Racing around three decks on racing karts, a virtual reality zone, escape room, competitive darts and even beer pong: there’s so much ship to explore and so many options for action aboard Norwegian Prima you can be busy all day long.
But what if you’re on your cruise to get away from traffic and looking for a quiet place to recharge? Norwegian Cruise Line has you covered there too and has a private island where you can chill out and work on your tan—whether or not you want to go ziplining or navigate ropes courses.
Prima is the first of a big new class of ships scheduled to multiply to six in the years ahead. Here’s a guide to where to find your unique space on ships that have up to 3,200 other guests.
Pick your spot on the promenade deck
If you want to get away from traffic, Deck 8 is the place for you. Also known as the Concourse or Ocean Boulevard it’s a promenade deck around the whole ship that’s about strolling and lounging or dining with sea views.
Let’s start in the middle of the ship. The areas on either side of the ship here are called Infinity Beach, named for their centerpiece wide glass-sided pools. They feature loungers in the sun as well as in the shade that become more popular as the cruise goes on, but you can generally snag a spot even in the afternoon on sea day. Primest of all are the padded sun beds for two, although they can get a mite toasty under the mid-day sun.
You can walk all around the ship on this deck, and while there’s no view at the bow, there’s a glass-floored Ocean Walk, a see-through walkway eight decks above the ocean waves rolling along the hull of the ship.
The quietest zone for contemplation is on the starboard side of Deck 8 outside the photo gallery and shops, where a number of giant art installations compete for attention, although there’s very little seating in that area. Near the front are some interesting banquette seating zones that feature high powered binoculars at the rails to use for wildlife spotting or scanning the horizon for land. The area is one of the quietest places on the ship.
The Indulge food hall in the aft of the ship inside also has a wide variety of outdoor seating on the deck as well, including hanging basket chairs so you can order food and get the fresh air and view. A serve-yourself bar with wine and beer on tap is cheekily called Hydrate.
A cool one at the Vibe Beach Club
One of those ship-within-a-ship experiences, Vibe Beach Club is an extra -cost zone on Deck 17 with a circular bar and a small waterfall to create a relaxing tone to the space. The bar has some of the most personable mixologists on the ship and there’s a deck furnished with padded lounge chairs and day beds big enough for two. There are hot tubs and infinity plunge pools along the sides of the deck exclusively for Vibe guests.
It’s a getaway that requires commitment. Day passes go for $99 per person, but you can get a full week pass for $209 a person that gives you more flexibility, particularly on sea days when it tends to be busiest. But the number of passes sold is limited, to keep the area uncrowded. You can’t purchase passes before you board and they’re sold on a first-come, first served basis at Guest Services, so the best strategy is to set up your stay as soon as you board the ship.
An elite day at Great Stirrup Cay
OK, we all want to get off the ship and onto a lounge chair for the highlight of most cruises out of Florida’s east coast: a day at Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island in the Bahamas.
But ironically, it could be a good idea to get a group together to create the most personal experience. That’s because even though there are a lot of options on this island, the quietest beaches and most relaxing places to lounge are in an exclusive extra-price zone called Silver Cove and it can make sense to share the cost with friends.
There are 38 private villas for rent, ranging from studios to family suites. Day rentals for studios that can be shared with up to six people are priced from $299. Multi-bedroom villas for up to 10 people are priced from $899 a day. So, divvying up the price makes it no more expensive than a shore excursion on any other island.
Each villa is air conditioned, and has a full bathroom, and comes with water and fresh fruit and snacks such as nachos and dip and an attendant who will deliver drinks. Admission includes a beach umbrella and lounge chairs next to the water’s edge and admission to the upscale Silver Cove buffet. There’s even TV with complimentary on-demand movies if you for some reason don’t want to enjoy the ocean view.
Not every drink on the island is included in shipboard beverages package, though. The Moet & Chandon bar that’s exclusive to Silver Cove guests features Champagnes that run up to $30 a glass. Activities are also extra and an experience called Swim with the Pigs costs $139, zipline prices start at about $60 and you can buy a combo to do ziplines and ropes courses that cross the island. You can also sign up for spa treatments at Silver Cove’s Mandara Spa that are priced the same as they would be on the ship.
Those who book Silver Cove villas don’t need to worry about bringing towels and water from the ship and there is a private golf cart shuttle to the area. And the Cove features its own dedicated and more upscale lunch buffet. However, for an exclusive amenity, the buffet was extremely busy on the day we visited and seating was limited. Even at 1:30 there was a 15-minute line to get to start loading a plate for what turned out to be a really excellent lunch.
Some of the delay was due to the fact many of the food options were being freshly made. The shrimp and sliders disappeared quickly and people waited for the next batch to be finished. In the future, it might be a better idea to try dividing the lines between simple salads and burgers and more exotic fare.
When we finally did sit down with a plate of goodies and a nice chardonnay, it was an idyllic lunch.
Another glitch on the day at Great Stirrup Cay is that the tenders for the trip to the island– which the cruise line owns and operates—didn’t seem to be able to meet the demand. Our tender group that was called at 9 a.m. was still waiting in the theater at 10 and later groups were told to wait at least half an hour before coming back for their delayed arrival at the island. No particular explanation or apologies were offered. We chalked it off to a technical issue, as we were the only ship visiting the island that day and there seemed to be many tenders tied up ashore that weren’t running. Once we were on the island, though, the experience was fantastic.
No matter whether you’re looking for action or relaxation, you can find it on Norwegian Prima.
Prima is calling Galveston home for winter cruises to Costa Maya and Belize and Honduras, including a day at Norwegian’s private island at Harvest Caye, Belize. In spring and summer of 2024, the ship will sail between Southampton and Reykjavik.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
