us

• Private 4 Hour Catamaran Sailing & Snorkeling Charter
• Pristine Reef Snorkeling at The Blue Channel.
• Open Bar- Rum and Local Beer. lunch (chicken and sausage pinchos, with sweet peppers and onions,island rice and/or garden salad with vegetarian option)

Roatan Highlights Island Tour & Beach Break – From $30us

• Visit Parrot Tree Plantation, Iguana Farm, Carambola Gardens, West End Shopping & Beach
• 5 Hour Island Tour & Beach Break in an A/C Vehicle

Isla Roatan Tropical Spa Escape – From $99us

• Exfoliation Treatment (15 min) + Body Wrap (15 min) + Foot or Scalp Massage (10 Min) +1 hr Massage (1.5 hrs for the Deluxe option)
• After Treatment Relaxation -Use of spa facilities including Pool area, kayaks etc. (approx. 2 hrs)
• Approx. 4 hr Total Spa Experience

Roatan Discover Scuba Diving – $125us

• The chance for first time divers to experience one of the worlds finest dive locations
• Includes Instruction from PADI Certified Instructors in the Shallow Waters on our Pristine Beach
• All Scuba Equipment Included: BCD, Regulator, weights, Fins, Mask, snorkel and wetsuit

Roatan Scuba Diving – From $50us

• Dive one of the worlds most spectacular dive destinations
• Professional English Speaking PADI Certified Dive Instructors
• Stunning Wall Diving location, nearby reef and relax our beautiful beach following your dives.

Roatan Resort Adventure Package – $38us

• 6 Hour Resort Pass - Use of resort facilities including pool and swim up bar + Sun Loungers
• Round trip transportation from the port
• Ocean Kayaks (2hrs) + unlimited snorkeling

Roatan Jungle Horseback Ride & Island Tour – $67us

• 1 hour jungle horseback riding+ monkey and sloth park (optional)
• 2 hrs at Las Palmas Resort - Includes welcome drink

Other Destinations

Bahamas Excursions

Barbados Excursions

Belize Excursions

Cabo San Lucas Excursions

Costa Maya Excursions

Cozumel Excursions

Grand Cayman Excusions

Jamaica Excursions

Puerto Rico Excursions

Roatan Excursions

St. Maarten Excursions

St. Thomas Excursions

We guarantee a full refund of your excursion deposit if your ship can not make it into the port of Roatan, Honduras.

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The 10 Best Cruises for Teens in 2024

C ruises make the perfect family vacation, especially when traveling with teens. Teens can mix and mingle with others their age in teens-only clubs, play games, listen to music, or grab a pizza and watch a movie under the stars. If your tweens and teens need more action-packed fun to keep them entertained, some cruise ships act like floating amusement parks with zip lines, racetracks, roller coasters, ice skating rinks, laser tag, waterslides and more.

The following lines offer the best cruises for teens and tweens, along with their parents.

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MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises offers plenty of family fun and activities for teens on its ships, including sports tournaments, waterslides and a family disco. On select ships, you'll also find the full-size MSC Formula Racer simulator, an interactive XD cinema, a virtual reality experience, zip lines and an arcade room. The Young Club programming by MSC Cruises offers daily activities for 12- to 14-year-old tweens, while teens 15 to 17 can participate in sports and dance competitions as well as video game tournaments at the Teen Club. Older kids can also participate in fun themed events, karaoke, piloting practice at the Drone Academy and flash mobs – and there's a teens-only disco.

On MSC Seascape , teens can stay busy in three new concept spaces. "Future" features a state-of-the-art technology area with the latest-generation consoles, VR and video screens for hours of entertainment. "Chill Out" is just as it sounds – a place to hang out, chat, and play foosball and pingpong. Meanwhile, "Music" is a dance club where kids can choose their own tunes and dance the night away with cool lighting and sound effects. If all that isn't enough, Robotron, the first of its kind at sea, is an amusement park-like ride that combines the thrill of a roller coaster with personalized music and lighting.

MSC World Europa boasts the largest and most engaging kids area in the fleet with an impressive 8,245 square feet of action-packed space. The new Teens Lab features an immersive area for teenagers with more than 20 of the latest consoles, seven VR stations and dozens of video games. Drone Academy 2.0 is a high-energy relay race for drones. There's even more onboard fun at Z Active, a sports program that offers basketball, football and zorb ball alongside two firsts for the line – pickleball and hoverboards. Teens can also take a spin on the bumper cars at the MSC Sportplex.

MSC Euribia – the line's newest ship, which set sail on its inaugural cruise in June 2023 – has a total of 7,500-plus square feet of space dedicated to kids ages 0 to 17. The new Teens Club Extra Space offers three different areas: the Young Club (ages 12 to 14), the Teens Club (15 to 17) and the Teens Lab (12 to 17). Some of the activities include those found on other MSC ships, such as Z Active, Drone Academy 2.0 and the MSC Dance Crew competition. Teens will also have access to new video games; pingpong; World Quest, an interactive game show based on trivia and geography; and Caravaggio, an immersive spy game show about an art heist.

Compare  MSC Cruises on GoToSea , a service of U.S. News.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line boasts a teens-only venue, Entourage, which caters to young adults 13 to 17 years old. This supervised space – available on 16 of the line's 19 ships – keeps teens busy in an adults-free lounge that's filled with video games, movies, music, arts and sports. Teen counselors on Norwegian Cruise Line plan activities and challenges to keep kids entertained throughout the cruise. A list of detailed activities is available on embarkation day so teens can plan out their schedule for the cruise.

Norwegian Prima , the first vessel in the Prima class, features many first-at-sea innovations perfect for entertaining families and energetic teens, including the three-level Prima Speedway. With cars reaching up to 30 miles per hour, this quarter-mile-long racetrack is one of the highest-rated attractions on Prima. Adventurous teens will also want to check out The Drop and The Rush. Billed as the fastest slides at sea, these chutes offer thrill-seekers a heart-pumping 10-story freefall plunge.

If that's not enough action, teens can also play The Bull's Eye, a classic game of darts that uses a video tracking system, or check out Tee Time for a pumped-up version of mini-golf set against a Las Vegas backdrop. In the Galaxy Pavilion, an indoor gaming complex, you'll find more than a dozen attractions, including immersive simulator experiences, escape rooms and the Topgolf Swing Suite – all of which are unique to Norwegian Prima. When it's time to cool off, the Tidal Wave waterslide is another first for the brand, letting guests ride inner tubes to catch the surf.

Norwegian Viva, the second vessel in the Prima class, is set to launch in August 2023. As the newest ship in NCL's fleet, Viva will also feature these exciting high-tech attractions, including Viva Speedway. If you and your teens are fans of the movie "Beetlejuice," you're in for a treat: The Broadway musical adaptation will debut on the new ship.

The line's Breakaway Plus class – Norwegian Escape , Joy , Bliss and Encore – is also popular with families as these ships offer plenty of activities and attractions suited for active teens, such as go-kart tracks, outdoor laser tag and VR games in the Galaxy Pavilion.

Find  Norwegian Cruise Line deals on GoToSea .

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line features two cool spaces dedicated to teens and tweens, who can hang out on comfy couches, watch shows or movies, and play video games. These hangouts, called Edge (for ages 11 to 14) and Vibe (ages 14 to 17), are available on all Disney Cruise Line ships.

On Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream , the space at Vibe also features a private outdoor deck with chaise lounges, wading pools, foosball and more. While indoors, teenagers can mingle with others their age, or just kick back and relax in individual nooks. There's a dance club area for karaoke contests, talent shows and dance competitions. The trendy indoor-outdoor space – at almost 9,000 square feet – is accessible with a teens-only card or DisneyBand+. On the new Disney Wish ship, Vibe has a French twist inspired by a Paris artist's loft with neon signs and funk pop art.

For tweens sailing on Disney Fantasy or Dream, Edge is a bright, loft-style gathering spot – located in the funnel – that has individual computer stations for gaming and a massive video wall for screening television, movies and games. There's also a lit-up dance floor for dance parties. Two nifty features of the space – and its location – are views of the pool decks below as well as three portholes that allow for glimpses of the riders on the water coaster, AquaDuck, as they zoom by.

On the first night of the cruise, kids receive information on what activities and events will be available during their vacation so they can curate a personalized entertainment itinerary. Some fun options throughout the week may include "Gotcha," a game of elimination where one teen will become the ultimate victor. For a special treat – and a bit of pampering – guests ages 13 to 17 won't want to miss an afternoon at Chill Spa, located inside Senses Spa & Salon.

Book a  Disney cruise on GoToSea .

Royal Caribbean International

The newly updated space for teens 13 to 17 years old on Royal Caribbean International vessels is hidden behind a secret speakeasy entrance. The dedicated venue, which has a gaming lounge and music, is a cozy place to hang out to meet other teens on the ship. There's also an outdoor patio where you can relax in the sun or chill out under the stars. Teens will find planned activities throughout the day at the lounge, including sports tournaments, a nightly teen disco and themed parties.

Social 100 is an exclusive new space for ages 13 to 17 on Wonder of the Seas . The outdoor space sits next to the waterslides and boasts a hot tub, lawn games, cozy seating, a selfie area, and a bar serving zero-proof cocktails and shakes. The indoor part of Social 100 features a gaming area, foosball tables, a vending machine and more comfortable spaces for teens to mingle.

Teens have plenty of activities they can do with their families on Royal Caribbean's ships, especially on the new Icon of the Seas, the first vessel in the Icon class. Slated for its inaugural sailing in January 2024, Wonder of the Seas will be the  world's largest cruise ship .  Cruisers of all ages will have endless opportunities for fun with more venues, activities and attractions than you've ever seen on a cruise ship.

Teens and their parents will appreciate Chill Island, a three-level pool deck with the first swim-up bar at sea. The new water park, Thrill Island, boasts six waterslides, including exciting firsts at sea, such as Pressure Drop, the first open freefall slide. If that's not enough to get the adrenaline pumping, teens can check out Crown's Edge – a combination thrill ride, skywalk and ropes course – or other Royal Caribbean favorites like Adrenaline Peak, Sports Court, the FlowRider surf simulator or the reimagined mini-golf course.

If you're hanging out in the new Surfside neighborhood on Icon, a dedicated space for young families, teens will have easy access to the supervised teens-only club, Social 020, from this open-air space.

When you head ashore to Perfect Day in CocoCay, one of the best  cruise line private islands , teen cruisers will find plenty of fun land-based activities like Thrill Waterpark and 1,600-foot-long zip lines. Be sure not to miss another thrilling experience: Up, Up and Away. The helium balloon ride soars 450 feet above the ground to the highest vantage point in the Bahamas , offering incredible panoramic views of the island and surrounding turquoise waters.

Explore  Royal Caribbean cruises on GoToSea . 

Holland America Line

The Kids Club on Holland America Line offers a fun supervised program for 13- to 17-year-old guests in an adult-free zone known as The Loft. The name is in the process of changing to High Score!, and you'll already find the updated concept on Oosterdam and Eurodam . The line's other ships will change over to the new venue throughout 2024. High Score! is a family game room that serves as a secret getaway for teens by day. In the evenings, entire families can come to play skeeball, board games and join in other activities.

The teens-only space (during the day) on Holland America Line resembles a New York artists loft where kids can listen to music, watch movies, play games and meet and hang out with same-age cruisers. Programs and activities at the current space, The Loft, include themed events, karaoke, a teen disco and nighttime activities such as Poker Night and video game tournaments. Youths can also participate in pingpong, basketball and other teens-only sporting events. If they still need more entertainment to keep them busy, the Kids Club offers origami lessons and watercolor painting as well as competitions in "Mario Kart," air hockey, foosball, pinball and more.

The Kids Club is complimentary for guests. The space is open daily, and you'll also find teen events around the ship. When it comes to dining, there are many teen-friendly dining options – where teens can even enjoy mocktails like nonalcoholic mojitos – at venues throughout the ship.

If you're cruising to Alaska with Holland America or other adventure-filled destinations, look for excursions that will appeal to younger family members like zip lining tours, trail hikes, float trips, helicopter tours and wilderness safaris. Alaska is a teen favorite, especially in Skagway (one of Alaska's top destinations ), where travelers can get a thrill out of dog mushing with a team of Alaskan huskies, taking a ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, or going on a rock climbing excursion.

Find  Holland America Line cruises on GoToSea .

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Princess Cruises

The modern Beach House lounge is the go-to place for passengers ages 13 to 17 to socialize and meet others their age when sailing on a Princess Cruises ship. Fun activities for teens include late-night movies and tournaments where they can challenge their peers in video games or at air hockey, foosball and table tennis. For more energetic activities, join in the fun during indoor dodgeball and basketball games. Or, learn new dance moves from some of the dancers in the crew, then hit the dance floor for one of the competitions. At the "Rock the Boat Party," teenagers can dress up and party the night away with mocktails and new friends on the ship.

"Movies Under the Stars" is one of Princess' signature events. Guests can watch movies, sporting events and concerts while bundled up with cozy blankets on the pool deck outdoors. Teens will enjoy the complimentary snacks – not to mention the special movie nights designed with them in mind, such as "Scary Movie Night." You might even find teen makeovers and glitter tattoos some evenings on the ship.

The line's three newest ships – Discovery Princess , Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess – offer the most activities for teens, but all of the ships in the fleet host youth programs in partnership with Discovery, along with plenty of other family-friendly activities. These offerings include Discovery Family and Animal Planet shore excursions and onboard entertainment like "The Voice of the Ocean," a musical competition.

Parents will be able to keep track of their busy teens anywhere on the ship with the state-of-the-art Princess MedallionClass system. The quarter-size wearable medallion and accompanying app allow guests to personalize their itinerary and locate family members and friends on board.

When Sun Princess launches in February 2024, as the first vessel in the line's Sphere class, it will feature Park19. This top-deck family activity zone boasts many outdoor adventures, including Sea Breeze – the first Rollglider at sea. The ADA-accessible seated ride offers a hang-gliding experience with panoramic views of the ocean and ports of call. Families and teens can also check out the climbing obstacle course, cargo nets and lookout points. The ship also has a recreational court – which offers pingpong, shuffleboard, fitness classes and more – and a splash zone where you can cool off after all the outdoor activities.

Inside Sun Princess, tweens and teens will find two centers just for them: Neon Grove and The Underground. Both spaces offer cozy and colorful areas for young adults to hang out, socialize, and play video games on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. They'll also find foosball, skeeball and air hockey on top of planned activities like movie nights, dance parties and scavenger hunts.

Explore  Princess Cruises on GoToSea .

Adventures by Disney

Adventures by Disney offers river and expedition cruises for the whole family; the itineraries span many choices and experiences for tweens and teens with a focus on culture, history, gastronomy and adventure. The river cruises are operated in partnership with AmaWaterways, while the expedition cruises are a collaboration with luxury French cruise line Ponant.

If you're sailing on the Adventures by Disney Rhine River Cruise itinerary, for example, guests can choose between various exciting excursions. While you're docked in Strasbourg, France , for the day, teen-friendly options include a tour of the Black Forest, complete with a toboggan run and a visit to a woodworking museum. Another choice here is to visit Germany's Europa-Park, a one-of-a-kind theme park located between the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains. In Melk, Austria, on the Danube itinerary, families can go for a bike ride along the Danube River, hike to the castle in Dürnstein or visit a family-run apricot farm.

Another great feature of these cruises is that teens can opt to have dinner and evening get-togethers with same-age cruisers, so they don't have to dine with their parents or younger siblings every night. Adventure Guides also curate special activities for teens like game shows and pool parties.

In destinations like Antarctica, the Adriatic and the Galápagos Islands , expert naturalists lead tours during these bucket list trips. You might even find a bit of Disney storytelling woven into the presentations by the Adventure Guides.

Keep in mind if you have younger kids as well as teens that children need to be 5 or older to sail on the river cruises. For the Galápagos Islands expedition cruises, the minimum age for Junior Adventurers is 7, and for expeditions to the polar regions, kids need to be 10 years of age or older.

Read: The Best Cruise Insurance Plans

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Celebration, which launched in November 2022, is the line's newest Excel-class ship. It features an expanded family and youth program, including its offerings for teens. The line also rolled out the new program fleetwide in spring 2023.

The Carnival Cruise Line teen programming at Circle "C" is for tweens ages 12 to 14, while Club O2 is for ages 15 to 17. In these venues you'll find entertainment like themed dance parties – and even a Carnival prom – as well as video games, movies and karaoke. Circle "C" stands for "Cruise, chill and connect," and that's what teens can do in this colorful, contemporary space with engaging counselors. New activities include anime drawing lessons and pop culture games at Circle "C." Older teens can foster new friendships while engaging in Japanese crafts and authentic tea ceremonies at Club O2.

Teens will appreciate Carnival's onboard water park, Waterworks, which includes a splash park and slides. Carnival Panorama even has the trampoline park Skyzone. Teenage passengers won't want to miss the first roller coaster at sea, BOLT, on Excel-class ships: Mardi Gras , Celebration and the upcoming Jubilee, scheduled to launch in December 2023.

For even more action, Vista-class ships feature Skyride. This two-lane, bike-like ride is suspended above the top deck of the ships and extends out over the ocean. More indoor fun can be found at Thrill Theater (on Horizon and Vista ), an immersive cinematic experience where you'll feel the seat rumble, the wind blow through your hair and even a spritz of water during the action-packed video.

Book a Carnival cruise on GoToSea .

Celebrity Cruises

This line's Teen Club features activities focused on kids 13 to 17. Some of the events offered for teens in the Camp at Sea program on Celebrity Cruises range from video game tournaments and sports competitions to culinary classes and silent disco parties. Teen cruisers can even book glass-blowing classes on Celebrity Solstice , Equinox and Eclipse . The offerings for young passengers are similar at either The Basement on Edge-series ships ( Edge , Apex , Beyond and Ascent, set to launch in November 2023) or at X Club on Solstice- and Millennium-class ships. Note, however, the line's three Galápagos expedition vessels do not have the teen venues. Families who need accessible accommodations, activities and programs will also find autism-friendly cruises on Celebrity.

When it comes to pampering, Celebrity's spas offer spa menus for 13- to 17-year-olds. Teens can book facials that are designed for young sensitive skin or have express pedicures and manicures. When you're ready to relax, schedule a two-by-two massage, where parents and kids can have a side-by-side treatment.

Celebrity also offers family-focused excursions that highlight cultural attractions, wildlife sightings and adventure. Some of these tours include seeing gentoo, king and Magellanic penguins in the Falkland Islands; taking an aerial tram through the treetop canopies of a rainforest in Costa Rica ; and going on a small culinary or sightseeing group excursion in Europe and other destinations around the world. On Caribbean sailings – especially when school is out for summer or on holidays – Celebrity has additional family-friendly shore excursions on its five- and seven-night sailings.

Find a  Celebrity Cruises deal on GoToSea .

Cunard Line

Cunard Line offers programs and activities for passengers ages 13 to 17 years old in its Teen Zone. This dedicated space is a place for teens to hang out with cruisers their own age and play video and team games, table tennis, and more. On the first day of the cruise, you'll find an activity program for young guests delivered to the stateroom so your teens can plan out their vacation experience, which may include entertaining theme days, deck sports, quizzes and dancing at the disco.

Teens on Cunard Line can participate in the activities around the ship, hit the pool for a dip, practice their putting or try their hand at croquet. If you're sailing on Queen Mary 2, those interested in science, wildlife and the solar system can watch up to four 3D films a day (on sea days) in the largest planetarium at sea.

Compare  Cunard Line cruises on GoToSea .

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Gwen Pratesi has been an avid cruiser since her early 20s. She's sailed to destinations around the globe on nearly every type of cruise ship built, including the newest megaships, luxury yachts, traditional masted sailing ships, and expedition vessels in Antarctica and the Galápagos. Pratesi covers the travel and cruise industries for major publications, including U.S. News & World Report.

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Norwegian Prima

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To the trailblazers and the tastemakers. To the first-time seekers and explorers of the extraordinary. This one was made for you. Welcome aboard Norwegian Prima, the first in a new class of ships designed to elevate every expectation. Explore the greater wide open with the most outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship. Unwind in our most spacious accommodations and enjoy first-rate service so you won't wait a second for that second round. Be the first to take a 360° seaside stroll along the new Ocean Boulevard. Take your taste buds on a delicious journey through the Indulge Food Hall. Or dip into the horizon in one of our infinity pools. Discover a new experience at sea aboard Norwegian Prima.

• Ship 143,535 Gross Register Tonnage
• Guest 3,099 Guest Capacity double occupancy
• Length 294 m Overall Length
• Width 41 m Max Beam
• Year 2022 Year Built
• Crew 1,506 Ship Crew

Norwegian Prima CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHTS

NEW! Starlink High-Speed Internet

Starlink provides fast Internet service at sea and is now available on Norwegian Prima. Using advanced low earth orbit satellites, SpaceX’s Starlink delivers industry leading broadband internet connectivity, which will improve the capacity, speed, and reliability of Internet on board.

Experience The Haven

Discover unparalleled luxury in The Haven, an exclusive enclave with our most premium and spacious accommodation. Enjoy the personal service of a 24-hour butler and world-class amenities, exclusively reserved for guests of The Haven. This space offers our most exclusive & centralised suite complex ever - all suites are within easy walking distance of private elevators reserved exclusively for The Haven guests. These exclusive accommodations are also some of our largest suites ever and include our first new three-bedroom suite in 15 years, with public areas and suites designed by Piero Lissoni, one of Italy's preeminent designers. Additionally, for the first time, every public area in The Haven offers stunning sea views.

New Spa & Fitness Centre

Welcome to a place where the ocean meets the healing waters within — the breathtaking new Mandara Spa. From multiple detoxifying saunas to state-of-the-art pools to a two-story waterfall, the experience on Norwegian Prima will awaken every sense.

Unparalleled Experiences

Feel the rush of the fastest slides on the open ocean. Then zoom around the first three-level race track at sea. From exploring virtual worlds to sipping bubbly at Vibe Beach Club, there’s excitement for everyone aboard Norwegian Prima.

Norwegian Prima Cruise Image Gallery

• Prima Theatre & Club
• Prima Speedway
• Onda by Scarpetta
• Infrared Sauna
• Infinity Beach
• Indulge Outdoor Lounge
• Hudson's
• The Haven Restaurant
• Galaxy Pavilion
• Aqua Park & Main Pool
• Syd Norman’s Pour House

Discover Her Unique CRUISE DESTINATIONS

Bermuda Cruises

From British-style high tea to teeing it up on the greens, experience your island escape.

Caribbean Cruises

Turquoise water and white sands shimmer in The Caribbean. Experience the sublime colourful architecture of these breezy, tropical ports.

Extraordinary Journeys

Set sail from one destination and end in another. It's the ultimate way to experience it all.

Greek Isles Cruises

Explore Greece as you stroll through sun-bleached, winding streets. Experience lively Santorini as you wander through its picturesque, winding streets.

Mediterranean Cruises

Travel through Italy whilst indulging in traditional flavours and admiring iconic landmarks. Discover Barcelona's unique Catalan identity whilst taking in its stunning architecture and delectable dining.

Northern Europe Cruises

Experience incredible history, famous landmarks and unique culture in grand style.

Transatlantic Cruises

Leisure days at sea, exciting moonlit nights, and nothing to distract from the journey ahead.

See Prima STATEROOMS

• Club Balcony Suite

Hidden at the top of the ship, The Haven features our most luxurious, well-appointed accommodations as well as 24-hour butler service, concierge service and private sundeck.

Finished with the finest touches, spacious suites with luxury accommodations.

Whether it's the two of you or your family, our Club Balcony Suites are accented with the finest touches. And enough room to make memories forever.

See the world like never before. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open to your very own private balcony. Stylish and sophisticated appointments enhance these modern rooms.

Experience comfort all around you. These stylish staterooms feature fine appointments, which are highlighted by nice touches and clear views of the ocean.

Relax in lively style and smart sophistication. Our modern inside staterooms are highlighted with appointments like a TV, sitting area and more.

Specifically designed and priced for solo travellers, our Studios feature a full-size bed, separate bath area and access to the private Studio Lounge - no single supplement required.

Experience WHAT’S ON BOARD

• Speciality Dining
• Bars & Lounges
• Entertainment
• Onboard Shopping

Looking to take your tastebuds on tour? Enjoy made-to-order favourites at Indulge Food Hall where a variety of artisanal mini-restaurants and food trucks serve everything from tacos to tandoori.

Bring your senses on a journey they'll never forget. Taste the essence of Greece at Palomar, our first-ever Mediterranean seafood restaurant, marvel at the hand-blown chandeliers and savoury French dishes at Le Bistro or see Teppanyaki in a whole new light at Hasuki.

Let the conversation and the cabernet flow at the outdoor bar. Feel the gentle sea breeze as you relax in a cabana at Indulge Outdoor Lounge. Or get into a livelier groove as you enjoy a craft cocktail whilst listening to live music at The Local Bar & Grill.

Dance to the disco days at the Broadway sensation Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Come on down to play The Price Is Right Live. It's all happening in the first venue in the world that transforms from a three-story theatre to a spectacular Vegas-style nightclub.

Be the first to discover experiences beyond expectation. Zoom around the world's first three-level race track at sea. Then feel the rush of the fastest slides on the open ocean. Or swim up to the horizon on Infinity Beach. Discover new and exciting experiences for everyone aboard Norwegian Prima.

Forget to pack something? No worries! Our gift shops onboard carry everything you'll need for fun in the sun. Shop from a variety of souvenirs, cosmetics, clothing, snacks and sundry items. Treat yourself at our duty-free shops full of fantastic savings on fine jewellery, accessories, perfume, liquor and tobacco.

Read THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT

Unique Caribbean Beaches

If you've cruised before, or even if you just like to venture a bit off the beaten path, then you might want to skip the typical activities and try something a little different.

Cruise Norwegian App

Download the Cruise Norwegian app. Think of it as your travel companion, helping you experience an unforgettable cruise holiday every step of the way.

Get to Know Norwegian Prima

Enjoy our handy ship guide, complete with downloadable map, so you can get to know every inch of this incredible ship.

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