Big news from Norwegian Cruise Line with the announcement that Norwegian Prima will homeport in Galveston, Texas in 2023 and 2024 following the ship’s inaugural season.
The company also announced a massive amount of entertainment options that will feature onboard, including the first-ever three-level 1,378 feet long racetrack with the Prima Speedway and its first-ever freefall drop dry slides.
Norwegian Prima to Homeport in Galveston for 2023 & 2024
Norwegian Cruise Line becomes the next cruise line to homeport one of its newest ships in Galveston, Texas. The cruise port is becoming more and more popular, and from 2023 Norwegian Prima will be visiting the port to embark new guests every week.
The ship is still under construction in Italy but is expected to cost the cruise line $850 million when completed. The 142,500 gross ton vessel will have space for 3,215 guests at double occupancy.
Norwegian Prima will sail on her maiden voyage on August 17, 2022, on an itinerary from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Reykjavik, Iceland, with stops in Zeebrugge, Bergen, and Geiranger in Norway, and Akureyri and Isafjordur in Iceland.
On further cruises, the ship will be calling in a wide variety of ports in the UK, Belgium, and France before heading to Bermuda, New York, and Miami. She will then sail to her new homeport of Galveston.
Also Read: Norwegian Prima Opens With Best Bookings in NCL’s 54-Year History
From Galveston, the ship will be the only vessel offering Western Caribbean cruises to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Harvest Caye, in Belize, which is exclusive to guests of NCL; and Roatan Island, Honduras. As guests expect from Norwegian Cruise Line, all visits will include between eight and nine hours in port.
New Entertainment and Acitvites on Offer
NCL doesn’t seem to be taking it easy on its newest ship by revealing some impressive expanded and new features onboard. This follows outdoor spaces and features already announced earlier in the year.
NCL already features a racetrack onboard Norwegian Encore but is taking it one step further onboard Norwegian Prima. The new track will be 1378 feet long (420 meters) and cover three levels. The Prima speedway will go around and through the vessel’s funnel, feature 14 turns for 15 drivers in go-karts that will reach 30mph.
“We’re not just elevating the guest experience, we’re giving it an adrenaline rush and multisensory overload,” said Harry Sommer, president, and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “When we launched Norwegian Prima, we aimed at going beyond expectations, providing our guests with more wide-open spaces, elevated service, thoughtful design and a variety of unforgettable experiences, and this latest unveiling of our entertainment and onboard activities lineup is going to have the wow-factor they’ve yearned for in a much-anticipated cruise vacation.”
The racing doesn’t stop there though; the ship will have the world’s first freefall dry slide called The Drop, where users will experience a 10-story plunge reaching the highest G-forces of any cruise line and two more dry slides called The Rush where passengers can race each other down the slides.
Making its splashing first appearance on Norwegian Prima as part of the ship’s Aqua Park and Main Pool area, will be the Brand’s first Tidal Wave waterslide featuring gushing surfs where guests can ride an innertube to catch the perfect wave. Guests looking to relax can do so in either one of two infinity hot tubs or under the area’s cascading water feature.
Onboard entertainment comes in the form of “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.”, brought by the production team that introduced “Jersey Boys” to Norwegian Bliss guests. The Musical will feature a score of more than 20 of Summer’s mega-hits and will last for 75 minutes.
There will be a state-of-the-art multi-purpose venue which will be a theater and a nightclub. The three-level venue will be groundbreaking with seamlessly converting spaces with a customized layout and moving LED screens. Norwegian Prima will also feature interactive real-life game shows including “The Price Is Right,” “Supermarket Sweep,” and much more. One thing is for sure; guests will not be bored onboard!
The new-class vessel is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera. The ship is already in the final outfitting phase after floating out of its dry dock in August.
