Nor wegian Pr ima
ON THE SEA
CRUISING FOR NEW EXPERIENCES
By Melissa Dowling
Norwegian Cruise Line recently launched its newest ship , Norwegian Prima , which is the first of six in its Prima Class . Christened this past August in Reykjavík , Iceland , the 965-ft . -long vessel can accommodate 3,100 guests at double occupancy . It has 20 decks , nearly 1,600 staterooms , 18 dining venues and 17 bars and lounges .
Norwegian invited travel agents and media aboard for the inaugural cruise , which sailed roundtrip from New York to Halifax , Nova Scotia , for a first-hand look at the newly launched ship . Here ’ s what we learned about Prima .
FRESH FOOD AND DRINK OPTIONS In addition to some of Norwegian ’ s signature eateries , such as Cagney ’ s Steakhouse , French restaurant Le Bistro , and Asian-fusion specialty Food Republic , Prima introduces a few new food concepts . For example , Palomar specializes in high-end Mediterranean cuisine , while Hasuki offers an elevated take on the traditional hibachi service . Nama has master chefs creating upscale sushi and sashimi offerings .
Indulge , Norwegian ’ s first-ever food hall , features 11 eateries with diverse menu items from a variety of culinary venues as well as a mix of indoor and outdoor seating . Concepts include Q Texas Smokehouse for American Southern comfort food and barbecue ; Nudls , for noodle dishes from around the world ; Tamara , classic Indian dishes and multiple vegetarian options ; The Latin Quarter , Latin food with a twist ; and Tapas Food Truck , elevated Spanish-inspired street food .
Wes Cort , vice president , food & beverage operations for Norwegian Cruise Line , noted in a panel discussion othat Indulge was Prima ’ s most expensive and most difficult dining project to execute . A food hall “ is not a cruise concept ,” he said , and Indulge has 120 menu items to choose from . “ You could dine there every night on a cruise and not have the same thing — that ’ s why it ’ s been so popular ” so far with guests , he added .
Indulge also includes the Luna bar and the outdoor Soleil Bar . Several of the Prima bars offer cocktails on tap from Liquid Kitchen by Kathy Casey .
The Belvedere Bar features crafted cocktails with a modern , fresh take on classics . A few drinks are bottled , such as the Bourbon Myth , with bourbon , fresh lemon juice , rosemary honey syrup and ginger , and All About Basil , with gin , Chambord , fresh lime and basil syrup .
SUSTAINABLE SIPS The Metropolitan Bar on Prima , the brand ’ s first sustainable cocktail bar , follows the brand ’ s Sail and Sustain program . It features responsibly crafted zero-waste cocktails prepared with surplus ingredients , a fully
The new Norwegian Prima ship includes a number of craft cocktail options .
sustainable spirits menu and biodynamic wines .
It ’ s not “ a green-washing situation ,” Cort said during a Sustainable Happy Hour event at the bar . “ Everything has a commitment in one way or another toward sustainability .”
Luis Ortega , Norwegian ’ s director of beverage development and operations , noted that the cruise line worked with consultancy Bar-Lab on sustainable cocktails for its Encore ship . With Prima , Norwegian took the sustainable bar concept even further .
Bar-Lab went through the ship ’ s galley to find items that might have gone into the garbage — from overripe bananas and watermelon rinds to misshaped almond croissants and first-press coffee — and repurposed them for cocktail ingredients such as syrups .
Norwegian also partnered with Flor De Caña , a Fair Trade certified and sustainably sourced rum from Nicaragua that ’ s produced with 100 % renewable energy , to carry the product on the fleet . Metropolitan Bar ’ s signature sustainably made cocktail the “ Primadonna ,” is a riff on an Old Fashioned crafted using a banana-peel syrup , Flor De Caña and walnut bitters .
The cruise line collaborated with Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana to produce a responsibly sourced botanical gin specifically for the fleet . The organic gin ’ s name , 66 , refers to 1966 — the year Norwegian was founded , Cort said . Terrapin Beer Co ., a sustainable brewery in Athens , GA , came up with a special brew under the 66 brand , he added .
The beverage team also worked with French winemaker Gerard Bertrand on a selection of sustainable wines . Metropolitan Bar showcases more than 20 biodynamic wines produced using organic farming methods , such as employing compost as fertilizer and avoiding most pesticides .
www . cheersonline . com Winter 2022 • 15