NCL Revamps Dining Onboard New Prima Class
by Dori Saltzman /
Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce new traditional and specialty dining options onboard its Prima Class of ships, which launches with Norwegian Prima in August of this year. Nine new dining and beverage venues will debut on the ship including Palomar, a high-end Mediterranean restaurant and Metropolitan Bar, the brand’s first sustainably-focused bar. The line will also be replacing its signature three-venue traditional dining with two new main dining rooms.
“We’ve been innovators in the food and beverage space for more than three decades, becoming the first cruise line to offer specialty dining and the first to introduce our ‘Freestyle Cruising’ concept that allows our guests to vacation their way by giving them the choice to decide when and where they dine,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line.
Revamped Main Dining
Norwegian Cruise Line is replacing its traditional three-venue main dining (Taste, Savor and the Manhattan Room) with two all-new venues.
Cruisers will be able to take in 270-degree views while dining at Hudson’s, located in the aft of the ship overlooking the stern. Or, they can opt for a more upscale experience in The Commodore Room. Both venues will feature a revamped and extensive fixed main dining menu that offers more global variety. The new menu will also feature a build-your-own pasta option where guests can request a tailor-made dish by selecting their choice of pasta, sauce and toppings for more than 24 meal combinations.
The menu will also include a “Specialties” section from which cruisers can select a dish from one of the ship’s specialty dining restaurants.
The revamped menu will debut on Norwegian Prima and be rolled out to the rest of the NCL fleet throughout 2023.
The Surfside Café, which replaces the Garden Café, and Surfside Grill will be located on Deck 17 and offer a diverse menu of self-service casual dining and items prepared “a la minute.”
New Specialty Restaurants
In addition to the two new main dining venues, Norwegian Prima will see the debut of three new specialty restaurants, along with the previously announced Indulge Food Hall, which features 11 different mini eateries.
- Palomar: This seafood restaurant will offer high-end Mediterranean cuisine.
- Hasuki: Replacing NCL’s signature Teppanyaki eatery, this intimate venue will offer traditional hibachi-style fare.
- Nama: NCL’s new contemporary sushi house serving up a menu of sushi and sashimi. Table and sushi bar seating will be available.
Returning favorites include Cagney’s Steakhouse, Le Bistro, and Food Republic, along with Onda by Scarpetta, Los Lobos and The Local Bar & Grill, which were previously announced.
Drinking Spots
Norwegian Cruise Line has been experimenting with sustainable cocktails for several years now and on Norwegian Prima the line goes all-in with the Metropolitan Bar. A part of the brand’s Sail and Sustain program, the bar will feature zero-waste cocktails prepared with surplus ingredients. The bar’s signature cocktail, the “Primadonna,” is inspired by an Old Fashion and is crafted using surplus banana peels with Flor De Cana rum that is produced with 100% renewable energy.
Also on the menu will be a selection of fully sustainable spirits and biodynamic wines. NCL worked with Gerard Bertrand, recipient of a 2020 “The Drinks Business” Green Award, to select more than 20 biodynamic wines produced using organic farming methods.
Another new bar and lounge option on the Prima-class ships will be The Belvedere Bar, a contemporary cocktail lounge featuring crafted cocktails with a modern, fresh take on classic drinks.
Rendering of Penrose Atrium
Three-Deck Atrium
Norwegian Prima and sister ship Norwegian Viva will be the first ships in the Norwegian fleet to have a three-deck high atrium. Designed by Miami-based Studio Dado, the glass-walled Penrose Atrium will span decks six, seven and eight. Lining the atrium will be a three-deck-high light feature that conveys the feeling of the sun rising on the horizon and surrounds a three-level wall art piece that resembles a topographic map.
Retail spaces and bars will be located throughout the Penrose Atrium including Starbucks Coffee, the Whiskey Bar, and the Prima Casino’s Penrose Bar, featuring video poker machines.
Norwegian Prima launchs in August 2022. It will feature the line's most expansive variety of suite categories, a Donna Summers-inspired musical and a three-level Go Kart racetrack.