This spring break, my boyfriend and I decided to take to the seas on our first week-long cruise on NCL’s newest cruise ship – The Norwegian Prima! In this detailed review, I’ll delve into every aspect of this luxurious cruise experience, from embarkation to disembarkation and everything in between. Let’s sail!

Galveston, TX Port and Boarding Process

Getting to Galveston, TX

The Prima has been on a rotating schedule since it started sailing, leaving multiple cities along the U.S. coast. We chose to hop on at the Galveston, TX port as it’s closest to home. Getting to the port is not difficult. The confirmation email you receive gives you an address to the port and a GPS takes you right to where you need to be.

Parking

Also shown on the above Google map, are the port parking locations. Parking at the port was $145 per vehicle for the week. We didn’t explore other options as we only saw 2 lots priced the same. When you pull into the lot, they print you a receipt.

Advice: Do not put your parking receipt on the dash. When you return, the sun will have bleached it and you will not be able to leave the lot. It does not have to be displayed so just put it somewhere safe.

Once parked, there’s a free shuttle bus to bring you and your luggage to the port. Tips accepted.

Norwegian Prima Embarkation Process

Upon arrival, the efficient boarding process ensures minimal wait times, allowing you to step aboard the Norwegian Prima swiftly. There is an abundance of staff checking cruisers in and going through security was very quick. The staff inside were friendly, and welcoming, and had an exciting energy about them. The process was the least stressful I’ve ever experienced.

Cruise Accommodation Options

After boarding, settle into your home away from home in one of Norwegian Prima’s exquisite staterooms. Designed with comfort and elegance in mind, each accommodation offers a retreat-like ambiance, perfect for unwinding after a day of exploration. I was so impressed with the small touches that made our room feel like home.

There are a variety of stateroom categories, including spacious suites and cozy interiors, rooms with balconies, and interior rooms without. All are equipped with modern amenities and thoughtful touches. Whether you prefer a private balcony with breathtaking ocean views or a cozy interior cabin, rest assured that your comfort is prioritized on the Norwegian Prima.

Inside Stateroom Review

In the past, my boyfriend and I have always had rooms on the exterior with a balcony and gorgeous view. When discussing which room we wanted to book, we decided we weren’t really in our rooms much at all and we’d rather save that extra money to put toward other things so we went with an interior room for the first time.

The room was beautiful and had more space and storage than I imagined (even after scouring the internet for images before we left).

For storage, the room had:

• 2 closets with hang space and 2 drawers each.
• A vanity with a drawer and 3 shelves.
• A dresser with a mini-fridge, 2 deep drawers, and three shelves.
• The bathroom had 3 shelves, under-sink storage, and a drawer.
• 2 bedside tables with drawers and a shelf.
• Space under the bed to place suitcases and other items.

In addition to impressive storage, there were multiple lighting variations throughout the room, a full-length mirror, and 2 large mirrors for getting ready. The shower came equipped with a clothesline for hanging swimsuits to dry, which I thought was genius!

After spending a week in the interior room, we decided we really liked it. We didn’t feel the sea as much and the room got pitch black, dark at night which allowed us to sleep well and until our bodies were completely rested. We had more than enough space for two people and were happy with our decision.

The Haven

Ahhh The Haven… the talk of the ship.

Hidden away at the top of the ship is “The Haven”, an exclusive enclave with the ship’s most luxurious, well-appointed, and spacious accommodations. Complete with the personal service of a concierge and a round-the-clock, 24-hour butler. The Haven includes a private restaurant, sundeck, and infinity pool only accessible by Haven members for more private and VIP-type cruising.

If you’re looking to splurge and travel in luxury the Haven is an experience you’ll want to look into!

Norwegian Prima Ship Floorplan

I don’t have much cruise ship experience to draw on, but navigating the Norwegian Prima was a little confusing for me. I’d often get off the elevator and forget which way I needed to go or have to figure out where I was. Not only that, but to access some of the deck spaces or lounges, you’d have to cut through dining facilities which was a bit awkward.

Thankfully, there were interactive digital screens next to all the elevators that would provide exceptional direction to any place you wanted to go. I had to use the digital screens and the NCL app to navigate the ship throughout the entire week.

Onboard Dining Options

Norwegian is known for having exceptional dining options onboard prepared by a series of talented, international chefs.

The specialty dining options come at a cost, but most packages include at least one dinner. There are eight specialty restaurants onboard (which seems about 3 too many if you ask me), but allows for a full cultural experience.

The eight specialty options onboard the Norwegian Prima include:

• Food Republic (asian-latin cuisine)
• Cagney’s Steakhouse
• Hasuki (Japanese cuisine)
• Le Bistro (French cuisine)
• Los Cobos (Mexican cuisine)
• Nama Sushi & Sashimi
• Onda by Scarpetta (Italian cuisine)
• Palomar (Mediterranean cuisine)

We chose to dine in at Cagney’s Steakhouse for our specialty meal and I enjoyed a surf and turf plate complete with steak, potatoes, and lobster tail. The staff was professional, attentive, and created an upscale restaurant vibe through their uniforms, wine selection, and food presentation.

For a more casual dining experience, enjoy a variety of options, at no extra cost, throughout the ship. Not only are these spaces open to all, but they are still so stunning!

• Surfside Cafe (a daily buffet serving breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• The Local Bar & Grille (serving classic pub fare for lunch and late-night)
• Indulge Food Hall (cafeteria-like food hall with a variety of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Hudson’s (a more upscale option with a view overlooking the sea open for breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• The Commodore Room (serving the same menu as Hudson’s with a similar, upscale, fine-dining feel)

I don’t know what’s up with fancy restaurants always keeping the lighting so low, but it makes it very difficult to get good food pictures. Apologies for the low-quality. I promise you, the food was high-quality!!

Ship Entertainment

Opt-in Entertainment Onboard

If you’re worried about getting bored on a week-long cruise, consider all the onboard options the Norwegian Prima offers.

Water slides, dry slides, a three-level go-cart race track, a virtual realty gaming area, put-put-golf, a darts lounge, and a section with water pong, ping pong, and other games. Many of the lounges were equipped with card and board games too.

Live Entertainment – Musicians, Comedians, Game Shows, & More

If you’re looking to be entertained, prepare to be dazzled by the world-class entertainment offerings on the Norwegian Prima. From Broadway-style shows to live music performances, and comedians, there’s no shortage of excitement onboard.

I sat in the audience of two gameshows including ‘Deal or No Deal’ and ‘The Price is Right LIVE with NCL!’. At both shows it felt like I was in a real live audience! They did a great job including audience participation and keeping everyone in good spirits. The Price is Right even had a heartwarming and hilarious tribute to Bob Barker.

If game shows aren’t your speed, but comedy is, there is an onboard comedy club (which was much too small for the audience) that hosted two different comedians with multiple family-friendly and adults only shows to keep you laughing every night of the cruise.

Every evening in the main atrium, there is a performance next to the bar if you’re wanting to sit down, enjoy some drinks and listen to some great music.

And if you’re still wanting more, there are staff members aboard who are literally there to entertain! They will host fun activities like “The sexy legs competition”, a series of Minute to Win It games, corn hole tournaments around the ship, and dance parties where they’ll teach you a choreographed dance for the fun of it!

And last, but not least, at the end of the night, the main auditorium space is converted into a dance club featuring lounge seating, a DJ, and course, it’s own bar.

The Ports Visited by Norwegian Prima

The Norwegian Prima sails to stunning destinations around the globe. From tropical paradises to historic cities, each port of call offers unique opportunities for exploration and discovery. On this specific cruise out of Galveston, we visited:

• Costa Maya, Mexico
• Harvest Caye, Belize
• Roatan, Honduras
• Cozumel, Mexico

At each destination, you can choose to embark on guided shore excursions to immerse yourself in the local culture, or venture out on your own to discover your own way off the beaten path. Whether you’re snorkeling in crystal-clear waters or exploring ancient ruins, each port visit promises unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. Just be sure NOT to miss the boat before it sets back out to sail. Cruise ships are on a tight schedule and WILL NOT wait for you unless you’re on a NCL booked excursion.

We chose to get off the ship at each port to walk around and explore, but chose to only go on one excursion. In Roaton, I went on the extreme zip-lining excursion which took me up a hillside right next to the port to complete a series of 12 ziplines. The instructions on what to wear and what we could or couldn’t bring weren’t clear so I made the mistake of not taking my gopro or phone just in case I wouldn’t be able to hold them while ziplining. Turns out, I would have been totally fine.

Booking excursions through NCL is easy and if you have excursion credits, I advise you to do so. However, if you do not have excursion credit and are comfortable doing local excursions vs. booking with the cruise line, you can save money and make a larger impact on local tourism by booking right at the excursion area in the ports. You can also book online with tourism companies like Viator!

Returning to the Galveston Port and Disembarkation Process

As your Norwegian Prima cruise comes to an end, disembarkation in Galveston is a seamless process. Just follow the captain’s instructions, leave during your specific leave time, and follow the line.
If you carried your luggage onto the ship and wish to carry it off yourself, you’ll be leaving the ship in the first group. If you checked luggage, the process is a little longer, but if you leave when your group is called, it is still fairly seamless.
Staff is friendly and accommodating on your way out of the ship and the return shuttle to your vehicle is easy to catch.
Once you get to your vehicle, find your parking ticket from when you checked in, and head out the gates.

Summary of our week-long Norwegian Prima cruise:

The things we really enjoyed about our cruise:

• The kindness of the on-board staff. Everyone was very cheerful, welcoming and looked like they wanted to be there and were enjoying themselves.
• The entertainment. The musicians and comedians were fantastic and the game shows were fun, engaging, and unique to this type of experience.

The things we didn’t enjoy so much about the Norwegian Prima:

• The main pool was the only pool and it was tiny! There are about 3,000 passengers on this ship and the pool held maybe 50 people. It was always packed and I was very disappointed.
• There was only one restaurant open “late-night” and it was small and had a very limited menu. For being a ship that prides itself on food and dining, this was a surprise to me.