Texas Welcomes Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Prima to Galveston

by Wendi Baird on December 7, 2022 in Travels,
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Texas welcomed Norwegian Cruise Lines in a big way! Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson had the ship rocking and rolling on its maiden voyage from Galveston with a concert of her chart-topping hits like “Miss Independent”, “Stronger”, and “Since You’ve Been Gone.” The new Norwegian Prima set sail from Galveston on Oct 27 for the brand’s first-ever voyage from Texas. 

Kelly Clarkson welcomed guests the first night with a spectacular concert of her top hits. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

TLM first shared with you plans for the new Prima back in March 2022. Now, having been on her inaugural sailing out of Galveston, we’re here to let you know that this ship is indeed aptly named – top-notch, great, #1, Prima. The Prima is the first in a new class of ships from Norwegian Cruise Lines offering guests an elevated cruise experience with more space per passenger, increased staffing levels ( i.e. excellent service), an elegant three-story atrium (with luxury shops, bars, and even a Starbucks Coffee), as well as nine new food and beverage concepts. 

The three-story Penrose Atrium is the center of activity on the ship. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

Sips and Bites

The Onda Italian restaurant is just one of the many specialty restaurants on the Prima.Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

The Prima has so many restaurants and bars to choose from that you’ll wish you had more days to sail just to try them all. In addition to the main dining rooms and the poolside buffet and grill, the Prima has enhanced the specialty dining experience. Guests can choose to eat at Cagney’s Steakhouse, Le Bistro French restaurant, Onda by Scarpetta Italian cuisine, Los Lobos, The Local Bar & Grill (our personal favorite!), and their first-ever food hall Indulge Food Hall with 11 different eateries to choose from … including a food truck! Guests order from iPads at each table, although you might want to walk around the food hall before being seated to get an idea of all the available food options.

Food trucks at sea? You’ll find them in the Indulge Food Hall. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

If you just want to grab a drink between meals, you also have many options to choose from. The Whiskey Bar and Starbucks, both in the Penrose Atrium, were popular hangout spots, as was the Observation Lounge with its cozy vibe and ocean views. Unique to the Prima is the Metropolitan Bar with its sustainable menu featuring zero-waste cocktails. These eco-friendly drinks are prepared with surplus ingredients, like banana peels or pineapple rinds, as part of Norwegian’s Sail and Sustain program.  The Metropolitan Bar also serves up biodynamic wines produced from organic farming methods. It gives a whole new meaning to “drinking responsibly”.

The Local Bar is a popular hangout and serves great food in addition to drinks. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

Activities 

Get your adrenaline pumping racing around the Prima Speedway. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

The Prima has activities to entertain all types of people. Do you feel the need for speed? Head for the Prima Speedway where you can race cars around the first three-level racetrack at sea. Are you an adrenaline junkie? You’ll love The Drop – a 10-story free fall slide off the side of the ship. Crowds gather at the bottom of the slide waiting to hear the screams as the bottom falls out of the slide chute high above and the person comes barreling down. The Rush is a dueling slide and lets you race a friend down the slide. Are you competitive? No problem. You can challenge your friends to a game of mini golf, pickleball (yes, you can play pickleball at sea!), or darts. Gamer? Check out the virtual world of the Galaxy Pavilion. Several pools and hot tubs are available for those who just want to relax and soak up the sun. The infinity pools offer beautiful panoramic views of the ocean.

The Prima offers something for everyone, whether you want to relax in the infinity pool or squeal down the 10-story dry slide. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

Entertainment

Enjoy the virtual world of The Galaxy Pavillion. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

The fun doesn’t end when the sun sets! The nightly entertainment in the Prima Theater is not to be missed. Prima brings Broadway to sea with the Tony-nominated “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”. You’ll be singing along to all her classic hits. “The Noise Boys” is an energetic tap dancing, beatboxing performance that will have you tapping your feet while wishing you were half as cool as the performers on stage. Syd Norman’s Pour House is where you’ll find the popular house band performing. But get there early on the Fleetwood Mac tribute night if you want to get a seat. The line was out the door on our sailing! You can tickle your funny bone at the Improv at Sea comedy club. Late night on the Prima, the theater is transformed into a Vegas-style nightclub with bass thumping music, laser lights, and go-go dancers.

The Prima Theater transforms into a Vegas-style nightclub for late night parties. Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

The Prima will continue its inaugural voyages from ports around the world before returning to Galveston in December 2023. You can learn more about the Prima and book your next cruise online.

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Cover Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines

Wendi Baird is the Editor in Chief for Texas Lifestyle Magazine. As a fifth generation Texan, her roots run deep in the Lone Star State. She fell in love with journalism in high school and has enjoyed writing about her experiences ever since.