Norwegian Cruise Line revealed design details about its new Norwegian Prima, the first of six new ships within the new Prima Class (formerly Project Leonardo).
Tip: Norwegian Prima's cruises begin in summer 2022, and those voyages opened for sale this week.
Size-wise, Norwegian Prima will be 965 feet long, 142,500 gross tons and able to accommodate 3,215 guests at double occupancy. The first new ship series for Norwegian in more than a decade, Prima Class will offer more wide open spaces as well as new experiences. See below for more details about the new eight-deck aft Haven complex, a new Indulge Food Hall and a much larger Waterfront.
"We doubled down on our brand investment in order to deliver unforgettable guest experiences that go well beyond expectations," says Harry Sommer, the line's president and CEO, calling the introduction of Prima Class "the start of an exciting new chapter."
Innovative Spaces
Norwegian says the new ship will offer the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in either the contemporary and premium segments.
Built in Marghera, Italy by Fincantieri, Norwegian Prima will have striking hull artwork designed by Italian graffiti artist Manuel Di Rita, known commonly as "Peeta." For the first time on any Norwegian vessel, the captivating hull art extends to the ship's forward superstructure. Architects who helped design Norwegian Prima include Italian designer Piero Lissoni and powerhouse architectural firms Rockwell Group, SMC Design, Tillberg Design of Sweden, YSA DESIGN and Miami-based Studio DADO, which designed restaurants, staterooms and public areas.
"The name Prima, which means 'first' in Italian, is a natural fit that ties into our legacy of firsts in the industry and a fitting tribute to our new Italian shipbuilding partners at Fincantieri," adds Sommer.
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, says: "Norwegian Prima marks the beginning of our collaboration, which will see the delivery of six next-generation vessels that are designed to take guest experiences to a new level focusing on elevated, spacious and thoughtful design. As we emerge from this global crisis, this announcement marks a strong sign of hope for the cruise sector..."
Design Highlights
Norwegian Prima will offer the largest variety of suite categories available at sea with 13 suite categories. The ship will also have the largest three-bedroom suites of any new cruise ship. Norwegian adds that the ship will also have the line's largest inside, oceanview and balcony staterooms, as well as the largest bathrooms and showers for standard stateroom categories.
In addition, Norwegian Prima will offer the most outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship, including more total pool deck space than any other ship in NCL's fleet. The new ship will have multiple infinity pools and extensive outdoor walkways.
Bigger, Enhanced Haven
The Haven by Norwegian, the line's ultra-premium, ship-within-a-ship concept, will encompass eight decks of suites and public areas. Norwegian Prima's keycard-only exclusive access complex is introducing some "firsts," too.
For the first time, the cruise line relocated all 107 Haven suites aft (to the rear of the ship) within close proximity of private elevators exclusively reserved for Haven guests. These elevators rise directly into The Haven public areas on decks 16 and 17.
The Haven's design is also been tweaked, so the complex is more open to the sea than ever before. For the first time, every public area in The Haven will have sea and destination views.
The Haven Courtyard on Norwegian Prima will be been transformed into an expansive Haven Sundeck with a new infinity pool overlooking the ship's wake. A new outdoor spa will offer a glass-walled sauna and cold room.
All public areas and suites in The Haven have been designed by Piero Lissoni.
Larger Waterfront, New Food Hall
Norwegian has doubled the space for The Waterfront and added more experiences and dining options, including a new Ocean Boulevard. Located on deck eight, the 44,000-square-foot-long boulevard will wrap around the entire deck.
One new experience that will be introduced on Ocean Boulevard is the Indulge Food Hall, Norwegian's first upscale open-air marketplace with indoor and outdoor seating. Guests will be able to order diverse menu items from a variety of culinary venues. as well as a mix of indoor and outdoor seating.
The food hall's 11 venues will include such favorites as Coco’s, Q Texas Smokehouse and Starbucks, plus these new venues:
- Seaside Rotisserie, offering a wide array of rotisserie-cooked dishes
- Nudls, an emporium serving noodle dishes from around the world, from Italian to Thai cuisines
- Tamara, preparing classic Indian dishes and multiple vegetarian food options
- The Latin Quarter, serving classic Latin food with a twist
- Tapas Food Truck, cooking elevated Spanish-inspired street food
- Garden Kitchen, where guest can order customized salads with more than two dozen ingredients to choose from
- Just Desserts, featuring classic dessert items such as pies and cakes
- Just Ice Cream serving all guest favorite ice cream flavors and other decadent creations
Adding to the culinary offerings available on Norwegian Prima’s Ocean Boulevard, the site will have indoor and outdoor seating at Onda By Scarpetta, Los Lobos and The Local Bar & Grill.
Other "firsts" for the brand at Ocean Boulevard will include The Concourse, an outdoor sculpture garden with art wall designed by artist David Harber and six installations with mythological theming designed by Alexander Krivosheiw. Seven sculptures, valued at over $2 million, will offer stunning effects that change as the sun sets.
Guests can relax at Infinity Beach, which will offer two infinity pools, one on each side of the ship and close to the ocean surface. Two new Oceanwalk glass bridges will give guests the sense they're walking on air over the water. La Terraza, an open-air lounge, will serve as a quaint retreat that's a good spot for forward-facing sea views.
New Itineraries
Between August 17, 2022 and September 13, 2022, Norwegian Prima will sail a series of eight-day voyages from Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Copenhagen, Denmark; those will take guests to northern Europe, the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic region.
On September 23, 2022, Norwegian Prima will depart from Southampton, U.K. on a 12-day transatlantic voyage visiting Lerwick, Scotland with an overnight in Reykjavik, Iceland, before arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and ending the journey in New York.
Then, Norwegian Prima will sail a five-day itinerary roundtrip from New York to Bermuda, departing October 10, 2022. On October15, 2022, the ship will depart from New York on a 12-day open-jaw Caribbean itinerary, and for the first time for Norwegian, the ship will visit Galveston, TX. Other calls on that Caribbean itinerary will include Willemstad, Curacao; Kralendijk, Bonaire; and Oranjestad, Aruba, with nine to 10 hours of port time.
On October 31, 2022, Norwegian Prima will begin a Caribbean season departing from Galveston, TX, to Miami on an 11-day itinerary. Calls will include Willemstad, Curacao; Kralendijk, Bonaire, and the company's recently enhanced private island Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.
Between November 19 and December 3, 2022, Norwegian Prima will sail from Miami offering three, seven-day western Caribbean cruises visiting Harvest Caye, the company's private resort destination in Belize, in addition to calls at Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan Island, Honduras.
From December 11, 2022, to March 19, 2023, Norwegian Prima will homeport in Port Canaveral, FL, sailing 15 roundtrip western Caribbean voyages. Those five-, seven-, and nine-day itineraries will call at such destinations as Cozumel, Mexico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, and Great Stirrup Cay.
Between March 28, 2023 and May 7, 2023, the new ship will sail a mini-season of five and mostly seven-day roundtrip Bermuda voyages from New York. The ship will call at Norfolk, Virginia, and also sail to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda, for either a one- or two-night overnight stay.
The ship will then spend spring and summer 2023 in northern Europe, sailing 10- and 11-day Norway and Iceland sailings from Reykjavik, Iceland, and Southampton, U.K.
For more information about Norwegian Cruise Line, visit www.ncl.com.
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