My NCL Prima Review for 2022
Hi everyone,
I just returned from the inaugural cruise of the NCL Prima, and boy, it was something. It has been over a decade since I’ve been on anything other than a river cruise ship. The change in big ships is nothing short of spectacular.
The Prima is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. The ship has a very “wide open” design that makes it feel very spacious and bright. The décor is Scandinavian, so the words “simple clean lines, pale colors, minimalistic” seem to apply here. Excellent lighting, which is hugely important.
Our balcony cabin was very comparable to my favorite river cruise cabins. Roomy (as much as cruise cabins can be), lots of storage, very nicely arranged bathrooms.
The food onboard is excellent. With more restaurants than I can count that are included with your cruise fare, and a few “premium” dining options that were phenomenal, you will gain ten pounds before you’ve lowered your fork.
The restaurants themselves were beautifully decorated and thoughtfully laid out. All had different themes, and none felt lack-luster. The attention to detail and originality of each restaurant area was impressive.
The staff were amazing. There were a few hit and miss staff members but given the high number of interactions we had with staff, I thought they were excellent. One thing the staff accomplished that surprised me. They managed to make me feel like I was special, that I was not just another of the 3000 passengers onboard. The service felt very personalized.
The pools, what can I say? As with every big ship cruise I have ever been on, the pools were gorgeous but inadequate. Just not enough. Small, crowded, I never put on my bathing suit.
Activities-pretty much everything I was interested in doing involved an extra charge. Some were very minimal, $15 per person. Some were much more. The Arcade area had some absolutely wonderful experiences, but a family of four could easily drop $1000 in there during their cruise of one week.
Because our cruise was only four nights long, we had a little difficulty getting into the shows and specialty dining venues. We did manage to get reservations at the French restaurant, and it was absolutely delicious. My steak was two inches thick, I cut it with my fork, and even have the video to prove it. The escargot was the best I’ve ever eaten.
The included shows were spectacular. We attended the Improv Show and the Noise show. I thoroughly enjoyed both.
The casino was huge and seemed to be very popular each and every night.
The gift shops were not as prominent nor as aggressively pushed as I remember from cruises in the past.
All in all, the Prima is a win. A big win. Her itineraries, especially in Europe, are irresistible. Please give us a call or shoot me an email if you’d like to know more.