34 CRUISE NEWS PRIMA THE CROP
BY SARAH PICKERING
sarah@nitravelnews.com
TAKING to the seas in 2022, NCL introduced their new Prima Class ships to the world, with Norwegian Prima being the first in the series to take to the waters. Sister ship Viva will take to the seas soon but what can guests expect? NI Travel News’ Sarah got the chance to explore what this ship had to offer its future guests onboard a 6 night adventure... Built in 2022, the all new Norwegian Prima has taken to the seas to showcase what the world has to offer adventurous travellers. I spent a week onboard the vessel, discovering what culinary delights, gaming opportunities and spectacular shows can be expected onboard.
Dining onboard Prima hosts an abundance of speciality
restaurants, with a wide range of food on offer. From sushi, to steakhouse and Italian to French, there’s a little something for everyone on board. If speciality is not your thing then you can explore the two main complimentary dining rooms, The Local Bar and Grill, Indulge Food Hall and the Surfside Cafe!
My top recommendations on board are: The Surfside Cafe for when you’re busy and on the
go- This place is located on the pool deck and makes for the perfect group gathering area for the busiest of people. Pick up something small for a snack or go the full whack with a starter, main and dessert… its all your own preference! The buffet-side area has a panoramic view of the sea, creating that feel of a bigger, brighter area to enjoy food from all over the world. Food recommendation- Spaghetti in marinara sauce, the pepperoni wood fired pizza and ANY of the picture-perfect desserts. The Local Bar and Grill- This All-American themed bar is a long corridor shaped area with a sit up bar and relaxing booth-like seating areas. The interior is dark and wooded with that homely feel of the big interactive screen. Next door is the grill area which is closer to a restaurant style sit-down, with that brighter traditional American eatery feel squeezed in. Get your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks from the perfect sports watching venue onboard.
Food
recommendation- From here, I really recommend the pretzels and beer cheese sauce!
something wildly different from being onboard, Surfside cafe,
this place has a little something for everyone. Matching the theme of The Local Bar and Grill, the Food Hall comes with that dark wooded decor creating a nice warm relaxed feel in the restaurant with sprigs of greenery thrown in. Different cuisine have different stations which are slightly tweaked to give a unique feel to each eatery. The beauty for this place comes from the want of involvement for all parties; guests can sit wherever they wish, no matter what dishes they order, ensuring everyone can dine together and enjoy separate food together. All tables come equipped with a touchscreen computer pad allowing for ordering and payment all through the one device which helps break up restaurant congestion and keeps privacy. It also allows passengers to search through all the stations without having to actively get up and go look- A brilliant invention! Food recommendation- The beef doha is something else.
Entertainment onboard NCL Prima is showcasing a wide
range of entertainment across the entire ship and decks. Guests can choose from theatre and musical, live entertainment in the form of comedians game shows and trivia, or alternative shows in different locations. I was pleasantly surprised at the wide range of entertainment options onboard the ship because there is already such a vast range of options in terms of ‘fun’ and ‘Play’ throughout the ship. Of course, one of the main selling
points, in terms of entertainment anyway, is the Donna Summer Musical, which sold out every night onboard the ship across my 7 day sailing back in September. But my favourite form of entertainment was a little more obscure. ‘Noise Boys’ was an absolute highlight of my time onboard. It was something so different and edgy that really enhanced my overall experience and has left a memory of
along with heightening my expectations for future cruises. The Noise Boys show was based around dance, which is pretty common onboard ships, but it was accompanied by singing and beatboxing! This, for me, was totally unique and made for a lovely change form the usual song and dance onboard cruise ships. I also thought it was a great alternative for the younger generation onboard as theatres can sometimes not be appealing to certain groups; This way , the entire family was able to come out and enjoy a mix of everything all within the one show and the entire production behind it was brilliant. My favourite entertainment onboard by far! The Improv room and the Sid Norman
bar onboard are directly across from each other and a short distance from the main atrium. Within the Improv you will find different comedy acts, sit down music and trivia/ gameshows. I popped in to one of the couples games night, alone ironically, and watched as couples played their own version of ‘Mr and Mrs’.
This kind of entertainment onboard a long cruise is ideal as it helps guests meet one and other and it also provides a great ice breaker for those taking part and those watching. Belly laughs and the odd fall out is sure to happen here and it turns out to be a great form evening entertainment. Within Syd Norman’s bar, we got to chill out to the soft melodies of Purple Sundaze; This duo band host
different theme nights onboard and play fantastic renditions of popular songs.
This night happened to be the country night which was kickstarted with none other than a rendition of Garth Brooks’ ‘Friends in Low Places’. Perfectly fitting as the real Garth Brooks played his opening gig in Croke Park, Dublin the same night!
Gaming onboard Once again, Prima and the new
class of ships have taken gaming to a whole other level which I think is actually really clever. I think this will be a huge driver for cruise itineraries that contain
The Indulge Food Hall- If you’re not
sure what you want to get, or your group all fancy different eateries, then the indulge food Hall is the place for you! With over 18 different eateries flooded with Indian, salads,
all-
American and Chinese, just like the
a lot of days at sea. Not only does the ship feature an extravagant three tiered go kart race course across the top three decks, it also hosts a wealth of waterslides and dry slides, a mini golf course, a sports arena, multiple virtual darts rooms and an entire VR galaxy pavilion. The gaming onboard is also great for all ages
as it is not marketed at any one age group; I find onboard a lot of ships that things such as VR simulators and other interactive gaming systems are age stricter but this is not the case onboard Prima. The go karting hub itself can be a place for the whole family as it sits directly above the sporting complex. Not only does this area feature a bar, it also displays laser guns over the actual course which viewers can shoot at the contestants racing around the track; Sensors on the back of the go karts activate a speed ‘boost’ once hit with one of the lasers. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed these go karts can actually go, and with a backdrop as spectacular as the sea, its clear to understand why there as a short queue for this everyday. The rest of the sports complex is nicely laid out and does not feel too overcrowded with stuff or people. The mini golf course has a modern feel to it with neon lights, sounds and quirky holes, all whilst being sheltered but the go kart course.
The entire sports complex is covered by the above
course which differs from other cruise lines with outdoor activities. The Galaxy Pavilion is a sight that must be
seen; This interactive pavilion is a large dark room glowing with neon purples and blues. The short corridor leading up to the opening is bright with a spaceship feel; screens along either side make for an intergalactic journey, disassociating itself from the rest of the ship. Inside you will find solo and multiplayer vr simulations and arcade games. We tried out the rollercoster simulator, monstering truck off road driving, vr headset exploring and interactive solo boxing and it was brilliant. The staff are very accommodating and you can purchase packages for different hours of play during your time onboard- We opted for the 1 hour option and we squeezed so much into this time. And relax… For those reading this and wondering ‘oh my goodness where do I find time to relax!?’ , then not to fear. NCL have thought about those wanting to get away from the adrenaline junkies and excited children. You can take your pick- You could start your cruise off with relaxation at the very core of the trip by booking a Haven suite.Enjoy a bigger room with balcony, exclusive access to The Haven, which is complete with its own infinity pool, hot tubs and private bar. It also spans around the entire back of the ship which provides panoramic view of wherever the destination. For those looking for seek comfort after a busy day, The Vibe Beach Club is for you- The Vibe Beach Club is located beside the Surfside Bar and Grill, with exclusive access. Here you will find two good sized hot tubs overlooking the side of the ship, a multitude of sun loungers and comfy bed chairs, and a private bar! Want to see how Epic fared against Prima? Turn to page 64...
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