I Test Norwegian's Latest Ships To See Why Cruisers So Unhappy

I met so many regular Norwegian cruisers on my Norwegian Viva cruise that disliked this new Prima class of Norwegian Cruise Line ships that I started wondering if Norwegian had actually gone out of their way to create a new type of ship they knew current cruisers wouldn’t like! Perhaps to attract different cruisers, perhaps cruisers like me.
I’m not a regular Norwegian cruiser, largely because I’ve not been a fan of the Norwegian ships I’ve been on, but this ship did some things so differently it made me rethink my position, as you will hear.
For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron:
---------------------------------------------------
* Patreon Patron: / tipsfortravellers
* KZbin Channel Member: / @tipsfortravellers
Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products:
---------------------------------------------------
* T-Shirts: bit.ly/TFTStore
* Mugs, notebooks, hoodies etc: www.teepublic....
My social media:
---------------------------------------------------
* Blog: www.tipsfortra...
* Twitter: / garybembridge
* Facebook: / tipsfortravellers
* Instagram: / garybembridge
* LinkedIn: / bembridge
ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 101 cruises I have done to date.
#cruisetips #CruisingTips #CruiseTipsAndTricks

[@garybradford8332]

We booked the Viva for a 10 day Mediterranean cruise last September, 2023. It was our 4th time in the Haven and while we generally had a very good time, there was a few difference we didn't like. There were 42 Haven rooms on the Breakaway and it was fun that we got to know most of the other Haven guests. The Prima and Viva have 107 Haven rooms and we still saw Haven guests up to the last day that we hadn't seen before. We rarely saw our butler since he had 107 rooms vs 42 to attend to. So not nearly as intimate or personal in attention. On the Breakaway in 2022, we were greeted with beautiful flowers and a bottle of Moet Chandon. On the Viva it was a bottle of Spumante and, no joke, a cactus plant. I think NCL had a recent merger with another cruise line and other cuts made were nightly turn down service with pillow mints and no more adorable towel animals. Those little things had enhanced our experiences before and we did miss them.

[@davidellis4084]

This sounds very different and intriguing. They missed on sizing some venues, but the idea of so much variety spread all over the ship would lead me to explore the ship more. Also, since I do not like large crowds, the smaller venues appeal to me. I want to learn more about their solo options as that is how I would cruise.

[@hollybromley47]

We just sailed on the Viva in January. I really don't like crowds and thought that the way the layout dispersed people around the ship was quite lovely. Ocean Blvd was fantastic, and we found that all of the entertainment was terrific. We LOVED the ship!

[@ajs11201]

Thanks for a thoughtful and balanced review. After hearing your thoughts, reading the comments here, and considering other reviews elsewhere, I think I'll stick with my beloved QM2.

[@mikebesner9200]

We cruised the Pr1ma in March of 2023 and ironically so many of things that people hated are what we loved. So much so we have already booked for the Viva (25) and Aqua (26). The deck 8 boulevard that goes all the way around the ship with lots of space and seating was one of the things we loved the most. Indulge food hall was brilliant, we never had a problem getting a table (we were 2, that surely played a role). The activities were great…yes some of the venues are small, but that tracks with venues on the Epic, Bliss… I loved that so many of the venues were standing room only. I agree with Gary about poor weather sailing. Our cruise was great weather, so the outdoor areas were always accessible. Take all those people and put them indoors, it could get busy. In terms of dining the only night we had an issue in the main dining room was on the first night, when we had to wait for a table for about 20 minutes. We sailed during March break and the ship was well over double occupancy in terms of booking. We really enjoyed our experience. We were not in The Haven.

[@chrisrolinson-do8yg]

Goodness me 1st world problem - waiting 20 minutes for a table. Honestly people look at what is happening in the world at the moment 😮

[@TVHouseHistorian]

@@chrisrolinson-do8yg Please go away.

[@rubyrowallan8743]

They were saying the only issue was a trivial one. This is a video about luxury vacations so not sure why you feel the need to make a rude comment.

[@chrisrolinson-do8yg]

That is the whole point, a luxury cruise. You are the rude one. I am allowed an opinion.

[@DaveTexas]

Wait, so you ENJOYED having the popular venues be overcrowded and many other options being nearly impossible to book? You enjoyed the noisy cabins due to poor placement of pools? You enjoyed having huge areas of the ship taken up by things most guests wouldn’t or couldn’t access? Those were some of the main complaints most guests had, and you said were what you enjoyed most…

[@claireb5509]

We booked an Iceland cruise on Prima and after I read reviews and saw some other negative videos, we decided to cancel. It will be interesting to see if they change some design aspects on the Aqua. I think they can’t decide if it should be an upscale experience or geared towards young families by having the huge racetrack. That space could be better utilized as another day/evening venue (Perhaps the comedy club up there instead!). Thanks for the informative video.

[@TVHouseHistorian]

Love your ideas here. Much as I have enjoyed the racetrack idea, I think it's just not a wise use of space - especially when weather doesn't permit. I found that the racetrack is rarely used on these newer ships. I think the up charge plays a big factor as to whether or not people choose to use it. If Norwegian were going headlong for the resort concept like Royal Caribbean, then the racetrack (minus the extra fee, of course) would be a unique attraction that would keep them competitive. They would do well to retool all their newer ships for more upscale adult vacationing. Those of us refugees who've been alienated by Royal's decision to cater to families need someplace nice to find respite from the great uncouth and unwashed.

[@scherzva]

It’s a great cruise, the issue with the Prima was when the weather was poor, the ship felt crowded.

[@shannyrenee17]

@scherzva it rained a lot when we were on the Viva, so of course everyone was inside. They couldn't handle the crowds. For example, it was the inaugural from San Juan. As such, tons of Puerto Rican passengers. They had some amazing Latin music, but it was beyond capacity. Just terrible planning. NCL is going to lose loyal passengers if they don't get it together.

[@santiagomiedo9232]

We have felt that all NCL ships were too compartmentalized and always felt crowded due to the haven, adult only paid areas etc. sounds like they haven’t changed

[@robertfoerster566]

There was a bit of pushback on the Edge class on Celebrity, and while some have fled and are staying on the Solstice Class as their preference, I've noticed plenty of all ages on the Edge class as people come around. It could take time. Thank you for the video!

[@hollygay8395]

I just got off the Prima - Western Caribbean and we had bad weather and couldn’t really use the outside seating or activites on sea days. It was crowded. I was in a studio room and it was tiny compared to other studio rooms on NCL. I’m not necessarily a fan - don’t think I would want to cruise more than 7 days at a time on it.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for sharing your observations of this cruise ship.😊

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching!

[@LMays-cu2hp]

@@tipsfortravellers You are welcome. Continue success with giving your great reviews they are very helpful and nice.

[@jasonreed3524]

The only cruise My Wife & I have been on was the Prima in October 2023. We loved it! We stayed in an inside cabin which just fine. I agree that the comedy venue and Syd Norman’s pour house got far too crowded, we had to get there 30mins before the show to have a seat. Love your videos, Cheers!

[@cirseltoo]

The spread out space and open space on Deck 8 didn't work on our cruise as the weather didn't allow the Ocean Boulevard to be opened. there isn't enough inside space on the Prima for 3100 passengers for the three days it took for us to sail from Le Havre to Reykjavik omitting a Belfast stop due to wind speed. In addition this ship is taller and shorter than (say) the Norwegian Jade, and does not ride as well, even in comparatively flat waters. We sailed through the middle of Storm Hector on the Jade and the ride was vastly better even at the worst- my wife was seasick on the Prima. For our next cruise we are revisiting the Breakaway....

[@tomroman5632]

My wife and I took a 10 day cruise from Venice to Athens in October 2023. We became aware of some of the complaints about the new design, but we were determined to have a good time. With no scheduled sea days, there was a limited amount of time to just relax and enjoy the ship amenities. I’m not a freestyle dining fan and found that the reality of an open schedule meant you could never really just go wherever you wanted to dine, whenever you wanted to dine. Waits were never long and if you checked the interactive ship maps by the elevator banks- you could always find what dining options were filled to capacity. A layout like the Prima’s was interesting in that each day there was always something new around the corner. We had a great time and would definitely book this class again.

[@Lisa_B.-1989]

Key words, “determined to have a good time”. Good for you! Look for the good and you will find it😁

[@helenalovelock1030]

I’m doing Venice to Athens in September beginning October. Were there any port days that you would miss out and stay on the ship to relax? I don’t want to get off the ship every day but wondered if the were any ports that would be weaker than the others if you were to pick two ?

[@debraweaver7416]

We were on the NCL Getaway in October. I was looking forward to seeing a show in Syd Norman's Pour House, but I never got the opportunity. You couldn't reserve a seat, so people were lined up 1 1/2 hours before the ABBA tribute show. Worse, they scheduled karaoke in there, and that's a very popular activity. I went in and counted 35 seats in the place, plus areas for standing room. And NCL was very aware this was a problem, because they had signage all over the venue telling guests not to move chairs or bring in chairs. Now, why would you limit the audience to a few dozen people when hundreds would want to attend? And they have larger venues on the Getaway.

[@johnsimion2893]

Haven't tried the Getaway, but your experience sounds very similar to ours on the Bliss. The "Cavern Club" (Beatles tribute) was a great show, but the room was so small it was very crowded and hard to get in. If they ran multiple shows there and in the main theater, that would solve the problem and probably would be even better than making the venues larger.

[@SherryAnnOfTheWest]

I found some of the venues on the Prima far too small. People were queuing up a couple of hours early in the hallway for shows and it was very hard to find seating for trivia in Syd Norman's Pourhouse. Also, we were on a transatlantic cruise and the weather was inappropriate for "sunning." Therefore EVERYONE was inside and the ship felt crowded. I did love the Indulge Food Hall ... but the variety was sometimes lacking if you're on a 14-day cruise. As for the Haven, I am not a fan. MSC's Yacht Club product is infinitely superior in every way except the size and opulence of the cabins. They are more "all-inclusive," their prices are better, and the service is impeccable.

[@barnum4244]

Given those with the disposable income to stay in a suite are not those affected by the increased cost of living, that's who the cruise lines are after. I found Princess are doing the same having removed previously included features and sticking them on expensive Princess Plus packages. I complained to Princess as they did this the week before we embarked. Princess told me they can do what they want courtesy of the small print. So those of us basic fare passengers are no longer welcome.

[@tananario23]

Welcome to capitalism!!! Enjoy your lesser caste!

[@letzrock1675]

⁠@@tananario23Yep and if enough people express their outrage by refusing to sail on Princess in the future then they’ll go out of business instead of being supported by a centralized nanny state government…thank you capitalism! If communists had their way they would build ships with 99% identically priced interior cabins for the masses and 1% complimentary suite cabins for wealthy government officials that support the cruise line.

[@shannonsgreatadventures]

I REALLY enjoyed the Prima. I attended a seminar for travel agents and the idea behind the design of the ship was to attract 35-55 year olds with intimate spaces designed to feel like a high end hotel. Loved it. I also thought the food was outstanding.

[@shannyrenee17]

We're in that age group and would never return to the Prima or Viva.🤮

[@shannonsgreatadventures]

​@@shannyrenee17oh no, sorry to hear that. Have you found a ship class you really enjoy yet?

[@shannyrenee17]

@shannonsgreatadventures the Bliss was amazing. However, I do have to give props to Prima and Viva's spas. They're incredible. We've decided that *those ships* are for either Spa trips only or amazing itineraries only where we'd hardly be on the ships 🤷‍♀️

[@shannonsgreatadventures]

​@@shannyrenee17I've yet to try one of the NCL ships in the Breakaway Plus class like the Bliss. Will look into it! Glad you enjoyed the spa.

[@singbike5832]

I went on a Breakaway class ship, and having enough indoor space to comfortably absorb everyone was an issue on there too. Food wasn't great either. I do not plan on sailing on Norwegian again.

[@Adam-Adamson]

It looks good but I think it does need at least large 1 focal point, I like the food court setup I think that's got a future in cruising. ceiling height looked lower not sure if its the camera angles, dark colours / patterns or its actually lower to have more decks.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

I actually do not like food court setup at all. Too many food courts in my land life ..... I prefer buffets with great choice, where I can decided on a whim at the last second

[@xkr510]

That ship looks like a nightmare to me. Seabourn regular here. Thanks for the info.

[@TomCro73]

Why a nightmare? Just curious, not mischeivous!

[@j.m.7056]

​@@TomCro73Too crowded.

[@TomCro73]

@@j.m.7056 But he points out how it *wasn't*.......

[@j.m.7056]

@@TomCro73 I thought the clips he showed of several areas were wall-to-wall people. It stuck in my mind over the areas shown in the Haven.

[@Heather_T]

You may not have enjoyed the cruise so much if you were not in the haven. I am tired of cruise lines restricting more and more spaces to higher paying guests. My next cruise booking is likely to be on a cruise line that opens the most space to all.

[@eshwayri]

I found the Encore to be the right size of ship for me. The spaces I liked and used on the Encore have been greatly reduced on the new ships. If I sailed Norwegian again, I would probably go for one of the older class ships.

[@KT-lp1ek]

Not a fan of pools. So the Prima class a positive welcome for me. But then again I only cruise once every two or three years so anything negative doesn't bother me as I am happy to be on board and not have to work. I have a feeling people complaining need to take a break from cruising.

[@kylel4361]

My family just got back from a trip on this ship and although we had a good time overall, we all agree we will not go on another cruise on this class of ship. Our cruise was at capacity and we could tell the ship was very crowded and we had to wait a long time and in long lines. We all like the newer larger ships but this ship felt overcrowded. We also did not like atrium design and the lines were especially long at elevators.

[@DawnofFab]

I'm starting to regret booking NCL. I'll give them a chance for my Dec '24 cruise but I'm seriously reconsidering the '26 cruise

[@audiesanchez2984]

I recently cruise with NCL and my question is why is there more specialty restaurants than complimentary restaurants???And that also reduced the space you can sit down and relax or what not.

[@daynacjones]

I’m finding it hard to find a ship layout that I do like. I love a promenade on one deck, I hate those that block off sections for the “elite cruisers” MSC does that with the front end and I feel like a second class cruiser. I guess I really like the older, smaller ship. If I want a roller coaster, I’ll go to 6 Flags.

[@roconnor01]

That looks like my idea of hell !

[@incredibleshrinkingfungus1731]

Going on one of these in six weeks and dreading it. UPDATE - completed and it was ok but not a fan of Prima class, especially the pool and buffet areas. Constant music blasting. Done with Carnival and probably now NCL.

[@Diana-007]

Just as I said in an earlier post, Viva was pretty but a disappointment for us regular cruisers on NCL, its an Italian construction which is showing already, glass walkway was already showing wear and tear according to the crew, previous German construction ie the Bliss was far superior. They are trying to attract the young crowd but at their pearl and I’m not an old fogey 😁 standards of behaviours on board were also left unchecked. Our Balcony suite was very nice and food was excellent as usual but we will not be cruising this year, standards have dropped., so glad we didn’t pay for the Haven on this ship, reports from fellow passengers were pretty grim. 🥰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

[@gkett001]

I liked the smaller dining venues to make things feel less crowded than everyone heading to the buffet for lunch, but you lost me at the amusement park feeling of the ship. If you want an amusement park, go to an amusement park. I want the traditional cruising feel, which based on our recent trip on Princess, is waning. It's all about charging more and getting less for you dollar.

[@planedudea380]

You hit the nail on thr head with the design. Went on Viva 2mo ago. While I love how modern it can be and some areas like the observation lounge and the Indulge food hall, the overall design feels disjointed. In addition, the limited pool areas, and the very crowded design of the buffer are disappointing.

[@joeking4206]

Hard to find venues? Wasn’t there a map available? I bet there was an app available or perhaps maps on the walls.

[@33Jenesis]

I don’t know how I’d feel about the dotting layout and small venue space. I don’t really go for on board entertainment and hate having to queue up for it. I don’t drink or sit around thinking about life. I’d love to have a lap pool to swim laps.

[@MJC1124]

I have been on NCL Epic and Getaway. Both suffer from a lack of lounge areas. In good weather, when passengers are on the open decks, this is not a major drawback but I would not wish to sail again on either, particularly during the winter.

[@maryjanekolesar8325]

We LOVE NCL but will probably never sail on a PRIMA class ship again. We did actually try out the Prima to Bermuda - where it was overbooked by 1200 and this made up of multi-generational families (we don't have children!!!) because, yes for us it seemed NCL's take on Virgin's style ship which would never be the style ship, onboard culture, or design layout for us but we tried. We were right: we HATED almost everything about it to the point of not booking a future most wished for itinerary because it was only offered on this class ship! 😢

[@leandrocruz]

I'm concerned about the noise in the upper cabins. Any comments on that? Would it be better to choose a small by "lower" cabin?

[@nichtsistkostenlos6565]

I've had friends and family that have had horrific customer service related experiences with Norwegian that have prevented my wife and I from booking them. The other main issue is how expensive things like drinks packages are compared to Carnival or Royal and the amount of nickel and diming that goes on around the ship which was show-cased pretty strongly in your Haven video. This is a shame, though, because this type of ship does seem like it would be right up our alley. May try them at some point, but they're not high on our list at the moment.

[@saranyabiswas2057]

Thanks for all the information..

[@terrimathews7944]

My husband and I was on the Viva 12/6-12/13 and we will never cruise on this ship again. The only thing that we enjoyed on this ship was our cabin with the full size shower. We have sailed on over 15 cruises and this ship was the most disappointing.

[@adambrunt2870]

Is this just a problem with their newer ships ? Or are NCL a bad choice generally ?? Was think of going on NCL Star(?) in Soith America for our 25th anniversary - as the prices currently look very good due to Free @ Sea sale - but am now not sure. Thoughts anyone

[@glennaa11]

I was a fan of Virgin Valiant Lady so it sounds like I would like this.

[@PaulCashman]

I think I'd probably enjoy NCL's new ships a lot, too.....IF I could afford a Haven stateroom.

[@crunchers9]

I think I might prefer those smaller areas. But does the ship offer solo rooms?

[@LuRuello]

Australia NEVER sees these new NCL ships. All we get is 20+ year old ones. How about sending some " down under" sometime?

[@sandrakicklighter2735]

Since COVID the idea of big spaces crammed full with other passengers has scared me off of the idea of going back to cruising. Love the idea of a smaller pool deck and a ship-long area filled with little areas, infinity pools, etc. The Haven and such other ideas are a big downside. Not sure what the answer is but not interested in that at all.

[@bradh3139]

First of all, I’m not an NCL fan. Sailed them a couple of times (not recently). Onboard experience good, but huge repeated problems with onshore offices (won’t bore you with the details). I don’t think I’d have a problem with the scattered layout. Just a little research should clear up any confusion. However, cramped areas that shouldn’t be cramped is a gigantic issue. I HATE having to reserve a space for a show. If the goal was to keep people more spread out, it sounds good on paper, but poorly executed. Additionally, I prefer smaller vessels (< 4,000 guests). As for “restricted” areas, nice for those who choose the investment, but I’d prefer larger public spaces. It’s so frustrating to haplessly search for a table when you want to eat. Rant over. Safe travels to all.

[@a.e.7988]

Looks like a huge shopping mall, no thanks!😮

[@Smellynelly67]

Do you think old style cruising is finished? I'm hoping Queen Anne isn't going to be like this 😮

[@robertsaunders9733]

I just did a cruise on Viva. My wife and I hated it. Never again.

[@angelicajacobs584]

I liked the culture of Norwegian. We did carnival and HATED IT. Went to Norwegian next time and loved it. Royal Caribbean kinda fell between for us. I'd go on Norwegian again.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great to hear!!

[@travelingfool9096]

did the encore, I felt too many 'extra pay' areas. venues too small ( comedy and music). Too many thing to make this a "Disneyland' for extra money which wasted way too much space. I will be going on a smaller NCL ship this fall. I do not like the way NCL ( And all cruise line going big big big) are heading. There. are a ton of things they do right, but more that are going into wrong direction. Also, NCL has the perception of some, that steerage class is making a comeback. Solo traveler here, I did solo on Encore, Lounge, which wasn't that much space, was way underutilized and could do without. Not a big deal that regular guest can't walk down my hallway. I just wanted a cheaper alternative to paying 100% more than couples. I am a price sensitive consumer, but it's really about Value for the money. So, I may more to another line like HAL, certainly not Celebrity, who want to charge 150% more for solo cruisers.

[@darrenmacinnis1931]

I think comparing NCL to Virgin is comparing apples to potatoes. Completely different in almost every way. I think you need to take a proper cruise on Virgin, as I understand you have only taken a promo cruise out of Portsmouth for a couple of days. I find virgin ships to be very intuitive, very easy to navigate, and never feel crowded even at capacity. By the third day of my virgin cruise I could find my way around with a blindfold on. And when considering value for money, there is no comparison. A fair comparison is only valid if you have sailed with virgin as many times as you have sailed with NCL. My experience on the prima almost made me abandon cruises altogether.

[@ChadoftheNorth]

Pay to use Adult only area? I am amazed that it seems like a full 1/3 of the ship is pay for use. Makes say no to Norwegian. It’s also amazing what cruise lines will up charge for since Covid.

[@buzzukfiftythree]

I guess it’s horses for courses. Personally I much prefer the smaller and classier Cunard’s ships (though even these have their drawbacks). Just too many passengers and gimmicks for me. But the new Norwegian vessels are probably ideal for families and younger passengers.

[@lemmi62]

I was on the Prima's for its first TA cruise. Of all the cruises I have done, the Prima was the worst. Never again will I cruise on a Leonardo class ship even if the design of third is being revised.

[@KetoFitChef]

My wife refuses to go on NCL ever since the did away with the Balcony rooms and since we want to travel on newer ships, NCL is no longer an option for us, and I’m sure many other people for the same reason. *Note: I just realized that it’s the Celebrity Edge Class ships I was thinking of, not NCL.

[@jimmaul]

What are you talking about?

[@KetoFitChef]

@@jimmaul they aren’t “balconies” in the traditional sense. Now they’re more like a big window that opens up and lets all of your AC out and all of the Humidity in. You can’t go outside and close a door behind you and sit on a balcony.

[@jimmaul]

@@KetoFitChef what ships? I've never seen this on any of the ones I've been on. Can always go out on the balcony and sit.

[@KetoFitChef]

@@jimmaul everything I’ve seen about the NEW ships. I could be wrong, but I’ve seen a LOT of videos and blogs about it.

[@KetoFitChef]

@@jimmaul just checked and I actually got my ships mixed up. Those are the CELEBRITY ships. But it’s called an Infinite Veranda and for some reason I thought it was NCL. So everything I said here, just apply it to Celebrity Edge Class ships. Oops. lol

[@raclark52]

We had only done six cruises on NCL and the previous one was on the Prima. I’m not a fan. I didn’t like the restaurants other than Le Bistro but the other speciality restaurants were frankly bland. We will avoid those ships in the future.

[@zlatkokovach7862]

Nice ships but too expensive and class segregated. If NCL does not offer better deals and ease on nickel-and-diming practices, I am afraid cruisers will go the many other more suitable options.

[@peggyellenday3096]

I found the people on the prima to be stuck up, first time ever. Not interested in trying those ships again.

[@kays749]

Princess did the same thing. Run off the older cruises

[@rachelleintexas338]

We got off Prima a week ago. It was our first cruise on Norwegian. We weren’t sold on a second one. It’s the first time we actually stayed inside our cabin to watch movies. Normally, we never grace our room but to sleep and change. The entertainment choices were lousy. We don’t do game shows or casinos. We ran out of books we brought to read. We did enjoy some of the specialty restaurants though. We enjoyed our stops, but one was canceled due to weather.

[@KnuckleheadParker]

Invest in a Kindle Most local libraries loan e-books

[@loriseward7773]

Try Getaway or Breakaway. They are great!

[@rhondalrivera]

I just got off Bliss yesterday. It was my first on Norwegian, and it will be my last…at least until I hear of changes. I’ve sailed on similar sized ships and never felt like they were quite so crowded - even in the height of summer. That alone was bad enough, but add that to the very brusque (if not downright rude) staff on the ship (particularly the hosting staff at the restaurants), and they’ve definitely convinced me that NCL isn’t the line for me.

[@fgiven57]

Same for us. We loved the the Thermal Spa, but that was about it. We took our cruise in January this year and came home and canceled the one we had booked for the following year.

[@wambutu7679]

Thank you for the barbed but effective comments. Laughter with criticism is the best way to impart wisdom.

[@Scott-pe6te]

I like the balanced way you have reviewed this Prima class ship. We all like different cruise experiences and this Prima class ship does look beautiful, but once again Norwegian just is not for me. I prefer more traditional cruising with Celebrity, Seabourn or Holland America.

[@anthonyr7208]

I am a loyal NCL fan and I DONT LIKE this class of ship…. I prefer the Breakaway/Plus class … NCL got it completely wrong with this Prima class IMO…I believe they are trying to correct some of it with Aqua and prima 4 5 and 6…

[@LoreeVanderWerf-si8sn]

We love NCL but choose the midsize ships. The larger ships don’t have the same feel. The smaller ones suit us. We get to know some of the staff and fellow cruisers. Cruising the Jewel again in April.

[@lottosal]

Same with us. We just cruised Breakaway last week, and wouldn't do it again. But, we've loved the Sky, Dawn, and Pearl. We're also concerned that NCL entertainment has changed to mostly game shows - we had a really difficult time finding good music on Breakaway, and stood in far too many lines for food and entertainment. 😢

[@LoreeVanderWerf-si8sn]

We’ve been on the Epic, Getaway and Breakaway. Too crowded for us too. Been on the Dawn, Gem ,Pearl and Jewel. Noticed the entertainment wasn’t the same in past years. The food was ok. We’re not big foodies but the crew is what keeps us going back. We’ll have the same crew that we had in October.

[@helenalovelock1030]

@@lottosalI’m going on the Pearl in September. I hope I like it 🙏🏻

[@anitas5817]

I love the Jewel class ships. Nothing bigger for me. Too hard to get in and off for excursions etc as it was, with 2500 people. My future cruises will be on smaller ships, not larger ones.

[@anitas5817]

@@helenalovelock1030 I don’t know what you like, but I loved the Pearl.

[@gilbydog7350]

You tried hard to put a positive spin on this ship to justify your very nice Haven suite Gary and to be fair you did include the misses. But the overall consensus is the Prima and the Viva are overcrowded ships designed to extract as much money out of passengers as they possibly can. Anyone considering these ships should read the Cruisecritic reviews of Prima and Viva which on the whole are pretty horrific.

[@brantthompson199]

We haven’t sailed on either of their new ships, however in our experience with NCL we can attest to a lot of nickel and diming

[@elisaastorino2881]

​@@brantthompson199I sailed NCL for the first time last year and found that to be true. Not going back.

[@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm]

All cruise lines are trying to regain the money they all lost by not sailing during the COVID pandemic. Do you blame them or have any other way for them to recover that lost revenue? I am sure they would love to hear about other revenue enhancing methods from cruisers. Should everyone have to pay an added fixed fee before boarding instead of being offered a lot of alternatives after boarding for a lot more than nickels and dimes. They want your money to survive and thrive. Is that wrong?

[@Benvolio1]

Way too big/ way too many people.

[@donnathompson1682]

Cruised on the Prima a few months after inaugural sailing. I agree with all of the negative comments so I won’t go through them. Not interested on sailing the Prima again nor the Viva. Prefer the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus classes.

[@joeln6861]

Was on NCL Jewel this past summer and enjoyed it. I always prefer the mid-sized ships more than large ones. I do not need to have a go kart track taking up multiple levels of a ship- what a waste of space. If I want that, I will go to Great Adventure for the day. This ship seems even worse than most other large ships. While I like NCL, I will never get on this class.

[@shannyrenee17]

I really wish they'd stop with the race tracks. Hardly anyone uses them. We tried them once on the Bliss and were over it. They could do so much better.

[@nobeliefisok9174]

The non-intuitive layout, where it is hard to navigate and hard to find what you are seeking is absolutely perfect for me. I love exploring a ship, and really love finding alternative ways to get wherever I want to go, tweaking and changing my routes constantly, and finding new places I had not yet visited before. On each ship I have traveled on in the past, I make it a point to spend some time drinking the cocktails in ever bar on the ship. More bars = more fun exploring!

[@traceytheisen8067]

For 4000 people onboard the lounges looked way too tiny.

[@hollybromley47]

Honestly, if one lounge was full, there were others with plenty of seating. We LOVED the Viva!

[@TVHouseHistorian]

@@hollybromley47 Exactly. All you have to do is troll around a bit until you find a reasonably empty lounge. Nothing worse than sitting in a space with 500 other people. Way too loud. I like this concept.

[@traceytheisen8067]

@@hollybromley47 Good to know, thanks!

[@hollybromley47]

We just got off the Viva two weeks ago and absolutely loved the ship. The new layout is a bit quirky, and even though I generally have a good sense of direction, I also struggled all week with finding my way to some venues. Overall, though, I absolutely loved the small venues and never felt like the ship (which was full) was crowded. I was disappointed that the comedy venue was so small, though, and we never got to see a show there. The ship had such a wonderful variety of food and bars that we never once were at a loss to find something to do. Our biggest complaint was that the buffet, which is indeed small because of the addition of the Indulge Food Court, was not particularly well laid out. The options were a bit odd and the area small, so we only ate there once and went to Indulge for quick casual meals instead. We thought the food and staff were fantastic and never got to see or experience all that we wanted to do. We look forward to sailing on the Viva again!!

[@harrisonjonesRVA]

🎉Cheers to a good attitude. We just got off the Prima 7 days ago as well & while we agree that some of the venues & layouts could have been designed larger or more intuitively, these in no way damaged our vacation & we loved it even more than the Escape, which was even more crowded on the top deck. It's all about perspective & doing research ahead of time, but we will definitely sail Prima class again.

[@bennettford-e3p]

We were on the prima in April. Staff was great and loved the ship !!

[@Lilyreader9]

I’m a long time NCL cruiser and I totally hated the Prima.. so I guess they did go out of the way to attract new customers and scaring away the old ones.. after my Prima Island experience I’m moving away to other cruise line next year..

[@TVHouseHistorian]

I feel the same way about Royal Caribbean. Used to love the way they did things. Now that they cater primarily to families, I'm out. They seem to have a particular disdain for solo travelers, whereas NCL seems to embrace us. I absolutely love the solo experience NCL provides.

[@helenalovelock1030]

Which NCL ships do you prefer ?

[@michaelgunney1183]

We did the Prima to Iceland and Norway and you are absolutely right about it being a ship designed for good weather. We had a couple of hairy sea days when inside the ship was quite full. I have always focused on the parts of the ship that I could and wanted to have access to rather than being concerned about the parts that I couldn't.

[@scherzva]

I was in the same cruise August 17-27, 2023 and I agree.

[@shannyrenee17]

I REALLY want to go to Iceland on the Prima. However, I'd like to do the transatlantic from Canada to have time for their amazing thermal spa. That's the one thing I give props to the Prima and Viva for.

[@HeatherTravels]

I'm really starting to wonder how long it's going to be before cruise lines go back to the classic ship layout that served everyone very well for almost 100 years! All this tinkering with it just seems to produce problems.

[@trumpisastump9382]

Yes and I can't wait until this experiment with indoor plumbing is over!

[@sl4193]

So good to have your thoughts on Norwegian. Appreciate hearing what other passengers felt about the Prima, it's always valuable to have pros and cons before considering a trip. Definitely points to ponder, thank you Gary.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching !

[@joreid2825]

Sailed on the Prima October 2023. NEVER AGAIN. My husband had to go to medical Center on board and we were there no longer than an hour. Charged 7500USD . There were so many unhappy passengers on board who all said they would never sail NCL again. The go carts weren’t operating, the slide was closed and the food was blah.

[@jeffreylevin9616]

I agree with the person who said the food was blah. In the Escape the main dining room food was just standard fare. I don't know what that Matzo Ball soup was but it was horrible.

[@willgaukler8979]

... to some the ship is the vacation ... you have to do your homework before you cruise vacation

[@TheVineyarder]

not a fan of the mega ships-standing in lines for everything isnt my idea of a vacation cruise-it's a resort on the ocean-and I love Norwegian

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

NCL is _much_ more welcoming to solo travellers, and the has quite a few ships in the reasonably priced Breakaway and Breakaway Plus classes. If I am going to pay more for a better ship than those, I'm almost guaranteed to go over to Celebrity.

[@heatherqualy9143]

I was set on moving over to Celebrity after seeing all the reviews, and then found out that they are the LEAST accommodating to solo travelers. I’ll keep on looking to find a good match for me. 😕

[@4712guest]

we just got off the NCL Getaway in NYC after 10 day Bermuda/Carribean cruise and many many other cruisers, many with 30+ cruises, thought the service was unusually awful and the buffet had skimpy poor quality choices, and one person we spoke to got food poisoning from the buffet. "free drinks package" cost $600+ for 3 of us (and one cant drink alcohol) in mandatory service charge. Perhaps they have a new strategy emphasizing specialty dining and haven/1st class. regular class is seriously hurting. long lines to get into dinner (tropicana, taste, savor) or shows, reservations were not honored (except for specialty dining), included dining made getting drinks very very slow and meals were always delivered cold and poor quality. outback steakhouse and below type quality unless you upgrade to specialty dining. we will not return anytime soon.

[@HauntSlider]

We got off the Viva on Jan 28th and I think you nailed every point. At first I was blown away by the atrium and the outside spaces but got quickly lost and confused (I miss the fish on the carpet). We are long time NCL cruisers who have spent most of our time on Breakaway/Breakaway + and Jewel class ships. We eventually got our bearings about 3 days in but some places like the sushi resturnant , are very hard to find if you haven't 't already run into them. Elements was way too small and we couldn't even get a decent standing spot having show up 30 mins before the doors even opened. Indulge was AMAZING and I loved the concept. Le Bistro is always one of my favorite places to eat and did not disapoint. Galaxy Pavilion is a very large waste of space. We talked to several couples staying in the Haven and they said the same thing. They feel because of how big it is compared to the Breakaway/+ class ships. It almost loses it "exclusivity" that NCL is so keen to push. Great review over all. You nailed this one.

[@lomo8660]

Well no wonder the only big space is guest service... you spent most of your time there to complain... ;-) Once NCL - Never again NCL

[@tipsfortravellers]

😂😂😂😂

[@michaelgollerpaps2475]

Try making a review staying in a regular stateroom i stead of Haven. I bet your view of this class of ships will change.

[@lukes5533]

Norwegian ships can go jump! I will never sail on them. This separate class divide is so 1900s

[@dmitripogosian5084]

Separate class divide becomes more and more thing nowdays. Not just for cruise lines

[@darrellgritten4398]

Thanks for your video. Very appropriate for my wife and me. We sailed on the NCL Viva this past January. The itinerary was perfect. The ship was fine for me. My wife did not like the new design. We have sailed NCL nine times. It was our cruise line of preference. Now, we are rethinking that. Our three biggest complaints are poor buffet quality and selections, reduced entertainment, and reduced housekeeping. We ate at two specialty restaurants, and one was awful. The big advertised show, Beetle Juice, was cancelled. The other main show, which was nothing special, was shown twice. The other shows were of the type that should be in a lounge. Housekeeping is what we would expect in an extended stay motel. On my NCL review, I mentioned my dislikes. I received no response. About a month later, I informed customer service of our dislikes. I received no response. We may never sail on NCL again, and it does not seem to care if we sail with them or not. Interesting.

[@markjohnson182]

I agree with your summary of this ship. We were on Prima in July doing Iceland and the Norwegian Fjords and its definitely better suited to warm weather as there are so many areas that use the outside - recreation, bars and restaurants. The venues are all dotted around and smaller but I think this adds to the fun of exploring rather than have one great big mellee of an area with everything around it. We are also lucky enough to be able to ravel in The Haven and with that added it allowed us to "escape" to an even quieter and relaxed area. However your Haven video rightly points out the terrible design and facilities in the Haven lounge, So for us - we like the Freestyle feeling of Norwegian but as far as ship design goes the Haven in the Breakaway Plus ships, Bliss, Encore and Joy would be our first choice

[@scherzva]

I agree! I took her from Reykjavik to Southampton and feel the same.

[@dmora2386]

The layout looks like a mall setup. The pool portion reminds me of marina bars.

[@rebeccaw9656]

This appeals to me far more than those traditional crowded spaces. We hate crowds. This looks far more enticing to find additional deck and pool spaces surrounding the ship - more views!

[@VikPaints]

It just looks so crowded, I wouldn't like that and the increased segregation areas is a tad irritating, so you're only experiencing carefully selected areas. Not a fan of this although it's popular. Maybe they'll bring back steerage class next!!! I'll pass.

[@steveseattle140]

Small venues, just like Virgin. Not many vloggers mention the venue size, which also means you have to madly rush to make reservations. Not a fan

[@ZyciewKanadzieAnitaBeataVlog]

I do usually stay clear from booking NCL, but I booked our friends on their request as they are going with some friends who picked NCL. Thanks God that their cabin is in the Heaven area, so I'm sure that they will have a decent cruise. Thanks again for another very informative video Gary and greetings from Ontario 🤗 Today was a beautiful sunny winter day😊

[@m.m.4645]

From all you said about that ships class... We are out!!!! No interest whatsoever in this ship or its sisters. Everything we would want to use while on this vessel seems to be extremely small and/or overcrowded. Plus the prices!!!! NO way would I want to pay that much for a balcony where I can hardly use it because of the noise issues. This ship is not for us! Thank you Gary for your fair comments .

[@mebluewater]

I went on the prima. I did not enjoy it at all. It is overcrowded noisy. You couldn't get into shows you couldn't get into the places you wanted to eat I even got food poisoning in the main Hudson restaurant and this was my 7th cruise on Norwegian and it was my worst.

[@leonidt7]

We did a 10-days cruise on Viva. In the beginning I was confused and disappointed, and wanted to say nevermore. But in a few days I began to like these small venues and moved from one to another. Finally, I booked another back-to-back trip on Viva.

[@shannyrenee17]

We did a 7 day inaugural from San Juan on the Viva. The thermal spa is amazing IF your itenary allows for it. However, we're "using" the Viva this summer as "food and lodging" only for a European trip. We know to keep our expectations low. It shouldn't be this way. Oh well, Europe here we come.

[@yepthatshan]

Great video and really helped to explain some good and not-so-great feedback I have heard about NCL Prima. It certainly feels like this ship class is focused on a specific type of cruiser and has an intentional design you will either love or hate. Sailing on 2/9/24 in the Haven, and I'm looking forward to it.

[@kimber4350]

An absolute eyesore! The bow shape on these new megaships is so hideous looking. Like a dreadnought 😅

[@TheSoaphippo]

Never made it on NCL, tried several times, but the final price at checkout is 2 1/2 times more than the advertise price every single time, and I don’t take any extras. When I cruise, I don’t want my phone to work, I’m not much of a drinker, I don’t need any extra fancy meals, but I don’t like bait and switch tactics. Huge turn off

[@janegober2320]

This has me excited for my next cruise on one of these. The quieter atmosphere and more outside space is just what I wanted, and look at those epic waterslides!!

[@hollybromley47]

We booked the Viva specifically because they designed it to maximize the space per guest, not guests per space. We just got off the Viva two weeks ago and absolutely LOVED the ship, the food, the entertainment, and the staff. We will definitely sail Prima Class again!

[@Comet73]

Will never understand why people pay to live in sardine apartments with strangers in the middle of the ocean. As someone born and raised in the wide open Canadian prairies, this would be a nightmare. Hard pass. I will stay happily in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for the rest of my life.

[@letarogers6380]

This is not much different from the Norwegian Bliss, eh? I like the smaller areas and would like this ship! The bleed-over music from different venues on the promenade deck (on the Bliss) was a bit annoying, however.

[@tipsfortravellers]

I have not been on Bliss but people seem to really like that class of ships, the regular NVL cruisers at least

[@ronhenson7167]

Thanks for the video. This type of ship reminds me of the Titanic, where decks, dining, etc. were separated by class. My preferred cruising is going from point A to point B onboard is unhindered. Happy cruising everyone!

[@metlinematt]

Me and my partner like NCL as we don't have to share tables with NCL, unlike other cruise lines. We are yet to sail this class of ship but it looks amazing!

[@shannyrenee17]

There's a lot of good to say about them. Lots of gripes too. Definitely check out the specialty dining. The Le Bistros are GORGEOUS on these ships. The thermal spa are incredible and don't compare to anything we've seen.

[@WaterWorld1]

Unusually, this class of ship was not designed by NCL. This class is very similar to the design of the MSC Seaside class and the Virgin ships: the shipyard, Fincantieri, actually designed it. NCL just took their "off the shelf" design and fitted their signature public rooms into it. I guess this was a quicker and cheaper option than designing a truly new class of ship. The décor and livery is of course uniquely NCL, but not the basic ships structure.

[@silverfox5875]

Sailed on Norwegian spirit, bad service, bad food, bad entertainment, small cabins, really tiny bathrooms, skip this ship. Won’t sail on NCL again!