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Cruise review: Norwegian Prima entertainment options for all ages

Norwegian Prima is designed entirely with the passenger in mind, and with all these activities there’s never a dull moment.

Norwegian Prima entertainment offerings seem to bring imagination to life. Experiences like an electronic go-kart track and waterslides will keep the young (and young at heart) entertained, while big kids can relax in the spa, salon and thermal suites.

Excluding the evening entertainment lounges, live music and theatre there are seven major areas for daytime activities. It must be noted that they come with additional charges – which can feel a little like you are being nickeled and dimed – but they are not that expensive.

Find our overall impressions here, and read on for a full breakdown of Norwegian Prima entertainment.

Broadway show Summer: The Donna Summer Story

The highlight of the entertainment must be the Summer; The Donna Summer Show. The Broadway musical has brought in three performers at varying stages of successful careers, each playing Summer in a different stage of her life.

Kimberley Locke leads the ensemble as “Diva Summer". Locke is well known in the US for being third runner-up in the second season of American Idol and has had a few to 40 hits plus numerous TV credits and performances to her name. Whilst she leads this ensemble, she readily admits this is her entry into the world of theatre.

Prima Theater and Club, Norwegian Prima
The 752-seat theatre morphs into a nightclub.

Joining her in the lead roles is Dutch emerging theatrical star Valerie Carlingford who plays “Disco Donna" (mid-career where she becomes famous) and the diminutive D’naysa Jordan who takes on the role of “Duckling Donna" (the child Donna). It is a powerful story made even more striking by a sound track that is so familiar to us all.

It is not to be missed.

Prima Speedway

Yes, jump in an electronic go-kart and hit the triple deck 420m track to take on all comers. It is fun and there is room for overtaking. It is an improvement on all previous tracks at sea. USD$15

race track, Norwegian Prima Speedway
Pump up your adrenaline on the race tracks of the Prima speedway.

Tee Time

The nine-hole mini golf (or putt putt to the rest of us) is designed with all sorts of elaborate holes and obstacles. USD$10

Tee Time, Norwegian Prima
Try their mini golf on Norwegian Prima’s Tee Time.

The Bull’s Eye

There are three separate dart boards and chesterfield-like sofas evoking a bar. Most helpfully, the computerised dartboard automatically calculates the scores. USD$40 for up to six people for 50 minutes

electronic darts bar, Prima Bulls Eye at Norwegian Prima
The Bulls Eye has an electronic darts bar that automatically tallies the score.

The Galaxy Pavilion

Norwegian Prima has done away with the typical arcade-style games for kids and installed a variety of VR games. Many of them are lame; the haunted house experience is nausea-inducing without any real scares. However, the zombie hunting “Descent" and Formula 1 racing simulators, complete with convulsing chair, are excellent. There is also an escape room challenge. US$8 per VR game or US $29 for one hour of unlimited access to VR. Escape Room $15 per person.

Galaxy Pavilion, Norwegian Prima
Immerse in virtual reality at the Galaxy Pavilion.

The Drop and The Fall

These two dry slides drop 10 decks. The Drop is a vertical fall for about three decks. Then you’ll have a moment of slowing down before another rapid decline.

True adrenaline junkies will want more but it is a sufficient thrill for a number of repeat turns. The Rush is more like a dry corkscrew waterslide, ala the old mat slides of Coney Island at Sydney’s Luna Park.

free-fall dry slide, The Drop and The Fall at Norwegian Prima
The Drop and The Fall is the first free-fall dry slide to reach G-forces higher than an F1 race car.

The Wave

This waterslide sees riders on a donut launched up and around the tidal wave. Another fun ride for all ages.

waterslide at The Wave, Norwegian Prima
Catch the perfect wave at Norwegian Prima’s tidal waterslide.

The Stadium

The Stadium houses the three shuffleboards, a couple of ping pong tables, a third housed in a cylinder, an unusual seated soccer game and a pickleball court. Perhaps most unaccepted are the two beer pong tables.

ping pong tables at The Stadium, Norwegian Prima
Norwegian Prima’s Stadium is complete with ping pong tables for those who love to play table tennis. (Image: Katie Davis)

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Splash Academy

The kids club with the prerequisite gaming consoles and craft activities.

The Splash Academy, Norwegian Prima
The Splash Academy is a fun recreational spot for kids and adults young at heart.

Vibe Beach Club and Bar

This is an exclusive, pay-for-access, adults-only area of the ship with two hot tubs, its own lounge area and a bar, US$249 for a week’s access.

Vibe Beach Club, Norwegian Prima
Your private retreat at the Vibe Beach Club.

The Spa, Salon and Thermal Suites

There is an abundance of massage treatments at the Mandana Spa;  deep tissue, Swedish and hot stone varieties for singles or couples in 50, 75 and 100-minute blocks.

If you are hoping to return looking like new, this can also be arranged through simple facials and pedicures or more intrusive cellulite treatments or even teeth whitening.

spa pool, Norwegian Prima
Soothe your aching muscles at Norwegian Prima’s detoxifying saunas and spa pools.

On board is a Nepalese western-trained doctor who also specialises in acupuncture and offers a free consultation with a dizzying array of recommended treatments.

But even if you are not a spa junkie, the Thermal Suite pass may be just your ticket. There are day passes (USD$99) or cruise long passes which give you access to the array of thermal treatment rooms and pools.

stateroom shower and bathtub, Norwegian Prima
Relax in a hot tub while gazing at the stunning seascape.

We enjoyed a lazy hour moving from the aroma steam rooms to the charcoal sauna, the salt treatments room, and the thermal showers – sweating it all out in the Finnish sauna before jolting our senses back into reality in the ice room.

The heated beds at the stern have the best view (after the observation deck) and are truly blissful.

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Quentin Long
Quentin Long is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Australian Traveller Media. Quentin is a sought-after travel media commentator. He is Australia’s most trusted source for travel news and insights, having held weekly radio segments across the country since 2006, and regularly appearing on Channel 9’s Today and A Current Affair programs from 2010. Don't ask him his favourite travel experience as that's like asking him to choose a favourite child. However he does say that Garma Festival is the one travel experience that changed him the most.
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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

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    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

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    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

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    woman hiking around queenstown new zealand
    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

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    4. Better connections

    Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

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    5. Location is everything

    Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld
    Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

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