- We sailed on an older and newer ship on Norwegian Cruise Line: the Sky and Prima.
- The smaller Sky was basic compared to the Prima's dazzling — but more expensive — activities.
One look at Norwegian Cruise Line's older and newer vessels will make you realize just how much bigger, bolder, and more irresistible cruise ships are becoming.
Decades of modernization and astute profit-making strategies have pushed the mass-market cruise industry to transform its small floating hotels into giant resorts with amusement park-like amenities.
So far, travelers have been loving this shift. Just look at Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, what's now the world's largest cruise ship.
The 9,950-person vessel's amenities — which include a six-slide waterpark, waterfall, and ice skating rink — could be one reason Icon has become its operator's most popular product.
It's likely the showiest example of the move toward larger and more activity-packed vessels. But Royal Caribbean isn't riding the "bigger is better" wave alone.
Competitor Norwegian Cruise Line is getting in on the action, too.
Two Business Insider reporters sailed on Norwegian's 25-year-old Norwegian Sky and the 1 ½-year-old Norwegian Prima. (Reporter Taylor Rains spent three nights on the Sky in January, while Brittany Chang joined Prima's complimentary four-night inaugural press sailing in late 2022.)
Sky is Norwegian's second-oldest ship, while Prima is its second-newest
The evolution of these vessels points to how Norwegian is evolving its fleet.
The $1.1 billion Prima — sister vessel to the newer Norwegian Viva — isn't its operator's largest product. (It ranks in seven out of 19.)
Still, it's still 117 feet longer and 66,431 gross tons heavier than the older Sky — with the ability to carry 1,095 more travelers.
You'd probably envision something like the older Norwegian Sky when someone asks you to picture a typical cruise ship.
It has all the basics: a casino, a buffet, bars, children's clubs, and a crowded pool deck.
But when compared to newer ships, it fell short of major "wow" factors.
The atrium was small and basic, the lounges lacked any razzle-dazzle, and the pool deck left much to be desired.
Most noticeably, it didn't have the grandiose amenities that are becoming more common on new ships, like the Prima. (Think water slides, flashy cocktail bars, and a go-kart race track.)
Yes, you read that right: go-karts. Good luck getting bored on the Norwegian Prima.
On-board amenities are getting flashier — and more expensive
Still, guests on the older Sky can spend their days at trivia and nights at song-and-dance shows.
Maybe even a round in the arcade, at bingo, or taking a spin on "Wheel of Fortune" — although these cost extra.
Despite the lack of super-modern amenities, Taylor found the ship's on-board events were enough to keep people entertained.
But on the newer Prima, cruisers have a lot more options.
Aboard the Prima, travelers can indulge in the go-kart race track, play at the arcade juiced with virtual-reality rides and games, and enjoy modern takes on mini-golf and darts.
For quieter afternoons, they can idle around Prima's beautiful outdoor lounges and walkways.
But the go-karts, virtual reality arcade, mini-golf, and darts all cost extra.
Pricing varies per activity: A round on the karts is $15 per person, while the flashy arcade is $28 à la carte (or $29 for one hour).
As expected, these paid activities were also Brittany's favorites.
Wining and dining options were vastly different as well
A standard complimentary buffet made an appearance on the older Sky.
While a faster dining experience than the main dining room, which often had a 45-minute wait to be served, Taylor found the free-for-all options were lacking.
Surprisingly, Prima didn't have a typical buffet.
Instead, it hooked up all-day diners with a multi-stall food hall and diverse options like Spanish tapas, Texas barbecue, and Indian curries.
And the Prima's Onda by Scarpetta specialty restaurant — one of eight — was an Italian pasta-filled hit for Brittany (at the cost of $20 to $30 per dish). Still, she found herself returning to the complimentary food hall several times during her four nights at sea.
And unlike Sky, Prima has a list of unique bars, including one by the go-kart track (we don't condone drinking and driving!) and another that serves cocktails with liqueurs and syrups made from food scraps.
Norwegian's newer ship dangles an impressive but expensive carrot in front of cruising families
The 25-year-old Sky did not dazzle compared to the newer Prima.
While there was enough on the old ship to entertain Taylor during her weekend getaway, she worried the lack of diverse amenities could get repetitive and boring.
Prima was the first cruise ship that didn't bore Brittany.
Fortunately for travelers, as the cruise industry has continued to embrace new tech and rides, ships have transformed from floating hotels into giant summer state fairs — ice cream included.
The 23-year difference in amenities between the Sky and Prima could not reflect that any more obviously.
But with these advancements has come a shift to more exceptional pay-to-play activities.
It's a clear sign of the industry's shift toward the budget airline model: Charge a reasonable base fare but pile on enticing extras.
It's an approach that appears to be working.
When Norwegian opened bookings for Prima in 2021, the vessel quickly became its "most in-demand ship ever," following a record number of bookings within the first day and week, the cruise line said at the time.
Glitzy new ships could be a no-brainer choice for cruising families
To compare prices, we pulled two upcoming 10-day sailings with nine ports of call:
On the newer Prima, there's a cruise from Reykjavik, Iceland to Southampton, UK, from $1,119 per person.
On the older Sky, there's a round-trip sailing that starts and ends in La Romana, Dominican Republic, from $800 per person.
So what's our take on the older vs. newer debate?
Brittany prefers as many amenities as possible, even if they cost extra.
And Taylor says next time she's in the market for a cruise, she would rather pay extra for a longer itinerary if it meant being on a more impressive ship like Prima.
After all, who could say no to a go-kart race followed by a few drinks? Just make sure you budget for both.