My family have been long time fans of NCL breakaway class boats and have raved about almost all cruises from the Spirit to the Dawn to the Escape and many in between. We booked the Prima a year ago and just got back and wished we had stayed with older ships. The Prima has small venues, tons of technical issues and uses two thirds of its top deck spaces on added cost venues included the totally booked but mostly empty Vibe beach club. Pools were too small, two few pool bars and hot tubs. Buffet one third the size of breakaway class ships and way too much focus on racetrack at sea. No real night club, theatre coverts to a dance space with no character. Three headliner shows cancelled due to technical issues and a main pool white party poorly marketed and attracted less than 100 cruisers, usually a main event.

Rooms were comfy, staff was excellent and no complaints about the food but even with our platinum level concierge service we couldn’t book an early show or specialty dinner before 9pm most nights. Booking flights was a Norwegian nightmare, booked half of our party out of the wrong country and then couldn’t make it right. Despite it all I might still go back tor the breakaway class again some day but now need to try out MSC and Celebrity to compare experiences. Not horrible but not what I expected the first time back at sea after three years away. I don’t like the direction of the new ships and the majority of fellow cruisers we talked to agreed. Too much focus on extra cost clubs, Haven and racetracks and gotten too far from fun pools, lots of poolside bars and great entertainment. It is turning us into all inclusive resort vacationers when that is something we never saw ourselves as being. I don’t want to seem like a totally negative reviewer I just want folks to be ready for what they will get withe Leonardo project boats.