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Norwegian Prima vs Norwegian Aqua
The Norwegian Prima was built in 2022. The Prima is the first of six in a brand-new class of ship. It's 3 years older than the Aqua, which was built in 2025. The Norwegian Aqua is the 20th ship in the NCL fleet. It's nearly identical to its sister ship which will debut in 2026, the Luna.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Prima is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 133 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Aqua, the Prima is 8% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Prima holds 13% fewer passengers than the Aqua based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Prima has more space per person compared to the Aqua. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| Norwegian Prima | Norwegian Aqua | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Prima | Prima Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 143,535 | 156,300 |
| Length | 965 | 1,056 |
| Beam/Width | 133 | 133 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,099 | 3,571 |
| Crew | 1,506 | 1,388 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 46 | 44 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Prima has seventeen different dining options like Hudsons, Hasuki, and Nama. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Aqua has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Onda by Scarpetta, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Los Lobos. six of these restaurants are complementary and the other eleven have an additional fee.
The Norwegian Prima has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Aqua.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Norwegian Prima & Aqua
| Restaurant | Norwegian Prima |
Norwegian Aqua |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Hudsons | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Indulge Food Hall | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Surfside Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Surfside Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Commodore Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Local | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Coco's | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Flat fee | |||
| Cagney's Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Food Republic | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Hasuki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Le Bistro French | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Los Lobos | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Nama | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Onda by Scarpetta | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Palomar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sukhothai | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| The Haven | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Prima has 1 fewer bar than the Norwegian Aqua.
| Norwegian Prima | Norwegian Aqua | |
|---|---|---|
| Belvedere Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Improv at Sea | ✓ | ✓ |
| Luna Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Metropolitan Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Observation Lounge Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Penrose Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Proof Whiskey Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Soleil Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Speedway Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Swirl Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Syd Norman's Pourhouse | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Haven Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Local Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Bull's Eye Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vibe Beach Club Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Waves Pool Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Prima and the Aqua below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Norwegian Prima has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 4 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
The Norwegian Aqua has the same number of pools as the Prima and the same number of hot tubs.
| Norwegian Prima | Norwegian Aqua | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | ||
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 | 4 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Prima. Only 47% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Aqua, 53% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Prima | Norwegian Aqua | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dart Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Golf Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Slidecoaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Prima will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Aqua.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Norwegian ship.
| Norwegian | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
We sailed aboard the Norwegian Prima
Follow along on our sailing on the Norwegian Prima. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - NYC
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Halifax
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Final Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on the Norwegian Prima
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