Norwegian Cruise Line Prima- Inaugural Sailing
Haley and some others from the Yankee Trails team were invited to sail on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Inaugural Sailing for its newest ship, the Prima. The Prima is the first of six ships that make up the Prima Class, NCL’s newest class of ship in 10 years. Keep reading to learn about her experience on the Prima and her favorite parts of the ship, you never know, it might inspire you to book your next cruise!
The team and I were so excited to get the chance to sail onboard the Norwegian Prima, there was so much hype about this brand new ship and I couldn’t wait to try everything out for myself and see what cruising Norwegian is like.
The ship was departing out of the Manhattan cruise terminal, so this was the perfect opportunity to take the Cruise Express down. It was so easy to navigate, we just arrived at Yankee Trails the morning of our departure, stowed our suitcases away and headed off towards the city. We made it to Manhattan with amazing time and were checking into the terminal by 11 a.m.
Our sailing departed on October 6, 2022, and we were lucky enough that Canada had dropped all of its COVID-19 requirements for entering the country starting on September 30. With this in mind, it was much easier to prepare for this cruise; there was no testing required prior to the cruise and vaccinations were not required, the only documents needed was my passport. This was a breath of fresh air and checking in and boarding the ship was a breeze.
Once onboard, we all headed to our staterooms to drop off our bags and see where we’d be staying for the next few nights. Our rooms were balcony staterooms located on deck 10. These rooms were great; they are very spacious staterooms that comfortably fit two people with room to spare. We all loved the organization within the room, the closet was well organized with plenty of space for hanging clothes and drawers for stowing clothes as well.
There was a safe for important documents inside the closet, a vanity with extra storage and room to get ready and a mini fridge in the room as well. The bathrooms were spacious with lots of cabinet and drawer space, and the shower was an impressive size. This room had plenty of space and enough outlets for two people to live very comfortably- we loved it
After we were settled, we set off to find some lunch. The Surfside Cafe was the perfect option as we eased into cruise life for the next few days. The Surfside Cafe is the complimentary buffet onboard the Prima that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each meal has so many different options, from a variety of different cuisines. We ended up eating breakfast here each day, and it was so good every time.
Other complimentary dining options onboard the Prima that are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner include Hudson’s, The Local Bar & Grill, The Commodore Room, and The Haven Restaurant, which is only open for guests of The Haven. Hudson’s and The Commodore Room have the same menus with a variety of different and delicious options for you to try. The Local Bar & Grill has more of a sports bar feel and a menu that goes along with it- think pub fare.
Another complimentary dining option that is a new concept for dining that we absolutely loved is Indulge Food Hall. The way this restaurant works is that you sit down at a table, and on that table is an ipad where you order your food from, and waiters will then bring your food out to your table a few minutes later. We absolutely loved this! There were so many different cuisines to choose from- delis, thai food, seafood, japanese food, noodles, salads and so much more. This restaurant was perfect for lunch or dinner, but serves breakfast too. When you’re on the Prima, this is one restaurant that you have to try out for yourself at least once.
Since we’re talking about places to eat on the ship, I couldn’t forget to mention all the amazing specialty restaurants onboard the Prima! While specialty restaurants usually have an upcharge, the food served in these restaurants is so good, and so worth the extra money if you can swing it.
Specialty restaurants on the ship include Cagney’s Steakhouse, Food Republic, Hasuki Japanese Grill, Le Bistro, Los Lobos, Nama Sushi & Sashimi, Onda by Scarpetta and Palomar. Cagney’s is an NCL favorite, and is located on other NCL ships as well. Food Republic is a fusion restaurant with small plates and a tapas kind of feel. Hasuki Japanese is the ship’s hibachi restaurant, Le Bistro is where you can find French cuisine onboard, Los Lobos is the dedicated Mexican restaurant, Nama is your go-to place for sushi, Onda by Scarpetta is the perfect place to get your Italian food fix and Palomar is a Mediterranean inspired restaurant with lots of fresh fish and an amazing ambiance. You really can’t go wrong with any of these options!
I had the pleasure of dining at both Cagney’s Steakhouse and Los Lobos and can say with certainty that upgrading your dining experience to a specialty restaurant as a treat is so worth it. Cagney’s had such delicious sides to go with your choice of steak and it’s easy to see why it’s an NCL classic. Los Lobos had some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, starting with the tableside guac and ending with a tower of churros doused in caramel sauce. Truly a delicious and unique experience for all!
While dining on the Prima is supreme, there are just as many bars onboard that are just as fun to sit with friends at and sip on tasty cocktails. With 19 bars onboard, there are plenty for you to choose from- some of our favorites were the Metropolitan Bar, Observation Lounge, Penrose Bar and the Local Bar.
One of the best parts about all of the bars on the ship is that there is so much seating for you to choose from. No more over-crowded bars with standing room only, just good vibes with plenty of comfortable and trendy seating.
I know what you’re thinking, with all this eating and drinking on the ship, is there anything else to do? Of course there is! So much in fact, that I could barely see it all on this four day cruise. One of the most exciting things to do onboard is the Prima Speedway Go Karts. The Prima has a three-level race track for the zoomiest go karts ever, and it truly looked like a blast for all who participated. For those who don’t have the need for speed or would rather watch, there’s even an observation deck above the track to see the races.
If go karts aren’t your thing, there’s so much more for you to do, don’t worry! Tee Time is another fun opportunity for you, what’s better than mini golfing at sea? There are nine holes of bright, colorful fun for you and your family and friends to try your best shot at. The best part? The last hole includes a wheel of prizes for you to spin and if you get a hole in one, you win that prize.
Next to the mini golf is The Bull’s Eye, private dart lounges that your party can rent out and play. There are different competitions that you can play within your group and the TV in the room keeps score for you. It’s such a fun and relaxing place and an awesome option for you to spend your time at.
Across the same deck is The Stadium, a complimentary game space where you and your group can play games like tabletop shuffleboard, pickleball, subsoccer, ping pong, foosball and even beer pong.
If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, there’s something where that came from too. The Drop & The Rush are the iconic slides that you see on either side of the Prima, and they are the newest and fastest slides at sea. The Drop is the first free-fall slide in the world, where you step on and the floor drops out from under you and you slide 10 stories down, even slowing down at one point to catch the view out of the transparent part of the slide.
The Rush is the dueling slides on the Prima, where you can race a friend down the slide. You step into a sack that makes gliding down the slide even better and off you go down 10 stories, seeing who can go the fastest. Either slide is the best way to get your adrenaline fill for the day.
The Prima has an entertainment venue on board that I haven’t seen anything like on any other cruise ship: the Galaxy Pavilion. The Galaxy Pavilion is an entire new world of virtual reality games, with things like a flying simulator, VR racing simulators, VR games, escape rooms and more, there’s a game for everyone and anyone here. We spent an evening in the Galaxy Pavilion and can guarantee that anyone who checks out the space will have a blast!
Of course no cruise is complete without a little gambling time, and the Prima has an expansive casino that will satisfy any gambler, whether they’re seasoned or a novice. Located on deck 6, the casino has plenty of slot machines and everyone’s favorite table games to unwind and have fun at.
If relaxation is more your thing while on a cruise, the Prima has plenty where that came from. The Mandara Spa & Salon has everything to pamper you, whether it's a couples massage, solo massage, facial or pass to the thermal suite, you will leave refreshed and completely relaxed.
While we were on a cold weather cruise where using the pool wasn’t on our agenda, that doesn’t mean that using the hot tubs wasn't on our mind! The Prima has a number of infinity hot tubs onboard, giving ample space to those looking to soak in the views and the tub. The Haven-only pool deck has private infinity hot tubs to use along with a divine infinity pool.
If you’re one for swimming on a cruise, the Prima still has you covered. There is a main pool on deck 17, and there are also infinity pools scattered around deck eight as well, giving ample space for sunbathers and pool lovers alike. In addition to the pools, there is a kids’ aqua park for the littles to splash around in, as well as a tidal wave water slide called the Wave for kids and kids-at-heart to check out.
Even though I’ve mentioned a lot of daytime activities, there’s still plenty of things to do at night to keep you entertained and enjoying the ship until the wee hours of the morning. One of my favorite things to do on board any ship is go see the different shows available. On the Prima, there are a few signature shows that you can’t miss! The first we saw was Summer: the Donna Summer Musical. You could probably guess that this show was all about the legacy of Donna Summer and had all of her best songs, and the cast of this Tony Award-nominated show were truly incredible. You might even recognize one of the actresses who plays Donna, it’s Kimberley Locke from season 2 of American Idol. This show had us dancing in our seats to the Queen of Disco and we loved it.
Another show onboard the Prima is Noise Boys. It’s from the producers of Norwegian Cruise Line’s fan favorite ‘The Choir of Man’ and is an exhilarating performance of tap-dancing, beat-boxing and amazing music. This show came straight from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and will be a favorite for Norwegian Cruisers before you know it!
The Price is Right Live is another special show on the Prima. This was such a fun show and we laughed the entire time! The host of the show doubled as a comedian and kept us entertained as they called audience members down to participate. It really felt like the classic game show and had some fan favorite games like Cliffhanger and Plinko- don’t miss this show if you can help it!
In addition to the Prima Theater, there are other entertainment venues onboard as well, one of which being The Improv at Sea. This small-scale comedy club is where the hilarious comedy shows take place on the Prima, and we even saw karaoke here one night too. The comedians made us laugh until our sides hurt, and there were two performances, an early one and a late one. The early performance was more age appropriate, while the later performance was ages 18+. The two comedians onboard shifted each performance, so you could see both perform no matter your age, it was a great way to spend some of your night.
Across from The Improv at Sea is Syd Norman’s Pour House, which becomes a live music domain with specialty cocktails served up. The house band will play crowd favorite hits and at night this venue becomes more like a dance club than a place to just sip a cocktail. We stopped by Syd Norman’s one night and had fun dancing!
On day three of our four-day cruise, we were docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I hadn’t heard a lot about Halifax prior to visiting, so I had a pretty open mind about the city and what we’d do. We had an excursion planned that left at 12:15 p.m., so we had plenty of time in the morning to get up, enjoy breakfast and relax before getting off the ship.
Disembarking the ship was easy, facial recognition allowed us to forgo using passports, instead all we needed was our ship card. The weather was still fairly warm for Nova Scotia in October, with highs in the low 60s, but some clouds and rain were mixed into the forecast.
Our excursion was a tour of Peggy’s Cove and a visit to the Titanic Cemetery. We boarded a motorcoach right off the ship that was bringing us to Peggy’s Cove and we were off. The fall foliage was in peak color when we were there, and our tour was extra beautiful thanks to that. After driving for about 40 minutes, we arrived in the quaint village of Peggy’s Cove. The seaside village is scattered with colorful cottages with gift shops, lobster shacks and art installations
We had about an hour to visit the lighthouse at the tip of Peggy’s Cove, as well as walk around the village and buy any souvenirs we might want. Quaint really is the perfect way to describe Peggy’s Cove and we can see why it’s a tourist favorite. By the time we were leaving Peggy’s Cove, the wind and rain had started to pick up, so we were happy to be on our way back towards Halifax to check out the Titanic Cemetery.
After about a half an hour we made it to Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where victims of the Titanic tragedy were laid to rest. The headstones of the victims were arranged in the shape of a ship’s hull, and our tour guide pointed out notable individuals, including the person who inspired Jack Dawson’s character in the movie Titanic.
We spent some time viewing the cemetery and learning about the sinking of the Titanic before heading back to the bus. We drove back through downtown Halifax and learned a little more about the history of the very charming city before making it back to the ship. For those who didn’t want to do an excursion and just wanted to walk around the city, or who had extra time with their day, the city had shuttle buses going to and from the pier to downtown where you could do shopping or enjoy one of the many breweries and restaurants close by.
After another day at sea on the way back, we made it back to Manhattan early in the morning. Debarking the ship was incredibly easy. We grabbed some breakfast at Surfside Cafe before taking our own luggage off the ship with us. Once off the ship, we received a text from the Cruise Express with a link to track the bus picking us up, and we waited about 45 minutes before being picked up. Normally the ships allow you to stay onboard later in the morning so you're not waiting for transportation on the pier, but this was a special sailing so we had to be off the ship early.
The Prima really did wow us and we couldn’t recommend the ship enough to cruisers of any type. We loved the activities, the design of the ship and the NCL staff could not have been nicer! If this is any indication of what the other ships in the Prima class will be like, we can’t wait to see them all! The Prima will have sailings in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bermuda and more and our travel agents would love to help you plan your getaway on this beautiful ship. Get in touch with our travel agency today for quotes!
