Pictures and renderings provided by USP Marketing PR on behalf of NCL (copyright NCL)
Summer 2022 Norwegian Cuise Line’s new Norwegian Prima will make its debut on the high seas. This new ship will be notable smaller then the line’s Breakaway-Plus vessels, as she will carry 3,200 guests compared to 4,200 guests on board the breakaway-Plus ships (the Norwegian Escape (2015), Norwegian Joy (2017), Norwegian Bliss (2018) and Norwegian Encore dating from 2019). Norwegian Prima will be part of a series of six Prima-class ships to be constructed in by the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy from 2022 to 2027, one each year at a cost of around USD 850 million per vessel.
Italian graffiti artist Peeta (real name Manuel Di Rita) designed the flamboyant hull artwork which has become one of NCL’s trademarks over the years. On the hull of Norwegian Prima it covers a significantly larger part of the hull than usual, making it stand out even more. World renowned architects have worked on the design of the new vessel: leading Italian interior architect Piero Lissoni together with the Rockwell Group, Tillberg design, SMC Design, YSA Design and Studio Dado which was responsible for staterooms, several restaurants and other public spaces. She will measure 142,500GRT, have 20 decks (16 accessible to passengers) and her capacity wil be 3,200 guests (double occupancy) in 1646 staterooms.
In 2017, NCL (which currently has a market share of around 8%), ordered 5 ships of the so-called Leonardo-class (original project name) from Fincantieri, Italy to be delivered between 2022 – 2025 with an option for an additional 2 vessels. A year ago, NCL decided to exercise this option and these ships will be delivered in 2026 and 2027. According to NCL, the Prima-class (as the name has been changed to) vessels represent the line’s brand evolution combining their “Guest First” philosophy and its commitment to innovation NCL is known for (NCL started big-ship cruising in 1980 when they took the converted former ss France into service as the ss Norway and later they introduced Freestyle -dining which is dining without fixed seating arrangements, table companions o choice and at the time guests desire, to name just two of them). The name Norwegian Prima relates to this NCL’s long list of firsts in the cruise industry. According to Harry Sommer, CEO of NCL: “during the pandemic, we did not stop working at any moment, instead doubled our effort innovating our brand”.
As NCL states “Norwegian Prima will push the boundaries of contemporary cruising and its “Guests First“principle will result in offering passengers more space, spectacular interior design and world class service. Indeed Norwegian Prima will ofer it passengers the highest space-ratio (e.g. the most outdoor space of any new cruise ship) and highest crew-to passenger ratio in its category.
Although the company does not directly confirm this, with its new class of vessels, NCL is moving its brand upwards to a more premium level. This is clearly reflected in the new developments incorporated in the The Haven part of the ship, actually a “ship within a ship” concept, being the most luxurious accommodations NCL has on offer. The Haven is only key-card accessible by The Haven-guests. Its 107 Haven suites have been relocated aft on Norwegian Prima. Private elevators exclusively reserved for the Haven guests end in the the Haven public spaces area on Decks 16 and 17. In total The Haven covers parts of 8 decks! These now all feature floor-to-ceiling windows, opening the ship up to the sea or the stunning scenery. The former The Haven Courtyard has been changed to The Haven Sundeck, featuring an infinity-pool overlooking the ship’s stern and an outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna. It was interior architect Piero Lissoni who designed The Haven’s Sundeck, louge, bar, restaurant and outdoor spa and sauna.
Norwegian Prima will have the largest variety of suites available on an any existing cruise ship. Among these are the first 3-bedroom suites in the NCL-fleet. In all, there are 35 stateroom grades: Studio’s for single occupancy (no supplement required), Interior – , Oceanview – and Balcony staterooms, all of them the line’s largest ever (the same even applies to the bathroom and showers…) and suite-categories which can be divided into The Haven, Standard and Club Balcony suites (mini-suites) categories. The ship’s top accommodation is the The Haven Premier Owners Suite which can accommodate up to 8 (!) guests. It measures almost 200 square meters and has a wrap around private sundeck of 77 square meters.
Of course one of NCL’s trademarks, the Outside Waterfront has been spectacularly upgraded and has now changed into the the wrap around Ocean Boulevard which covers an astonishing 4,000square meters and is lined with even more eateries overlooking the ocean as well as comfortable seats and cabana’s for relaxing. Added here is the impressive Indulge Food Hall, a market place including no less than 11 different eateries like Q Texas Smokehouse offering South American comfort food, Coco’s serving artisan sweets, and the list continues with Tamara for classic Indian dishes, The Tapas Food Truck for Latin street food while salads made to order can be enjoyed in The Garden Kitchen. Seaside Rotisserie is the place to be for gourmet meals. Nudls brings you noodle-dishes from around the world, classic Latin food is served in the Latin Quarter and to round it off Just Desserts and Just Ice Cream complete the endless possibilities to gain some (possibly a lot. of…) extra weight.
Apart from all culinary choices on Ocean Boulevard, Norwegian Prima has three additional restaurants wth both indoor- and outdoor seating: Onda by Scarpetta which debuted on Norwegian Encore in 2019 and is known for its food with rich and bold tastes, Los Lobos, NCL’s premium Mexican restaurant and the Local Bar & Grill, a classy beach club with live music serving classic American fare.
Also outdoors is the sculpture garden The Concourse with six works of art created by famous artist Alexander Krivosheiw. These installations are a mix of abstract forms and ancient mythology. Artist David Harber has added a gorgeous ‘art wall’. In all NCL has invested 2 million USD in this remarkable garden. Staying outside, the Infinity Beach feataures two infinity pools overlooking the ocean from both sides of the vessel. They are located quite close to sea level, making it a special experience for swimmers. Spectacular are the Oceanwalk glass bridges giving passengers stunning views and the impression they are floating in the air high above the ocean.
Finally to complete the overview of the seemingly endless array of outdoor possibilities on board Norwegian Prima, for those who want some peace and quiet ater a busy day ashore, the open-air lounge La Terraza provides a quiet retreat with great forward facing views.
Norwegian Prima’s inaugural cruise is planned for August 17, 2022. She will depart on 10-day Baltic and Norwegian Fjords cruises from Amsterdam and Copenhagen in August and September and will subsequently sail for New York. From there she will visit Bermuda and via the ABC-Islands in the Caribbean she will end up in Galveston (a first for NCL) followed by an 11-day trip to Miami visiting Bonaire, Curacao and the Bahama’s on the way. From December 2022 until March 2023 Norwegian Prima will cruise the Western Carinbbean and then will relocate back to New York again for 5-7 day trips to Bermuda until May. From May to Sepetember 2023, she will depart on a series of 10- and 11- day cruises to Norway and Icelandic ports homeported in Reykjavik.
