Are NCL Fans Right About Norwegian Prima?

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The fans of @norwegiancruiseline have some strong opinions on the line's newest cruise ship, Norwegian Prima. Are these critiques justified? We take a look at the common complaints to see if NCL made a big mistake with Norwegian Prima!

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ARE THE NCL FANS RIGHT ABOUT NCL PRIMA?
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Public Venue Décor
2:02 New Penrose Atrium
3:32 Show Reservations
5:50 All New Bars
7:38 Upcharge Activities
10:00 Not for Families
11:40 New Main Dining Rooms
13:15 The Haven
15:28 Venues Are Too Small
17:07 The Ship's Layout
19:22 WiFi and NCL App

COMPLAINTS ABOUT NORWEGIAN PRIMA
When Norwegian Prima launched a few months ago, the ship did not get a very warm welcome. Since the debut, there have been a number of negative reviews about the ship. In this video, we take a look at the most common issues cruisers have with the ship to see if Norwegian Cruise Line made a big mistake.

One of the top critiques has to do with the design of Norwegian Prima. Many do not like the color palette, ship layout, or overall ascetic. Personally, we like the more subdued finishes and intimate atmosphere on the ship. Norwegian Prima's elevated and more elegant design is exactly what the cruise line was aiming for with this new class of ship.

Further, the redesigned Penrose Atrium is a more functional area than this typical midship space. While some cruisers do not like this setup, we think it is an ideal arrangement. Support services and shops are strategically situated around this three deck area without detracting from the lounge spaces. This makes the space a true hub of activity.

Others do not like the layout of the ship. True, this is a new design for NCL. Now, the ship's deck plans more resemble Virgin Voyages than previous NCL ships. But, that is the point. The cruise line was going for a mega-ship with a more intimate feel. For us, the cruise line delivered on this vision.

While we don't agree with some of the other complaints, we are not fans of the outdoor pool deck on Deck 17. If the cruise line is trying to compete with premium ships, like Celebrity Cruises, this pool deck falls short. It is certainly not as attractive as ships like Celebrity Edge

WHERE NORWEGIAN PRIMA MISSES THE MARKS
While we generally like Norwegian Prima, the ship is not without its flaws.

Unfortunately, some of the public areas are too small. Venues like the Improv at Sea and Syd Norman's Pour House should have been bigger. Getting seats at shows at these venues is extremely difficult.

Likewise, some restaurants like the Indulge Food Hall and the Surfside Cafe should have more seating. These dining venues get too crowded during meal times.

The sports deck on Deck 18 is not well situated either. This outdoor space can get very windy, making it difficult to play darts and mini-golf.

While others are disappointed that many activities on NCL Prima are an upcharge, frankly, that is true of all Norwegian Cruise Line ships. So, we were prepared to pay additional fees to use these innovative spaces. Although, we do agree that charging for mini golf on a cruise is bit much.

Lastly, another big miss for the ship is the internet and app. The Wi-Fi was very slow, making it difficult to get things like social media and email to load, never mind trying to stream or download anything.

Not to mention, the app was a glorified digital daily. When compared to the features and functionality of other cruise line apps, NCL's app needs some enhancement for sure.

GET ALL THE DETAILS OF NORWEGIAN PRIMA ON OUR BLOG:

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Some Promotional Photo/Video Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line

#norwegianprima #norwegiancruiseline #norwegiancruise
Комментарии
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What are your thoughts on the new Norwegian Prima? Do you agree with our assessment?

Eatsleepcruise
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I took the Prima Dec 3rd from Miami with my daughter and her husband. I booked a solo cabin but offered $300 total to upgrade to a double cabin with window and got it. so being alone in the larger cabin was sweet. We all liked the Prima. Single complaint was the woefully few shows in the main theatre. Ridiculously few. Crazy few. Astonishingly few. Every night should have a show and occasionally two. I have sailed on NCL about 8 times. Would travel on Prime again but hope they increase the shows.

richardradcliffe
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I found the décor refreshing on the Prima as compared to my Carnival sailings. Comparing the Prima with my previous Norwegian sailing, I didn’t find any differences from the sailing I had on the Encore. Darts and mini golf were not activities that I was drawn to, so the up charge for them wasn’t relevant for me.I loved the observation area on the Prima, and didn’t find it crowded at any time I was there for my afternoon cocktail.

divoxpqr
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Loved everything about the Prima. She’s beautiful. Crew is awesome. 🤗 Excellent food. Love the decor. Modern and calming. Inside cabin, so clean and bright. Love the bathroom.
Some venues are “intimate.” Lots to do. 😜 Want colors? Sail with Carnival.
I’d love to sail on the Viva around the Mediterranean. ⚓️🌴

belindan
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I loved everything about the Prima. The small venues were refreshing... tired of the mega look and feel of some ships. Never had an issue doing everything we wanted. Excited to try the Viva. Until then, we have the Escape and Joy to keep us busy.

alisiamarie
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We love Prima. It is kind of a way to do an Adults Only without making it Adults Only. So many families with kids sailed at Christmas on Prima and the kids were miserable. As a parent, the first thing I look at is the activities on board. I would never pick Prima for a family with kids cruise. But as an empty nester now, I would love it.

tarkheenameyer
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I think the decor looks stunning! I’ve always thought cruise decor is too busy! This looks more like a high end hotel ❤

therantingmum
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The ship looks great agree with your feedback. I actually like the shady space on the pool deck and wish the Edge has more shady spaces. 😂

realcdcruze
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We love NCL and cruise with them around 4 times a year. We love the Gem and occasionally take the Breakaway when the Gem is not in NY. Based on your review and many others, we have no intention of cruising on the Prima!

alanj
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We are sailing for the second time on Prima in March. Almost kid free, great food ( Indulge Food Court is worth the ticket alone) wonderful casino, staff, and spotless rooms.
The 70's Disco night was a stone gas!!🎉❤

TheVixen
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We are booked on NCL Prima for a 11 day Transatlantic from Spain to NYC, in 2023. We have done 4 NCL since 2015 Breakaway x 2. Encore . and Joy.
3 x as Haven guests 1 time as Spa suite guests.
Prima is booked Haven Aft Penthouse suite .
One thing I learned was it is either Haven or dont go.


• Haven guests have reserved show seating.
• Haven guests have priority boarding and disembarking.
• Haven guests dont have to wrestle or get up at 6 am to get a deck chair.
• Haven guests get a ship phone to call their butler 24 / 7 for service no matter where they are on the ship.
• Haven guests on Breakaway class ships can use service elevators when in port. No waiting or crowded elevators.
• The Haven has its own resturant / bar.
• There are enough lounge seats for every Haven guests and the butlers will set them up with umbrellas when requested.
• IfI choose to enjoy the main areas of the ship we can, if we wish to get out of the crowd we retreat to the Haven pool / Sun deck / hot tubs.
• The Haven Cosigneries desk makes all excursions, dining. and on board activities reservation upon request.
• I see the Prima has a bank of elevators for Haven Guests only. Diffrent from Breakaway class.
• This is kind of creepy but the Butler and Consigniers know where you are on the ship and will just show up and ask if they can do anything for you.
Maybe they track the ship cell phone .. I dont know but i think it is creepy.

I KNOW IT IS EXPENSIVE to go as a Haven Guest . But imo worth it .
We skip a vacation, save up and then really enjoy.

Im excited about my first trans Atlantic voyage.


Thank you for the video n

Cha-y
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i was on the 2nd sailing for prima and got on the ship by 12:30 and there were no reservations left for the theatre shows. i found talking to a lot of people that many that first got on the ship booked every single slot for every shingle show, even if they were not going and some people booked for more than one person. So i disagree with your comment that it is no issue to get a reservation as long as you book it early. Also you did not cover the spa. the lounge in the spa had this annoying thumping noise while trying to relax. this noise was from the fitness centre directly above. you could hear them running on the treadmills. it was like this every day . for these 2 reasons i would not ever book this ship unless they got rid of all reservations and made it first come first attend to the shows. and move the fitness centre to remove the unwanted noise in the spa. the remainder of the ship was nice and your review was accurate

rickjozwiak
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NCL made some great improvements with the new Prima Haven by relocating the entire complex to the aft of the ship and making it larger with it's own elevators. However, there's no excuse for making major venues like the buffet and Syd Norman's smaller. So many NCL passengers have been giving the feedback to make Syd's larger or just have the show in the theater and NCL just doesn't listen. The buffet is a joke, many people cruise for the casual feel and variety of a good buffet.

ashleys
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Give me a ship like this than some ship that looks like a multi rainbow coloured Disneyland theme park ride.

The_Jupiter_Mission
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On YouTube, the decor of the Pr1ma appears elegant and tasteful. I will find out when I cruise on her in May. The details that concern me have to do with the dining. The fixed MDR menu, the smaller complimentary restaurants, and the much smaller buffet seem intended to push me towards the specialty eateries. I will have to see if the new Indulge Food Hall will compensate for these changes. Thanks for a well-made and balanced review.

gnrands
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NCL is taking monetization to a whole new level for cruises. Last cruised with them in December 2021 and won't be cruising with them any time soon. Beautiful ship the Bliss is. But, too many upcharges venues and activities, resulting in included venues tend to be small (like the club shown in this vid). The value for our money just isn't there with NCL.

LoveCruise
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It does appear to be a great ship, although our initial opinion makes us think it is very very cramped. Like they tried to cram too much onto the ship.
I get a Virgin Voyages vibe which we have been on. It feels like a very big yacht as opposed to a ship....

phrewilly
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I just came across this video. I hope by now, there have been some improvements. I am booked on the PRIMA for northern Europe this summer and I'm concerned with how easy it would be for me to access breakfast before early morning excursions when there is a lack of adequate seating in the buffet and other eateries. I hate feeling crowded and seen other videos with Atrium and other areas that are too small. Trying to decide if this cruise is worth it as I want to see Iceland and Norway, the main draw for booking this.

madchatteress
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Great review! I do think NCL is steering away (no pun intended) from families. This ship has barely any attractions for kids, but there's also a bigger trend: the Guppies not offering any dop-off anymore and Splash Academy drop-off being offered only on cruise-days, plus many laser-tags for other ships are being discontinued in September, I think NCL is leaving the family market to RC, Disney and maybe MSC. Even Princess with the Discovery at Sea seems more interested in catering to families now!

HAL
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Have a 10 day cruise scheduled for next September on the Viva. Greek islands and Italy. Looking forward to being on a new fresh ship.

generynkewicz
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