It has been a long wait, but finally, Norwegian Cruise Line welcomes its new Norwegian Prima in Miami at the state-of-the-art PortMiami terminal. The new vessel arrives to begin two inaugural sailings to the Caribbean.
This news comes as the ship has been visiting different homeports in the US since completing its transatlantic voyage from Europe.
Norwegian Prima in Miami, Florida
The new class Norwegian Prima arrived in the cruise capital of the world today for the first time ever in anticipation of two inaugural cruises from NCL’s award-winning terminal.
The first voyage is departing on November 11 and the second will depart on November 14. The two sailings will be special short inaugural offerings, with guests trying out all the new innovative features for the first time out of Miami.
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line
“There’s nothing like welcoming Norwegian Prima to Miami,” said Norwegian Cruise Line President and Chief Executive Officer Harry Sommer. “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing her come to life at the Fincantieri shipyard in Venice, Italy as well as launching her in style in Iceland. Now, we are showcasing her to our community here in Miami. It’s a dream come true!”
Each sailing will include a visit to Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. On November 13, it will be the first visit to the 270-acre island for the Norwegian Prima, with guests enjoying all the beaches, a zipline, and an exclusive retreat.
Norwegian Prima’s Busy US Debut
The Norwegian cruise ship has been busy since first arriving in the US in October 2022. After celebrating its official naming ceremony in Reykjavik, Iceland in September and a series of initial sailings, the Norwegian Prima headed across the Atlantic.
Prima’s inaugural voyage from the US was out of New York City on October 6, 2022. there was a second inaugural sailing from the Big Apple on October 10. NCL displayed its continued commitment to the city, as it first started cruises from New York in 1991.
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line
The newest ship in the fleet has also been spending some limited time out of the Port of Galveston in Texas. The maiden five-night voyage from the port was on October 27, 2022. The ship then departed on a one-time 11-night sailing from Galveston, where she eventually arrived on November 11 in Miami.
Norwegian Prima will eventually settle down from her busy US inaugural tour in mid-December. The ship will begin year-round seven-night itineraries until March 2023, including calls to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios, and Great Stirrup Cay.
Photo Courtesy: Norwegian Cruise Line
Following the winter season out of Port Canaveral, the vessel will spend some time sailing to Bermuda out of New York and will head back across the Atlantic to offer European cruises for the 2023 summer season.
Norwegian Prima is the first ship in its class at 143,535 gross tons and measuring 965 feet long, with a guest capacity of 3,100 at double occupancy. The vessel brings a ton of new first-time features, including the fastest slides at sea, the rush and the drop. There’s the largest three-level go-kart track in the fleet, plenty of new dining venues, and a 44,000-square-foot walkway that wraps around the entire cruise ship.
A second sister ship named Norwegian Viva, which is currently under construction by Fincantieri in Italy will debut later in 2023 after several delays Due to supply chain issues.
