sail in the imagination

Luxury restaurants, a race track, advanced technology and endless peace in front of the endless sea.

We boarded Norwegian Cruise Line's PRIMA for a voyage from Iceland to the Netherlands, passing through wild landscapes, natural phenomena, medieval alleyways and bustling cities, and it was not easy to get off

Binya Quadrat

14/09/2022

Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 13:08 Updated: Saturday, September 17, 2022, 08:13

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We walk on the transparent bridge, below us the ripples of the waves, grab a cocktail from the bar, enter the pool, and rest in the heart of the ocean.

Endless blue around us, silence except for the noise of the water.

You can feel the silence and surrender to peace.

After maybe 20 minutes you can finally see land on the horizon.

The blue is broken by splashes of green and brown, and I think I also saw a windmill.

Holland is coming.

But this story begins a week before, when we boarded the ship, which is almost 300 meters long, neat and tidy.

We got a room with a balcony, which includes a wide double bed, sofa, TV, closet and of course a bathroom and shower.

The rooms on the ship are carefully designed and are certainly spacious and meet all needs.

But staying in a room when you're inside a ship like this is always accompanied by a feeling of missing out, so we hurried out of it, when our first destination, of course - is a restaurant.

A quick look at the information leaflet in our possession revealed to us that throughout the ship there are no less than five free restaurants that are open to all passengers and another eight themed restaurants that involve an additional fee, including a steakhouse and a Japanese, French, Italian and Mexican restaurant.

As the first course of the cruise we decided to try the "Indulge", a restaurant that includes 11 culinary complexes to choose from.

With the help of the tablet on the tables we could choose from the menu salads, tapas, main dishes, Asian dishes, seafood, soups and of course drinks of all kinds.

The portions are very tasty, but small.

On the other hand, you can order without limit, so it doesn't really interfere, what's more, it allows you to taste everything that comes next to you.

Carefully designed.

A room with a balcony on the ship (Photo: Walla! system, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL))

The next morning we got up early to be on time for the trip to Iceland.

And we did it well, most of the trips are ticking like a Swiss watch, and those who don't arrive on time may lose them.

A trip to Iceland alone is worth the entire cruise.

The entire road is lined with wild greenery, and the eyes can't get enough of the picturesque scenery in the background - rivers, streams and lakes, and cows, sheep, geese and horses dipping in bushes higher than them.

A friendly guide accompanies the trip and explains about the history, culture, nature, politics and life in the country.

We chose the popular tourist route "The Golden Circle", which leaves from the capital city of Reykjavík.

The first stop was geysers in an active geothermal valley.

However, while we were staring at the magic, a painful realization dawned on us that would accompany us throughout the voyage - the tour time is limited and very measured, and it is not always enough to see everything you want.

In most cases, like in Iceland, you leave the trip with a taste for more.

But, in some cases the short taste of the amazing trip includes an aftertaste of missing out, and the thought that another hour or two of the trip could have completely changed the experience.

However, in Iceland there is not much time to be disappointed because immediately afterwards we went to the rare and beautiful "Gulfus" waterfall and Thingvellir National Park, a fascinating site that is considered the best place in the world to see the separation of tectonic plates.

With this mesmerizing sight we effectively ended our Iceland trip and returned to the ship.

Then, the real show began.

Breathtaking view.

"Gulfus" waterfall in Iceland (photo: Walla! system, Quadrat Construction)

Paradise in the middle of the sea

We started the first morning of the cruise at the big buffet on the ship - the "Surfside Café & Grill".

At breakfast you can enjoy a variety of omelets, salads, breads, cereals, vegetables, fruits and desserts, and in the evening you will find about 10 types of meat, chips, a pasta and noodle bar, potatoes, 4 types of pizzas and many other toppings.

Next to them there is also a bar with a variety of drinks and an ice cream machine - all this, of course, with a view of the sea.

After breakfast we hurried up to the 17th floor to the "Prima Speedway" racetrack, because as you understood, we are not good at delaying gratification.

We spent the eight minutes after the safety briefing on the 420 meters winding over three floors, with the wind beating in our faces reminding us of the fact that it is hard to digest - yes, we are in the middle of the sea.

The speed is not dizzying, but certainly sufficient and is a correct combination between the desire to provide a good and challenging experience and the unfortunate fact that not all of us were born Michael Schumacher.

Along the route, the ship's workers will measure your times with a laser meter, so you can find out how many laps you managed to do and at what speed.

If you want to celebrate the victory, you can do it at the racetrack bar, simply because there is one.

But one cocktail is not enough when there is a free alcohol package, and so we found ourselves rushing to the "Soleil" bar, which is located on the deck on the eighth floor, right next to the transparent glass bridge that gives the feeling of walking on water.

The weather outside reminds us that we left Iceland only a few hours ago, so there is a cool and pleasant breeze, but it is still impossible to enjoy the variety of sunbeds and pools that the ship offers.

420 meters over three floors.

The race track at "Prima" (photo: Walla! system, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL))

But the fact that you can't enjoy the pools outside doesn't mean you shouldn't put on a bathing suit.

So we put one of these on and rushed to the spa, which includes two heated pools, a variety of massage treatments to choose from for a fee, and heated beds located right at the bow of the ship, where we chose to lie down and relax a bit from the tight schedule and the urge to finish everything Prima has to offer.

After dinner at "Hudson", a restaurant-level dining room with a mouth-watering menu, we rushed to the theater for a show about the life of the "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer. The theater has about 750 seats, and the level of presentation of the ship's entertainment team is very high. When the show is over, as in the Magic Headquarters , all the seats disappear with the help of a special technology that also makes it possible to change the occupancy, and the hall turns into a huge plaza where the passengers celebrate with a party with alcohol and a DJ.

Pools and heated beds in the bow of the ship.

The spa on board the "Prima" (photo: Walla! system, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL))

Finally sunny

On the third morning of the cruise, we woke up to a new view, with sun rays caressing the balcony of the room.

Now begins a sequence of three days of beach trips, day after day, in Ireland, England and France.

Here we have to point out that the beach tours are really nice and the guides are excellent, but if you didn't buy a ticket that includes them, their price is not always necessarily worth it.

If you chose to take a guide, in France for example you can go on a fascinating journey through the medieval alleys of the town of "Arfleur", which includes the history, politics and intrigues from the Viking era to the Hundred Years' War.

Even if you have decided that the trip is too expensive for you, you can always get off the ship and travel alone.

We chose this option in Portland, England.

It might be a little less interesting, but not necessarily.

One way or another, you should always stock up on water, since apart from a bottle on the first day, the service on the ship does not provide water to the rooms, and buying a bottle will cost you five dollars, or almost eight for a glass bottle.

Keep in mind that if you chose to get off at every stop, you may suffer from severe "pomo", because it will not be easy to complete both the shore excursions and everything the ship has to offer.

So we couldn't do everything, and had to give up, among other things, participation in the game "the price is right" in the theater, the water slides 10 stories high and the innovative games complex that includes interactive mini golf and "target shooting" based on innovative gaming technology, but if there is something that is not We were ready to give it up - there is no doubt that this is "Galaxy Pavilion", an innovative complex of augmented reality games.

Slides along 10 floors on board the "Prima" (Photo: Walla! system, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL))

Whether it's the demon train where you'll be attacked by zombies or clowns, the tour of the depths of the earth where you'll try to get out of it alive with archery or the attractive car race - it's hard not to spend a lot of time in the complex during the cruise.

The experience is suitable for all ages, and also includes games of golf, boxing and even, believe it or not, an escape room.

Before arriving at the final destination, Amsterdam, we decided to take advantage of the sun and finally enter the outdoor jacuzzi on the 17th floor. When it started to get busy, we went down to the 8th floor deck, where comfortable sun loungers and pampering floating armchairs are spread out.

In between, there is the "infinity" pool, a pool with a transparent railing that gives the feeling of swimming in the heart of the ocean.

Around it, luxurious beds were built on a wooden deck, each of which is surrounded by a small water channel.

There, we decided to relax in front of the endless blue, and of course we didn't give up a cocktail from the nearby bar.

We ate the last dinner at the Mexican themed restaurant "Los Lobos", where we tried some particularly delicious authentic dishes.

We ended the cruise in one of the attractive places on the ship - the "Sid Norman" pub.

With a painted floor, perfect acoustics, an enchanted atmosphere and a performance concept that pays homage to rock and roll, the only downside of the place is that you have to get there early, otherwise there is no chance of seats remaining.

Lots of augmented reality games.

The "Galaxy Pavilion" complex on board the "Prima" (photo: Walla! system, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL))

Prices

A five-day cruise from Bermuda to New York this October will cost you $1,480 per person in a room with a balcony, and $1,845 in a studio room.

A suite in the luxury "Haven" class, which has a separate area from the rest of the ship, will cost you $4,981 per person on this cruise.

If you also want to stop by Iceland, you can pay $3,963 per person for a room with a sail on an 11-day sailing from Southampton to Reykjavik, and $3,727 for a studio room.

All the above prices include an open bar package, gourmet meals, free tours, Wi-Fi and payment of service fees in advance. Even if you chose a price that does not include the entire package, you can upgrade it for $150 and receive in return an open bar package that includes almost all the drinks on the ship The

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