NCL Prima or Anthem of the Seas for Transatlantic from NYC in April?

[me_phisto]

Hello folks,

 

my wife and I are planning to do our first TA next April from NYC towards Europe but are struggling between NCL Prima and Anthem of the Seas. We are both 35 years and have done already some cruises (mostly with NCL incl 14 days in South America and Panama canal transit) but also two with Allure and Harmony of the Seas).

 

I’ve read already various trip reports about Prima incl. possible noisy staterooms and small venues inside that are definitely the downside, on the other hand the ship is new, the itinerary including Iceland promising and the Free at Sea package definitely much cheaper than the Deluxe beverage package of Royal Caribbean ….

 

Then again Anthem of the Seas offers with the Solarium a very nice indoor pool for cooler days that is definitely a big benefit compared to Prima where I expect that probably the pools can’t be used all the time during the TA.

 

If you like good entertainment, various food choices, the possibility to swim and some sort of action which ship would you choose for the crossing (we would be sailing in a regular balcony stateroom)?

 

Thank you very much and kind regards,

Dominik

[smokeykat]

Anthem of the Seas!! It checks all your boxes off. This ship is made for cooler weather with a lot to do indoors. The free at sea is tempting but Anthem's solarium and pool will win me over. Cruised two times on Anthem, one of my favorites!

[RalphWiggum]

I also would go with Anthem.  I have not been on the Prima but have been on the Anthem.  I also do lots of TAs, and am considering both ships for next year, as well as the QM2 to Hamburg that sails around the same time.  I am leaning towards the Anthem over Prima for two main reasons.  
 

The first as noted above is the much larger indoor pool and solarium areas on the Anthem, both of which were very spacious.   Plus, the Anthem itinerary is more southern, so you should also probably be able to use the outdoor areas as well (although TA weather is very variable).   In contrast, the itinerary for the Prima is a very northern route.  It is very likely to be very cold, wet and windy, probably every day but the first day out.  (On my July TA this year, we had 1 nice day out of seven where you could sit out by the pool).   And I’ve read too many reviews about the poor passenger flow and spacing on the Prima, which could be miserable if the ship sails close to full, as it is likely to do since demand has really been up for all cruises, even repositionings.  I don’t think NCL offers much to do during the day for the number of wet and cold sea days you’d likely experience. 

 

The second reason is that I really was impressed by how well designed and well run the Anthem was.  It’s a huge ship with a large passenger load, but I felt the ship was easy to navigate, had lots of impressive onboard activities during the day (bumper cars, surf and skydiving simulators, the Northstar, etc) that even if they’re not your thing, meant that many passengers would be occupied, minimizing demand in other areas.  It’s not a brand new ship like the Prima, but felt fresh and new.  Again, the Prima reviews describing overcrowded areas that are too small for their purpose have put me off a bit. 
 

For me, the selling points for Prima are the better itinerary, esp. the overnight in Iceland, the Manhattan departure, the chance to sail on a new ship and my desire to try out the new Prima restaurants.  But unless the Prima TA was significant cheaper than the Anthem TA, I’d pick Anthem over Prima.  
 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by RalphWiggum

[dexddd]

Haven't sailed Royal since we got married, i.e. Long time ago.

 

We just did Prima last fall the other way.  Upscale ship and venues.  Ship was smooth although not terribly crazy seas.  Weather was not the best and spent little time outside.

 

We had a great time though.

[Lupush]

Prima was awful, we hated it.  Can't imagine doing a TA on that ship, would be bored after 2 days.

[Yinster]

I haven't been on Prima but we did do this year's transatlantic on Anthem sailing from New Jersey to Southampton and loved it.

 

We love the ship's layout and RC filled the day with a lot of activities so you are not bored if you want to do something. Or do nothing at all in the solarium. 

[schmoopie17]

The Prima seemed very crowded on sea days. (Well, ALL days, actually) but with a full ship on a sea day, with the smaller venues it can get very crowded very fast. Good luck finding a seat in the tiny buffet at peak times. Also, try getting a drink at the Local bar in less than 20 minutes. Hate the way that bar is on a main walkway.

 

Obviously, you will have numerous sea days on a TA.

 

Seems like a no-brainer to do the Anthem.

[fredflint]

I cannot speak for the choice of ships but a Eastbound TA is a poor choice if you can choose a different cruise please do so.  My wife and I have done 6 TAs only one Eastbound, You lose time several  days of the cruise so you always have a bit of lag so to speak over the lost time.  Additionally if you do a westbound TA you are back home at the end vs having to fly back to the US.   Please pick a cruise in the fall you will enjoy landing in Florida and then a short flight home.

 

[Yinster]

24 minutes ago, fredflint said:

I cannot speak for the choice of ships but a Eastbound TA is a poor choice if you can choose a different cruise please do so. 

 

 Additionally if you do a westbound TA you are back home at the end vs having to fly back to the US.   Please pick a cruise in the fall you will enjoy landing in Florida and then a short flight home.

 

But for us, it was ideal since we are from Scotland. Long flight there and then a wee short flight after. So don't assume everyone is from North America 

 

Yes, the eastbound you lose a hour most days but we never really noticed it. 

 

Westbound you will gain a hour most days 

 

One of the things we noticed was a lot of people booked an inside cabin and when it was time to bid for an upgrade, the majority got a balcony with just over the minimum bid. Anthem has a lot of balconies so some people already knew this hack.

 

[BirdTravels]

On 8/20/2023 at 3:57 AM, me_phisto said:

Hello folks,

 

my wife and I are planning to do our first TA next April from NYC towards Europe but are struggling between NCL Prima and Anthem of the Seas. We are both 35 years and have done already some cruises (mostly with NCL incl 14 days in South America and Panama canal transit) but also two with Allure and Harmony of the Seas).

 

I’ve read already various trip reports about Prima incl. possible noisy staterooms and small venues inside that are definitely the downside, on the other hand the ship is new, the itinerary including Iceland promising and the Free at Sea package definitely much cheaper than the Deluxe beverage package of Royal Caribbean ….

 

Then again Anthem of the Seas offers with the Solarium a very nice indoor pool for cooler days that is definitely a big benefit compared to Prima where I expect that probably the pools can’t be used all the time during the TA.

 

If you like good entertainment, various food choices, the possibility to swim and some sort of action which ship would you choose for the crossing (we would be sailing in a regular balcony stateroom)?

 

Thank you very much and kind regards,

Dominik

We have sailed on the Prima twice and Anthem once. 

 

For an upscale experience on a mid-class cruise line, we would pick the Prima and splurge for a Thermal Suite pass. The Prima is purpose built for colder climates with heaters above outdoor dining...  and even on cold days, we will bundle up and sit outside and watch the sea. We plan for several hours a day in the Thermal suite in the saunas, steam rooms, and warm hydrotherapy pools. The main pool is jetted, but no bubbles like other NCL thermal suites. We do a lot of specialty dining and find NCL's food far superior to Royals.  We have not been back since they changed the Prima's MDR menus, but the prior menus were great. 

[LouChamp]

Aloha.  Have sailed with NCL and RCCL countless times since the 1970s. Also on both ships you are considering.  Have done several transatlantic crossings with various lines including Cunard and I would vote for the Anthem.  While I have always enjoyed the specialty restaurants on NCL I believe the Anthem delivers a more upscale experience on a TA. If it were the Caribbean my opinion might change but please keep us posted and enjoy!

[me_phisto]

Hi all,

 

thank you very much for your replies, this supports my impression that Anthem is likely the better choice and we will look into it.

 

We are from Austria (Europe) and will enjoy the short flight after the cruise 😉

 

Kind regards,

Dominik