We just got off the Norwegian Prima after sailing July 26 to August 2, 2026 and I wanted to give myself a few days before writing about it.
This isn't going to be a glowing review. It's going to be an honest one. As someone who books travel for a living, I think honest is more valuable than nice.
There were things we genuinely loved about this trip, and there were things that left me frustrated, disappointed, and, in one case, seriously ill. More than anything, the experience gave me a much clearer picture of who I would, and wouldn't, recommend Norwegian to.
The Good Stuff, Up Front
My eleven year old son had been asking to sail Norwegian specifically because of the race car track, and it absolutely delivered. Ten out of ten from him. My husband called it his favorite part of the entire trip, and honestly, our whole family loved it. There is nothing else quite like it at sea.
The itinerary was also excellent. We stopped in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Norwegian's private island, Great Stirrup Cay. Every port was lovely, and getting off the ship was my favorite part of the trip.
We also enjoyed karaoke and a few of the shows, especially Deal or No Deal, The Price Is Right, and the Fleetwood Mac tribute, which was easily the standout entertainment of the week.
The Good Stuff, Up Front
My eleven year old son had been asking to sail Norwegian specifically because of the race car track, and it absolutely delivered. Ten out of ten from him. My husband called it his favorite part of the entire trip, and honestly, our whole family loved it. There is nothing else quite like it at sea.
The itinerary was also excellent. We stopped in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Norwegian's private island, Great Stirrup Cay. Every port was lovely, and getting off the ship was my favorite part of the trip.
We also enjoyed karaoke and a few of the shows, especially Deal or No Deal, The Price Is Right, and the Fleetwood Mac tribute, which was easily the standout entertainment of the week.
I have celiac disease, so I'm extremely careful about eating gluten free and avoiding cross contamination. I've sailed many other cruise lines, and before this trip, I'd only been glutened one time on a cruise. Unfortunately, now it's two times.
Night One: Hasuki Teppanyaki
Our first dinner onboard was at Hasuki, and it was genuinely wonderful.
They prepared my food safely and separately from the regular hibachi grill. The food was good, the chefs put on a fun show, and it was exactly the kind of first night dinner you want on a cruise.
No complaints here. We all loved it.
Night Two: Food Republic
This is where things went very wrong.
Food Republic uses shared iPads for ordering, which was challenging for some of the more mature members of our group and made the process particularly disorganized for our table of ten.
I had done exactly what Norwegian asks guests with food allergies to do: I preordered my meal the night before. This is a common allergy protocol across the cruise industry, and I made sure the maître d' knew about my celiac disease. He personally told me he would oversee it in the kitchen.
So I felt like I had done everything I was supposed to do.
Before dinner was even over, I was violently ill and had to return to my room.
It ruined the rest of that night and part of the following day.
I know the difference between minor cross contamination, which might cause some discomfort, and being served significant amounts of gluten. This felt like the latter.
My mom also has celiac disease and got sick. Everyone else at our table was fine. But the two people with gluten allergies were both extremely unwell.
Afterward, nobody from the restaurant or Guest Services followed up with us. Even though I ran out of the restaurant before the meal finished and they were informed I was sick.
I wasn't surprised, just disappointed.
The Other Dining Experiences
The rest of the dining experience was mixed. Service was inconsistent, and meals could be slow. Hudson's was our favorite of the main dining rooms, while the Commodore Room felt lackluster.
Indulge was another example of how difficult it could be to get a straightforward answer about gluten free options. When I asked about a modification, the attendant couldn't answer me, and I ultimately had to track down the maître d' myself.
Onda was our other specialty dining experience, and it was frustrating for a different reason. We had preordered my allergy safe meal the night before, but every course arrived after everyone else had finished eating. I also found the food itself bland and disappointing.
Several people at our table did enjoy Onda, so clearly experiences vary. If you don't have food allergies, you may have a very different experience. If you do, I'd skip it.
The gluten free dessert options were also repetitive and mediocre, with the same 2-3 choices appearing throughout the week. No imagination here even though everyone else had a much larger variety to select from.
This was another big disappointment of the trip.
My mom's accessible cabin (16792) had an automatic door that repeatedly malfunctioned, making it difficult for her to get in and out with her scooter.
The door itself was very heavy and would slam shut after only 10 seconds. This was not long enough for her to navigate in and out of the room safely.
When we raised the concern with Guest Services, they suggested that I should just help her get in and out of her room, even though I wasn't staying in or anywhere near her room.
Honestly, the audacity!
It took significant pushing to get Engineering involved, and even after they supposedly fixed it, the problem returned the next day. It was a dangerous and ongoing mess!
Getting to the private island was similarly challenging. Even with priority disembarkation, there was little direction around accessible tendering. Nobody proactively told us where guests needing an accessible tender were supposed to go, and we had to figure it out ourselves.
For travelers who rely on accessibility accommodations, I would have a much more serious conversation about Norwegian before recommending it.
Accessibility Fell Short
Is It Norwegian or Is It Just The Prima?
This is the question I've been asking myself since we got home.
Was this a Norwegian problem, or was it a Prima problem?
I don't know that I can answer that definitively after one sailing. Every cruise line has an off week, and every ship has its own personality and operational quirks.
But here's what I do know: Prima is one of Norwegian's newer, more highly regarded ships, and after this experience, I would have a hard time choosing it with confidence for a client with significant food allergies or accessibility needs.
And that matters to me.
We all have our preferences, and I have plenty of clients who are loyal to Norwegian and have an amazing experience every time. I know many of them are looking for exactly what Norwegian does well: a casual atmosphere, lots of activities, great itineraries, and plenty to keep everyone busy.
I also know that those clients aren't traveling with the same food allergy or accessibility concerns that we were.
That doesn't make their experience any less valid. It just reinforces something I talk about with clients all the time: the best cruise line is the one that fits your particular travel style and needs.
And after this trip, I have a much clearer idea of where Norwegian fits for me and for my clients.
That's exactly where Arrow Travel Co. can help.
I don't believe in recommending the same cruise line to everyone. I take the time to understand how you travel, what matters to you, and what you want from the experience, then help you find the right fit.
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