By
Alex Smith |
Norwegian Cruise Line has taken delivery of its newest ship, Norwegian Prima, from Fincantieri at the shipbuilder’s yard in Marghera, Italy.
Norwegian Prima is the first ship in the cruise line’s Prima class, with a further five ships to be constructed by 2027. Norwegian celebrated the ship’s arrival with a celebration attended by Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, and Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of the Fincantieri’s merchant ships division. The delivery celebration was then followed by a traditional flag exchange ceremony.
"Today we usher in a thrilling new era in cruising as we celebrate the delivery of Norwegian Prima, the long-anticipated first ship in our extraordinary new Prima class,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We thank our wonderful partners at Fincantieri, whose coveted craftsmanship, expertise, and dedication, helped bring Norwegian Prima to life. We cannot wait to welcome our guests on board."
Norwegian Prima is 965 feet long, 142,500 GT, and will have capacity for 3,100 guests. She will feature Norwegian’s first open-air food hall, the Indulge Food Hall, the first three-level racetrack at sea and The Drop, the world’s first freefall dry slide, allowing guests to descend 10 -stories while experiencing greater G-force than an accelerating F1 race car.
The ship also includes the Ocean Boulevard, which wraps around the entire deck and offers alfresco dining venues. The Infinity Beach area will offer two infinity pools positioned close to sea level and Oceanwalk, two glass bridges that allow guests to see the water below. Norwegian Prima also features The Concourse, the first outdoor sculpture garden at sea, with six installations created by metal artist Alexander Krivosheiw and an art wall designed by David Harber.
"We're glad to work with Norwegian Cruise Line to create a world-class series of ships, and it's a proud day seeing the first of the six Prima Class vessels delivered today,” said Luigi Matarazzo. “Norwegian Prima is packed with world-firsts, never-before-seen features, and extraordinary attractions you would never expect at sea.”
Norwegian Prima will sail a series of eight-day voyages from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Copenhagen, Denmark, around Northern Europe and the Norwegian fjords. The ship will redeploy to sail from Bermuda on 10 October, then move to New York, USA, to offer Caribbean itineraries from 15-27 October.