Princess or NCL Prima to Norway/Iceland?

[soonergirl8]

Hi all.

 

I could definitely use your advice on planning our family trip next summer. This cruise will be to celebrate my daughter's college graduation and son's high school graduation. We were looking at the NCL Prima that departs on July 13 from Southampton and arrives in Reykjavik on July 24 or the Princess Sky Princess which is roundtrip to Norway from Southampton July 12-19 and then flying to spend 6 days in Iceland. My husband and I sailed the NCL Epic on a Mediterranean cruise in 2018, and we went on a Princess cruise a lot longer ago to the Caribbean. Our two kids have been on a 4 day Disney cruise. 

 

Things I like about NCL are the varied activities and ports. However, all the ports changing after final payment is a red flag. Last summer, the Prima didn't stop in Brussels or in Isafjordur. I also like that this cruise ends in Iceland vs. us having to fly there. The stops are Geiranger, Bergen, and Alesund in Norway.

 

Things I like about Princess is a shorter cruise and 4 stops in Norway that look like they have more activities geared to our family. We like to ride bikes, explore, hike, and we don't want to just get on a bus and then get out to take pictures at spots. The stops are Haugesund, Olden, Skjolden and Stavanger.

 

For a little bit more, we can do the Princess cruise and then go on a land trip in Iceland. However, I'm not sure if NCL will have more activities for our 18 and 21 year-olds. I do not like the idea of losing ports. 

 

For those of you that have been to Iceland and/or Norway. What do you suggest?

 

Thank you!

Whitney

[wahoowa12]

I went on the Prima in July, 2024; it did stop in both Isafjordur and Zeebrugge (the port for Brussels and Bruges). The Prima is a gorgeous ship and all 4 of us had a fantastic time!!!

[marys350]

We went on the Prima in June, 2024, (departed from Southampton and arrived in Reykjavik with an overnight in Reykjavik). We stopped in both Isafjordur and Zeebrugge (port for Brussels and Bruges) and no ports were changed after final payment on our sailing. We enjoyed every port on this unique itinerary.

Our balcony cabin was spacious and had a sofa and the bathroom had a good sized shower with a door, not shower curtain. We have a Princess cruise booked in February, 2025, and the balcony cabin is smaller, has no sofa, and the shower looks smaller. 

[ontheweb]

Isafjordur was skipped on all cruises in 2023, but they have gone there every cruise since then.

 

We were on the cruise that also skipped the port in Belgium. It was for an extremely low tide. I have not heard of any other cruise with this itinerary that skipped it.