By
Alex Smith |
Norwegian Cruise Line is to launch six new Prima-class vessels, the first of which will be named Norwegian Prima and debut in 2022. This marks the cruise line’s first new class of ships in nearly 10 years.
Norwegian Prima will be 965 feet long, 142,500gt and able to accommodate 3,215 guests at double occupancy. She will offer 13 suite categories, as well as the largest inside, ocean view and balcony staterooms in the cruise line’s fleet. She will also offer the most pool deck space in Norwegian’s fleet, along with multiple infinity pools and outdoor walkways.
“Despite not having sailed in more than a year, we never stopped working and innovating, we never once pressed pause,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “In fact, we doubled down on our brand investment in order to deliver unforgettable guest experiences that go well beyond expectations. Not only will we begin cruising this July, but we’re also so proud and so incredibly happy to announce the start of an exciting new chapter as we introduce the Prima class and the first ship in a line of unrivalled vessels with Norwegian Prima.”
The vessel will be built by Fincantieri at its shipyard in Marghera, Italy. The ship’s hull art will be designed by Italian graffiti artist Manuel Di Rita, also known as ‘Peeta’, and will extend to the forward superstructure of the ship.
“We are very honoured to partner with Norwegian Cruise Line for the development of its next class of ships,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. “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 and is a testament to Fincantieri’s global leadership role in the industry.”
Norwegian has doubled the space of The Waterfront by introducing Ocean Boulevard, a 44,000-square-feet promenade that wraps around the entire deck. Situated on the Ocean Boulevard will be the new Indulge Food Hall, which will offer food from a variety of culinary venues as well as a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. Several new dining venues will be introduced in the Food Hall, including rotisserie-cooked dishes at Seaside Rotisserie; noodles from around the world at Nudls; Indian and vegetarian food from Tamara; Latin cuisine from The Latin Quarter; Spanish-inspired street food from Tapas Food Truck; customised salads from Garden Kitchen; dessert items from Just Desserts; and a range of ice cream flavours from Just Ice Cream.
Another new space onboard the ship will be The Concourse, an outdoor sculpture garden featuring an art wall designed by artist David Harber. It will also feature six installations created by Alexander Krivosheiw, which were inspired by ancient mythology and contemporary abstract forms. Guests can also visit the Infinity Beach, which features two infinity pools located on either side of the ship close to the ocean surface in an industry first. Two Oceanwalk glass bridges will provide passengers with views out over the water, while open-air lounge will offer forward-facing sea views.
Exclusive luxury space The Haven by Norwegian will span eight decks, with suites and public areas that will only be accessible to guests with ultra-premium keycards. All 107 Haven suites have been relocated to the aft of the ship, close to private lifts that take guests directly to the public areas of The Haven on decks 16 and 17. For the first time, every public area in The Haven will offer sea and destination views. The Haven Courtyard has been transformed into the Haven Sundeck, with a new infinity pool overlooking the ship’s wake and a new outdoor spa.
All public areas and suites in The Haven have been created by Italian designer Piero Lissoni. He is among several architects and designers to work onboard the ship, include Rockwell Group, Tillberg Design of Sweden, YSA Design and Studio DADO.
“An exemplary representation of our brand evolution, bringing together our ‘Guest First’ philosophy and our spirit of innovation, Norwegian Prima personifies everything our guests love about Norwegian and raises the bar,” said Sommer. “This brand-new class of ships is truly designed to put our guests first.”
Voyages onboard the ship will begin in summer 2022. Following inaugural cruises in early August, Norwegian Prima will sail a series of eight-day voyages around Northern Europe from Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Copenhagen, Denmark, between 17 August and 13 September.
On 23 September, the ship will depart Southampton, UK on a 12-day transatlantic voyage with stops in Lerwick, Scotland, and Reykjavik, Iceland, before arriving in New York, USA. She will then sail a five-day roundtrip itinerary from New York to Bermuda, followed by a 12-day Caribbean cruise that will take guests to Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba before ending in Galveston, Texas.
Norwegian Prima will then operate an 11-day itinerary from Galveston on 31 October before repositioning to Miami, Florida, to sail three- and seven-day Western Caribbean cruises between 19 November and 3 December. Finally, from 11 December to 19 March 2023, Norwegian Prima will homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida, and sail 15 roundtrip Western Caribbean voyages.