I found myself in Venice, Italy stepping over creaky plywood boards
and bundles of electrical cords as the Norwegian Prima loomed ahead. The
buzzing of construction equipment — there were 2,300 people working on
the ship — was incessant.
But the ship, the first in Norwegian Cruise Line's new Prima class,
is far enough along in places that I got a sense of what the finished
product will be like. I peeked inside a mostly finished standard suite;
the bathroom was all but completed, the desk and mirror were installed
and the balcony doors secure.
Above
plastic-covered mattresses, I saw an unusual piece of art: In place of a
headboard was a mural ornamented with blue butterflies and featuring a
woman from a bygone era looking toward an array of fierce, shining
crystals
It's been nearly a decade since NCL unveiled a new class of ships.
The Prima will be followed quickly by a sister, the Viva, next year.
Norwegian Cruise Line staterooms will feature murals that curators hope will become "Instagram moments.” Photo Credit: Andrea Zelinski
The Prima, under construction at Fincantieri's yard here, will be
delivered in July. And as NCL prepares to launch the class, the brand is
looking to "elevate" itself — its experiences, its food, its spaces —
to that of a premium-contemporary product.
The
ship will have the three-deck Penrose Atrium with glass stars inspired
by the constellations, and there will be 18 dining options. Haven
passengers will have exclusive access to the ship's most upscale
restaurant, Palomar, which will serve Mediterranean dishes with an
emphasis on fresh fish.
The ship will also feature Infinity Beach, a glass-walled promenade with an infinity-edge pool.
The
Prima has contemporary-line attractions, especially in its
go-big-or-go-home amusements: Thrill-seekers will find a 10-story dry
slide and a go-kart track spanning three levels that is 22% longer than
the one on the Norwegian Encore. The karts can reach speeds of up to
80km/hr.
While
ships like Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas set out to be the
biggest at sea, NCL is going smaller, at least in capacity. The Prima
will carry 3,215 passengers, a reduction in the number of cabins from
the line's previous two classes that will boost passenger space both in
cabins and outdoor areas, including the new 360-degree Ocean Boulevard
deck.
Nonetheless,
the scale of Prima was brought home by the seemingly endless stairs I
needed to climb while exploring the partially completed ship — it does
not yet have a working elevator.
A large LED-embedded ring called Sacred Trinity will be part of a sculpture garden. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Prima will have 700 pieces of art
While not explicitly linking additional outdoor space to pandemic-era
trends, the Prima is installing a US$2 million sculpture garden
featuring six pieces of abstract art, including a puppy designed through
a cubism lens and a large LED-embedded ring called Sacred Trinity.
West Palm Beach sculptor Alexander Krivosheiw said he wanted his
abstract art to invoke the childlike spirit of seeing something for the
first time. "It can be really intimidating for people to step outside
themselves and interpret [the art] in whatever way, whatever emotion,"
Krivosheiw told reporters. "That intimidation — I didn't want it in
every single piece of work.
The Scoops puppy sculpture is meant to invoke a childlike sense of amazement. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
"The puppy dog, it was so playful and yet so sophisticated," he
continued. "I wanted to see that smile in people, not contemplating it
too deeply."
The ship will display 700 pieces of art, most of it commissioned
originals. The US$6 million spend on art is higher than on any other NCL
ship, said Sarah Hall, curator and design director for Norwegian Cruise
Line Holdings.
Following NCL's tradition of displaying art on ship hulls, the Prima
will feature a 3D illusion of water's movement in blue, white and gray
tones.
Back inside the ship, Hall explained the concept behind the murals in
the bedrooms: Each cabin will have one of five designs. The variety is
intended to spark a desire in guests to want to sneak a peek into other
cabins and to foster "Instagram moments."
The murals "invoke the feeling we all get when traveling the world,"
she added. "They go beyond a photograph that matches the couch."
Source: Travel Weekly