Behind the F1rsts - Norwegian Prima

On May 12, 2021, Norwegian Cruise Line opened for sale the first of six ships within its highly anticipated next class of vessels, Prima Class, the Brand’s first new class of ships in nearly 10 years. With voyages beginning in summer 2022, Norwegian Prima, the first of the six ships, will be 965 feet long, 142,500 gross tons and able to accommodate 3,215 guests at double occupancy. The vessel will be a game-changer for NCL, offering guests exciting itineraries, more wide-open spaces, thoughtful and stunning design, a variety of new experiences as well as Norwegian’s exceptional service.

“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, we’re 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 unrivaled vessels with Norwegian Prima.”

“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,” added Sommer.

 

WIDE-OPEN SPACES AND ELEVATED EXPERIENCES THAT GO BEYOND EXPECTATION

Norwegian Prima will offer the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise categories, delivering an unrivaled guest experience. She will offer the largest variety of suite categories available at sea with 13 suite categories as well as the largest three-bedroom suites of any new cruise ship and the Brand’s largest-ever inside, oceanview and balcony staterooms, including the Brand’s largest-ever bathrooms and showers for standard stateroom categories. 

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Norwegian Prima will also 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 as well as multiple infinity pools and vast outdoor walkways allowing guests to take in the sea, the ocean breeze and a variety of elevated experiences.

THE ELEVATED HAVEN ON NORWEGIAN PRIMA 

To provide guests with an unrivaled experience in luxury cruising, The Haven by Norwegian on Norwegian Prima has been elevated to offer the Brand’s most exclusive and centralized suite complex. Spanning eight decks of suites and public areas, the ultra-premium keycard only access ship-within-a-ship concept provides guests with private amenities, dedicated services and the most luxurious accommodations on board. For the first time, the Cruise Line relocated all 107 Haven suites to the aft (the rear of the ship) within close proximity of private elevators exclusively reserved for Haven guests.


OUTDOOR LIVING ON OCEAN BOULEVARD

Furthering the elevated experience that places guests first and understanding the important connection they have with the outdoors and proximity to the sea, NCL reimagined its industry pioneering The Waterfront by doubling the space and adding a greater variety of experiences and dining options than ever before by introducing Ocean Boulevard. 

Located on deck eight, Ocean Boulevard at 44,000 square feet long, wraps around the entire deck, allowing guests to walk around the entire ship and experience amazing ocean views while having the choice to partake in numerous exceptional outdoor activities.

BUCKET-LIST ITINERARIES ON THE INDUSTRY’S NEWEST SHIP 

• Summer 2022: Northern Europe and The UK 
• Fall/Winter 2022: Bermuda and The Caribbean 
•  Fall/Winter 2022-2023: Western Caribbean Voyages Homeporting from Orlando, Fla. (Port Canaveral) 
• Spring 2023: Bermuda 
• Spring and Summer 2023: Northern Europe 

CRUISE WITH CHRIS 

NY TO ICELAND

MAY, 2023

There are some amazing repositioning cruises including an 11-day transatlantic journey from New York City to Reykjavik, Iceland, visiting Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia, before making calls to several immersive Icelandic ports, including Akureyri, which resides on the longest fjord in Iceland and Isafjordur, where guests can take in Icelandic Viking history and unspoiled natural marvels. 

We are booked on this cruise, so call us to join us on this amazing itinerary.

We have just scratched the surface on this amazing new innovative ship from Norwegian Cruise Line.  Explore Norwegian Prima by viewing these videos.  Not only will you get your first glimpse at the innovations, but you'll also here from the designers who made this happen.

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2020 in Review

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Looking Back at Historic Year 

As the year drew to a close, we took a look at some of the industry headlines and reviewed our cruise adventures.  COVID-19 made the biggest headlines impacting the cruise industry in 2020. 

Following a year unlike any other in the history of the industry, this Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) State of the Cruise Industry Report offers a look at the trends and analytics propelling the cruise industry forward in the coming year and beyond. 

(Click the link above for the complete report)

CLIA President's Message

"In a year marked by hurricanes, wildfires, and the worst public health crisis the world has experienced in over 100 years, we have seen our industry and our communities challenged in ways we could have never imagined. 

 As with the rest of the world, our plans for 2020 were turned upside down at the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, culminating in the voluntary suspension of cruise operations worldwide in mid-March. In the months that followed, our industry wasted no time engaging leading experts and government authorities to strengthen already robust public health measures and to put people and communities first. With enhanced measures in place, an initial resumption of cruising began in Europe and some other parts of the world, building confidence in the industry’s new protocols and inspiring hope for the future." said Kelly Craighead, CLIA President and CEO.

She also remarked "The reality of 2020 sits in stark contrast to the year that immediately preceded it. In 2019, the global cruise industry welcomed nearly 30 million passengers, creating jobs for 1.8 million people around the world and contributing over $154 billion to the global economy. With this growth came increased recognition of cruising as one of the best ways to experience the world, and our industry was focused on achieving previously unthinkable milestones to pave the path for a brighter and more sustainable future."

Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA), member cruise lines and health industry experts, from CDC and elsewhere, teamed up to outline plans for a safe and healthy resumption of cruise operations.   Those efforts are still ongoing, with the majority of cruises in North America suspended through the first quarter of 2021.

2020 Industry Trends - Putting People First

2020 Industry Trends - Thoughtful Planning

2020 Industry Trends - Following the Science

2020 Industry Trends - Phased Resumption

See our previous post: CDC Publishes Conditional Sailing Orde

Spotlight on Responsible Tourism

Sustainability - Even as CLIA members worked tirelessly to address the impacts of COVID-19, the cruise industry remained focused on its commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Innovation - The cruise industry continues to lead the way in the adoption of cutting-edge maritime environmental technologies.

Progress - CLIA’s annual 2020 Environmental Technologies and Practices Report highlights the progress that the cruise industry continues to make in the adoption of new environmental technologies.

Partnership - The cruise industry continued to lead the way in sustainable tourism management in 2020.

 New Cruise Ships for 2021

 

Our Favorite Cruise for 2020

Having cruised for 30+ years, our cruise selections are driven primarily by destination and secondly by cruise ship. We love exploring new destinations from our bucket list as well as revisiting some of our favorites. Exploring new ships, including older ships we've never sailed on before, is also quite enjoyable. Of course, we love to share with our readers so that they can discover the world that awaits them.  

We had several cruise adventures planned for 2020, including our National Conference onboard the brand new Celebrity Apex, but those were all rescheduled to 2021.

15 Day Australia - Asia Cruise Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip. While onboard Majestic Princess in January, 2019, we looked at cruises for 2020, taking advantage of the ongoing Anniversary sale.  Our selection was a respositioning cruise which included Southern Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore. There were several options for embarkation, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. We selected the 15 day itinerary from Melbourne based on cabin availability in the cabin class we were looking for. Due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) epidemic, our cruise was terminated in Perth, Australia (cancelling the segment from Perth to Singapore).  Additional photos can be found on our Soouthern Australia Shutterfly page View Our Other Shutterfly Share Pages

What's Ahead for 2021

There's a lot of uncertainty as the new year begins.   At our virtual national conference, cruise line execs told us that they are planning for the gradual resumption of operations.  They all told us that bookings are strong and they were optimistic about the industry recovery once vaccines become more widely available.

It will be a rebuilding year for the Caribbean and Bahamas and another ship building year as well.  What will the added capacity mean?   There are still a large percentage of the population that have not experienced cruising.   The lines, including new players like Dream Cruises and Virgin Voyages, will continue to advertise which will help spread the word.

There has been a lot of ship re-deployments, with larger ships replacing smaller ones, to allow for social distancing,  The first itineraries that will be sailing will be shorter cruises, 3 - 7 night maximum, to comply with CDC guidelines.  Ship capacity will also be reduced at first, and gradually increase once the world's population has been vaccinated.  Life onboard and in port will be different as new protocols are employed to keep passengers, crew, and countries visited safe and healthy.

We are constantly in communication with our travel partners, learning about the latest itineraries, ship deployments, future cruise credits, and other changes.  We have had multiple re-bookings for some of our guests as these new measures are implemented.  

Travel Professionals are not going away.  In fact, our expertise is even more valuable now, as there are more and more options to sort through.   Matching the right ship and itinerary to the cruisers' desires is one of the biggest values we bring to bear.   Hope to see you on the seven seas in 2021 and beyond. 

Note: while you are waiting for cruising to resume, we can also assist you with land travel.   There are several resorts that have implemented changes to allow for safe and healthy vacations.  We appreciate your business as 2020 has been very devastating for the travel industry (as well as many other industries).

Happy New Year

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Racing for Make a Wish

Norwegian Bliss Race Track 

Imagine incredible firsts on Norwegian Cruise Line's newest and most incredible ship, Norwegian Bliss. See the ocean blur by as you take hairpin turns on the largest race
track at sea. Get ready for a thrilling ride on this two-level competitive track while putting your driving skills to the test. Blue skies above and turquoise waters below!

When our Inspire Conference began, our General Manager, Drew Daly, challenged us to raise more money for Make-A-Wish than at our previous conference.    To help with that goal, the Norwegian Bliss Race Track was closed to the public for two hours as conference attendees took to the track to contribute.

We donned the special protective gear and helmets shown above and zoomed around the indoor track for several laps, until the staff waved the flag ending our spin around the track.   This video shows a glimpse of the race getting started.  Guests can purchase one-time or multiple entries onboard the ship.

Inspire Conference  - Click for More Stories & Pictures

Norwegian Bliss
October 20-27, 2018
7 days R/T Port of Los Angeles (Long Beach)

Additional photos can be found on our Norwegian Bliss Shutterfly page

Race Track album

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