The first ship in Norwegian Cruise Line's long-awaited Prima class officially debuts today
Editor’s note: TPG’s Gene Sloan accepted a free trip from Norwegian Cruise Line to attend the unveiling of Norwegian Prima. The opinions expressed below are entirely his and weren’t subject to review by the line.
Norwegian Cruise Line is just hours away from unveiling an all-new class of ships — its first in nearly a decade.
The world's fourth-largest cruise brand will officially christen its new 3,100-passenger Norwegian Prima this evening at a gala ceremony along the waterfront of Reykjavik, Iceland. The vessel then will set off from Reykjavik on its first sailing with passengers, an eight-night trip to Amsterdam that includes stops in Ireland, England and France.
Under development since 2017, Norwegian Prima is the first of six sister vessels scheduled to debut between 2022 and 2027 that collectively will be known as the Prima class.
The series is destined to massively expand Norwegian's footprint in the cruise business and, if all goes according to plan, significantly transform the brand. The line currently operates 17 vessels around the world. Assuming it doesn't retire any of its older ships over the next few years, it will grow to 23 ships by 2027 with the addition of the six Prima class vessels.
That's a 35% increase in its fleet size in just five years.
Norwegian is notably pulling out all the stops today to celebrate the arrival of the new class with a christening party in Reykjavik featuring a performance by pop star Katy Perry. Perry also will serve as the godmother of the vessel, presiding over an official bottle breaking against its hull.
It'll be the first time a major cruise ship has been christened in Iceland but not the first time Norwegian has signed on a well-known musician to name a ship. Other performers asked to serve as godparents for Norwegian Cruise Line ships in recent years have included Kelly Clarkson (Norwegian Encore), Pitbull (Norwegian Escape) and Reba McIntire (Norwegian Epic).
At 143,535 tons, Norwegian Prima is notably smaller than the vessels Norwegian has been adding to its fleet in recent years. The line's last new ship, the 2019-built Norwegian Encore, was about 18% bigger than Norwegian Prima at 169,116 tons.
Norwegian executives have said the smaller size of the ship and its future sister vessels would give the line more options in designing itineraries, as the vessels would be able to access smaller ports around the world than some of the bigger Norwegian ships can.
Related: The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line
Despite its smaller size, Norwegian Prima still packs a lot of over-the-top amenities onto its top decks and interior spaces, including a go-kart track that spreads over three decks (a cruise industry first). Norwegian first put a go-kart track on a ship in 2017 and now has them on four vessels. Dismissed as gimmicky at first by some cruise writers, Norwegian's go-kart tracks have proven to be huge hits with families, a big market for the line.
Norwegian Prima also boasts The Rush and The Drop, 10-story dry slides that are aimed at families. The line says the slides will provide more G-force than an accelerating F1 racecar.
Additionally, the vessel is home to an innovative, three-deck theater with movable seats that allow it to convert into a Las Vegas-style nightclub. The versatile space also can be reconfigured to become a venue for interactive, real-life game shows, including at-sea versions of “The Price Is Right,” “Supermarket Sweep,” “Press Your Luck” and “Beat the Clock.”
Still, Norwegian Prima is about more than flashy entertainment and activities. It also marks a more upscale turn for the line. Norwegian Prima offers the largest variety of suite categories (13) for a large ocean ship, as well as the largest three-bedroom suites of any new cruise vessel. It also has the brand’s largest-ever inside, oceanview and balcony cabins.
Among other standout features, Norwegian Prima also is billed as having the most outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship including more total pool deck space than any other ship in the Norwegian fleet.
Norwegian Prima initially will sail in Northern Europe before repositioning to North America in the fall. Fares start at $885 per person, not including taxes and fees, for seven-night Caribbean cruises.
TPG's Gene Sloan will be reporting live from Norwegian Prima over the coming days as it sails from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Amsterdam on a non-revenue preview voyage for media and travel agents. You can find all of his dispatches on his author’s page.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.