REVIEW OF THE NCL PRIMA âïž NEW DESIGN | NEW LAYOUT đą
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 1. 07. 2024
- The Norwegian Prima has a unique ship design and guests are torn. We finally had the privilege to try it out for ourselves.
In this video I'll go over the controversial aspects as well as it's beauty.
Please help out my channel by "liking" the video and consider SUBSCRIBING to my channel. đ„°
SOME OF MY CRUISE FAVORITES!!
Packing Cubes amzn.to/3uA3IJf
Toiletry Bag amzn.to/3kgTXKt
Air Tags amzn.to/3uQfzmg
Travel Backpack amzn.to/4bZjk9Y
Sea Bands amzn.to/3UNKo5F
Cross Body Bag amzn.to/3SOdpf1
Magnet Hooks amzn.to/42OeZSA
Luggage Scale amzn.to/3kyw15c
Over the Door Shoe Rack amzn.to/42N0miB
Towel Bands amzn.to/3X9dKKh
Aloe amzn.to/3T5mr8J
Water Shoes amzn.to/3wsEhdb
Other favorites from previous videos:
Sunlight Clock amzn.to/3w130S9
Perfume Bottles amzn.to/3QEA2AV
Portable Charger w/ Cables amzn.to/49rql1r
Electronics Holder amzn.to/3XsIci5
Jewelry Holder amzn.to/3ZxRF9E
First Aid Kit amzn.to/49CId9y
FUN FAMILY GAMES!!
Cover Your Assets amzn.to/3CN2iMh
Skip Bo amzn.to/3iGpdBR
Five Crowns amzn.to/3OUFmR0 (our new FAVORITE)
Sink Suds amzn.to/49PdCFP
Live YOUR destined journey if you're not already and may God bless you always!
We sailed on the Prima this past January 2024 and we LOVED it and would not hesitate to sail her again! Yes, the layout of the ship is different from the "classic" cruise ship design, but I actually enjoyed how the ship made each space unique, intimate and distinctive. You really did hit the nail on the head regarding the positives versus the negatives about the Prima. The entire ship was modern, chic, contemporary and each space was thoughtful and very inviting. I believe NCL purposefully made most of the venues smaller in order to better disperse passengers throughout the ship, which, for the most part, they were successful in. The only venues that seemed overly crowded were the pool and surrounding area (yes, the pool is much too small for a ship that size, but we're not sun worshippers and can partake or pass on a pool depending on the size of the crowd, so it was no big deal to us), as well as the buffet, which again was much too small for a ship that size (and again, we are not buffet people, so we didn't mind at all). The atrium could become crowded if there was music or activities, but we just avoided the atrium during those times as well. Otherwise, each of the dining rooms and their food was excellent, and the staterooms incredibly comfortable, spacious and well appointed, especially the bathroom. We enjoyed all of the outdoor spaces (the ship was most definitely designed to sail in warmer weather cruises in order to take advantage of all the outdoor spaces) and even though our cruise was sold out, it never felt too crowded or overwhelming. Regarding the two dry slides, we tried both and had a blast...literally! We FLEW down the slides with no issues (getting stuck) and felt like kids again each time we slid down! Just like you, our favorite bar was the Belvedere Bar. Its location was tucked away and gave off a cozy vibe, perfect for that nightcap before adjourning for the evening. We also loved Hudson's (the larger of the two main dining rooms) with its wrap around windows looking out at the sea, the Indulge Food Hall, as well as two specialty restaurants: Food Republic and Onda by Scarpetta -- if you sail on the Prima, do not miss these wonderful restaurants (Cagney's Steak House also deserves an honorable mention)! Last, but not least, I also believe that NCL designed Prima to appeal to a different demographic and those passengers with young children may want to choose another NCL ship, such as those from its "Breakaway" and "Breakaway Plus" class, which cater to young families and young adults with its many age-appropriate activities (water slides, laser tag, arcade, etc.). To be honest, that's what I like about NCL -- they offer many different styles and sizes of ships that appeal more to certain demographics. I recently discovered your channel and have enjoyed you sharing your insights and perspective -- I look forward to your future content!
Thanks so much! I am not a buffet fan either and loved the Food Hall as an amazing alternative! As a bonus we could order and dine outside. I booked the newest of the fleet, the Aqua launching next April and so excited since they finally eliminated the go karts. â€ïžâ€ïžâ€ïž
@@DestinedJourney We're booked on the NCL Aqua too! We are sailing to Bermuda from NYC in September 2025. Like you, we are thrilled that NCL did away with the go karts on Aqua as well. Sadly, I did see that Aqua will not offer Food Republic as one of their specialty restaurants, however from what I understand, they are expanding Indulge Food Hall, so maybe some of Food Republic's plates will be offered in Indulge Food Hall? We sure hope so! Thanks again for your review of NCL Prima -- she deserves way more love than she gets! Regards, Todd in Greenville
Just got off the Prima, had a great time. The indulge food hall and food republic are innovative venues. Palamar seafood restaurant is fantastic. I think people are giving the ship a bad rap because the layout is different and new. We were on an Iceland, to Southampton cruise and the weather was such that they only were able to use the outside seating venues one day, never had trouble getting a seat to eat.
Would sail the Prima or Viva without hesitation.
@@richwielechowski5191 I agree with your assessment of the NCL Prima, Rich. Granted, Prima is not going to be for everyone, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time on her and like you, we wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again or her sister ship, Viva. Happy cruising, sir!
My husband and I sailed on the Prima this January 2024, and really liked it. Yes it is sort of a choppy layout, but once you got use to it, it was fine. I agree, the buffet was way too small. We really enjoyed The Local the best. It was a little chilly so we never tried to find lounge chairs or worried about getting into the pools. Our standard balcony room was great and the bathrooms were so much larger and nicer than any of the other cruise ships and cruise lines we've been on. We personally appreciated the non-smoking casino. You are also right about the main Starbucks. Because of the way it's laid out we didn't get around to everything so both agree we would sail on the Prima again.
Yea the Local was so good on the Prima!!! That was our favorite lunch spot and a great way to avoid the buffet. đ
I love the Prima for the most part. I was on the first 3 open to the Public. The food was so good. The venue was way too small. Never went to Syd Norman. Did go to the Comedy Club. Was always on the waitlist. The Theater was big. The show in the Theater was Great.
I agree about the small venues on all NCL mega ships. It's disappointing and we don't go to those either.
I was on the Sun and the Jewel in October and November. The Venue was big especially the Gym. I went to Stretch and Abs class every day and didnât have to get there early. Iâm going either on repositioning or older ships they must cheaper.
@@rodneyscales2648 Weâve been really loving the smaller ships. The Jewel was our first NCL cruise back in 2018. We took the Sun to Alaska last year and LOVED it!
I was on the Prima a year ago (April 2023) from NYC to Bermuda. During Spring break, with 1,200 kids on board. It was still cold when we left NYC but beautiful in Bermuda, at least for sightseeing. We did not go to any beaches. Because of the number of kids on board we didn't get to try any pools (main pool deck or infinity pools on deck 8) because they were constantly packed with kids. We had a very spacious Ocean View room on deck 5 that I loved. Because the weather was cooler, we spent most of our time on decks 6-7-8 and being on deck 5 meant we didn't have to deal with elevators. I didn't mind the layout of the ship and found it easy to get around. We did sometimes have to hunt for a table in Indulge but managed to find one, even if it meant it had just been vacated and was full of dirty dishes. A crew member would come by and clean it off quickly. We were also able to find some out of the way places that were quiet and had seating. I really liked the Prima and would sail on her again but not during any school break. The number of kids was overwhelming and the teenagers (at least one pack we saw over & over) were especially obnoxious on my cruise.
We went during Spring Break as well but I promise you, once the kids age out we will NOT be going on Spring break. I always prefer late January or February because prices are great and itâs usually toasty warm in the Caribbean. Iâm excited for the âAquaâ (newest sister ship launching next year). Theyâre ditching the go karts so Iâm hoping itâll be a step up from
The Prima/ Viva.
@@DestinedJourney My sister worked in the schools (she just retired) so our time to cruise was limited to when she/schools were on break. Our first "mostly adult" cruise was last October, New England/Canada, and we loved it. I do think NCL designed this class of ships with adults in mind, but if it's the only NCL ship available in your port (NYC in my case) when you want to cruise, then families will go on it no matter what is or isn't available for the kids. NYC does get the other lines as well but many people are loyal to just one.
Yes! February or October-November may be the ideal months to go. The crowds / kids can really impact your enjoyment of a cruise
@@poodlebone So true! Our kids are 16 & 17 so weâre almost where you are with Spring Break in the rear view window. đ€Ł
I am really enjoying your review. It feels very balanced. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for your kind words! â€ïž
Thank you for this video. Me and my husband are going on the Norwegian prima. in November the end of November. Iâm not looking forward to it but he is because he wants to sell on the Prima. Iâm loyal to Royal Caribbean but to compromise this time and this video really helped me a lot because I was really nervous about going on here. I heard so many bad reviews, thank you againđ
Thanks for watching! đ Have you been on any NCL ship before?
Are you doing the November 2024 TransAtlantic cruise? We are on Prima for 26 nights including the TransAtlantic!
The only way the "Prima" could possibly be NCL's worst-rated cruise ship would be if people had never been on the Norwegian "Sun." On our ill-fated Alaska trip, that old rustbucket constantly made strange noises like we've never heard on any other ships; it ran later and later to each port, got stuck in Glacier Bay for an hour, and arrived 10 hours late into Seattle (requiring new airline reservations) after making only a perfunctory stop in Victoria without letting passengers off. And all week long the wind whistled through our balcony door until finally the sealed it with duct tape. Seriously. I took a picture of it! At least they compensated us with $1000 in future cruise credit. Two weeks later, the same ship hit an iceberg. So don't try and tell me the "Prima" is worse than that.
đ€Ł Now THAT sounds rough. We cruised to Alaska on the Sun last year and didnât have quite the same experience. Iâm glad to hear NCL compensated you.
@@DestinedJourney Other than the "Sun," we've had very good experiences with NCL and in fact we have used them MANY times. I felt like the captain of the "Sun" on our voyage simply wasn't very good; I mean, our balcony was midships and I watched him churn up the water for an hour in Glacier Bay with the ends of the ship going back and forth without actually moving in Glacier Bay. But everybody's experience could be different. And we DID appreciate being compensated for the balcony. That's one thing NCL does well, they take care of you. We haven't tried the "Prima" yet, but I really find it hard to believe it could be the "worst" in their fleet.
@@johnsimion2893 oh gosh it is definitely NOT the worst. Iâd argue itâs one of the best! I think people just struggle with change and those are the people writing negative reviews on cruise critic.
We did 16 nights on NCL Sun this past November 2023... not much to do on the ship, choppy layout and too small. The crew was great and the customer service was fantastic as we enjoyed the interaction with the crew.
Thank you for this. Did you happen to check out the gym or exercise classes?
Did I not put the gym on this video? đ€Ł It was small and you had to walk through the spa to get to it. (very odd) Here's a link to my Prima Ship Tour video.czcams.com/video/mVuFrSf7Qpk/video.html
Appreciate this review. TY. My son will be 10 if we go. Are there enough activities for him as they don't have a traditional arcade , bowling , air hockey, basketball/soccer court or more than 1 water slide. Thank you
My kids starting cruising when they were 8/9 and they really enjoyed the kids club activities. There are definitely more âkid friendlyâ NCL ships with ropes course, several water slides etc so it really just depends on the kids and what they enjoy.
7 days on the ship and I thought I explored E V E R Y T H I N G!
Never found/noticed the Soleil bar đđ
Sounds like you'll have to go back!!! lol!
We just got off of the Prima in February- loved it & making our video now. Was your cruise in March? I can really tell a difference from your top deck videos of the crowds. We had no lines for water slide & sun deck usually still had room on sea days, even tho fully booked cruise. (Higher mix of retirees for us vs. Low kids low family %.) It all makes sense but interesting the difference 1 month makes
Yes we cruised during Spring Break.
Of all of the cruise ships youâve been on, what would you say are your top 3 FAVES?!
Thatâs difficult because they all have positive and negative aspects. Iâve also noticed I change my mind. Lol!
I would say for families with kids the Escape is my favorite. There is so much for the kids to do that doesnât cost extra like the ropes course, rock wall, awesome water slides etc. The Bliss is very nice but too much space is used for âextra payâ things like the go karts and laser tag.
Recently my husband and I sailed on the much smaller Sky and Sun. Not as many venues to chose from but it never felt crowded like the larger ships and we enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere.
I can say my worst rated NCL ship is the Epic for 2 reasons. The ceilings are low so everything felt closed in and there was not much outdoor space which is what we love about NCL ships.
Did u go on the march 29-April 5th sailing
I did not. We were the week just prior.
BLISS JEWEL STAR
Both extremes! Do you prefer large and new or older and small?
Just sailed that Prima did not like it. As an avid cruise, it's not the ship for me. It gave you hotel vibes, not cruise vibes. The venues were small in some spaces. I felt like I was sitting in a basement with no windows like the Metropolitan. There weren't many places you could sit and just look out at the water. The atrium was too small and to have to put out folding chairs was a little ghetto to me. You could not see the stage from the upper levels of the stream.
I will be cruising on the Jewel later this year, which was updated in 2022 it seems as though it gives you cruising vibes.
The Jewel was our first cruise!! Weâve grown to love the older smaller ships. Enjoy!!
Your commentary about the extra prices for activities kids love really understated how very, very pricey those activities are. It will break the bank of any budget. Similat activities on Royal Caribbean are at no extra charge. $15 for one 8 minute drive of the speedway cars will hardly satisfy any kid. $20 pp for mini golf? Our reaction was âNcl has lost touch with reality.â. It is misleading to say the costs are avoidable by not using and them and then suggest the basic cruise price is lessâŠIt is most definitely not lower priced that similar lines. We are definitely in the worst ship idea camp. AVOID the disappointment you will have and choose another cruise company.
Things have changed ALOT! They have all increased prices in different ways or downgraded food quality etc. To be honest itâs been difficult for me to compare value from line to line due to SO many changes. We always love NCL and more than likely because itâs really familiar. Weâre going on Celebrity for the first time in a couple weeks and Iâm wondering if thereâs better value with Princess/ Celebrity etcâŠ..
We just got back from 20+ days on what we were sure was the WORST rated ship the NCL EPIC. This back to back cruise was an EPIC failure. Dark Dingy...NO WHERE TO SIT....cabins a total failure ...food meh...unless you ate in the Shaghai that we loved. After about 30 lifetime sailings this was total waste of time and money 2 things you never can get back!!đą
The Epic is the one ship I would never sail again. My guess is the people who rates Prima so low have not sailed on the Epic.
@@DestinedJourney RIGHT...!!!!
Just a quick pointâŠ
I am embarrassed to admit that I DID NOT REALIZE THAT DONNA SUMMER HAD PASSED AGES AGO!
And the DONNA SUMMER show was âvirtualâ
Also: WHO THE HELL WANTS TO SEE PRICE IS RIGHT or DEAL OR NO DEAL as a âshowâI see those shows when Iâm home sick from work (T.P.I.R.) if ya know ya know. I still had fun, but in terms of entertainment 0-10
Don't be embarrassed, I JUST found out. Didn't even know on the ship.đ€Ș I actually wanted to see Price is Right just because I grew up with that show and was interested to see the reenactment if the various games but dinner took long and we missed it. I heard it wasn't great and more of a "money grab" so I wasn't too disappointed.