We sailed on an older Norwegian ship and a newer one. The big changes show how the cruise line is evolving to compete with Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

Two B-17 reporters compare Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Prima.

A lot can happen in nine years — more than two presidential terms and your child’s high school and college graduation, for example.

In the case of Norwegian Cruise Line, nine years means the difference between a bare-boned ship and one with show-stopping amenities.

Two B-17 reporters sailed on Norwegian’s 11-year-old Norwegian Breakaway and two-year-old Norwegian Prima. (Reporter Taylor Rains spent seven nights on Breakaway in mid-September, while Brittany Chang joined Prima’s complimentary four-night inaugural press sailing in late 2022.)

The older (though still young by industry standards) and larger Breakaway has a capacity of about 3,900 guests — 800 more than Prima. And yet, Prima was notably more amenity-heavy and extravagant, showcasing Norwegian’s — and the general mass-market cruise industry’s — evolving preference for amusement park-like ships.

Norwegian wants bigger and bolder amenities.

The more basic pool deck on the Norwegian Breakaway. 

Both Breakaway and Prima had common spaces like a cigar lounge and casino.

Some of the former’s amenities — like the water slides, up-charged arcade, and ropes course — are staples on mainstream cruise ships.

However, Prima’s extravagant go-kart race track, virtual reality arcade, immersive mini-golf course, and stylized dart boards with dart-tracking technology were absent from the ship.

Flashy amenities are catnip for cruising families.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas has a six-slide waterpark. 

Mass market cruise lines like Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean have been building increasingly amenity-heavy ships to entice vacationing families.

On Royal Caribbean’s 10-month-old Icon of the Seas, guests can delight themselves with a six-slide waterpark, thrill ride, rock climbing wall, and ice skating rink.

On Carnival’s one-year-old Carnival Jubilee, cruisers get a roller coaster.

To compete with its popular rivals, Norwegian said its upcoming Norwegian Aqua will launch in March 2025 with a rollercoaster-like waterslide and high-tech sports court.

Unfortunately, many of the best amenities also have a prohibitive cost barrier.

Prima’s go-karts cost $15 per person.

Prima is no exception to the industry’s increasing preference for exciting activity-packed ships. But a round on the karts is $15 per person, while the VR arcade costs $29 for one hour.

And unlike most cruise ships, even the mini-golf course and dart boards come with an additional fee.

So, yes, Breakaway doesn’t have as many glitzy activities as Prima. But fewer high-tech amenities means fewer opportunities to be wooed into spending more cash onboard.

As with most cruise ships, the upcharges extend to dining as well.

Breakaway had three main dining rooms, two of which were Savor and Taste across from one another (top left).

Breakaway had 18 dining options, 10 of which are specialty.

Rains was especially partial to the complimentary buffet’s omelet stand and meat cuts, although she quickly became tired of its daily repetitiveness.

At least the additional fee Japanese Teppanyaki and American steakhouse were delicious, albeit with hefty price tags.

Many specialty options were available on both ships.

Prima’s Indulge Food Hall has digital ordering pads where diners can conveniently select dishes from several venues without leaving their table.

Eight of Prima’s 14 dining options were up-charged.

But instead of Breakaway’s traditional cruise buffet, the newer ship had an 11-stall food hall with a touchpad ordering system.

While Rains disapproved of Breakaway’s buffet’s monotony, Chang repeatedly craved the complimentary food hall’s diverse options, a shortlist of which included Spanish tapas, Texas barbecue, and Indian curries.

She’s tried plenty of restaurants on ultra-luxury cruise ships. Yet, Norwegian’s food hall is still one of her favorite dining concepts at sea.

What would a cruise dinner be without drinks?

Rains’ husband took advantage of the free mojitos. 

Breakaway had 14 bars and lounges. Rain’s top pick was Skyy Vodka Ice Bar, a boozy cryo-chamber-like room with equally chilled drinks, warmed only by the provided colorful coats.

A 30-minute time slot costs $15 per person.

Prima didn’t have an ice-cold bar. But it did have four more options than Breakaway, including a watering hole by the go-kart track (don’t drink and drive!) and a luxurious lounge that serves cocktails with liqueurs and syrups made from onboard food scraps.

Where Prima excelled was its open-air decks.

View of the infinity pool on Prima.

Breakaway’s al fresco deck housed the ship’s five-slide waterpark, jungle gym-like sports complex, and two pools.

Upon its 2013 unveiling, Breakaway’s shipbuilder, Meyer Werft, said it was the largest aqua park at sea.

Prima also had a traditional pool deck. However, its additional open-air amenities easily outshone those of Breakaway — particularly the infinity pools and plush loungers on the long outdoor walkway.

The newer ship only had one waterslide. The option for more wasn’t missed.

Norwegian Prima had high-tech dart boards. 

The two-year-old vessel flexed three dry slides, including a freefall option that plummeted riders down 10 decks in seconds.

Guests who don’t want to pass the time with stomach-flipping activities can instead attempt go-karting, darts, mini-golf, and the Stadium’s collection of activities (like pickleball, “subsoccer,” and booze-free beer pong).

We don’t recommend either ship if you’re exclusively interested in Broadway shows.

Breakaway Theater performances.

Over the last year, the company has increasingly replaced its beloved Broadway-to-ship productions in favor of in-house entertainment.

This includes what was once Prima’s rendition of “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” which ended its stint on Broadway in 2018.

Unfortunately, in August, Norwegian replaced the impressive show with its own dance performance “Bossa Nova Beat.” (Prima still shows Norwegian’s take on the recognizable “The Price Is Right Live” game show.)

Breakaway had the next-best alternatives to Broadway productions — “Broadway Cabaret,” which covered well-known musical hits, and “Burn the Floor,” a song-and-dance spectacular.

Unfortunately, these were the only two main productions shows on Rains’ weeklong sailing.

Thankfully, both ships had smaller alternative entertainment venues.

One of the venues on Prime.

Prima and Breakaway had Syd Norman’s Pour House, the go-to for dancing to covers of rock classics. Both ships also flexed comedy venues, albeit Prima’s was exclusively improv, while Breakaway’s had dueling pianos.

Only the latter had the circus-like Spiegel Tent, which hosted live music and Bingo programming.

But both ships had better-than-expected cabins.

Rains’ room (top) on Breakaway and Chang’s room (bottom) on Prima. 

Breakaway’s oceanview family and Prima’s family balcony cabins were both spacious, providing ample storage space for a cruising family.

Only the former had a double vanity and bathtub. But the latter was expectedly more modern and bright, decorated like a contemporary boutique hotel.

It’s clear Norwegian’s fleet is progressively becoming more upscale and exciting.

Breakaway’s 2020 refurbishment added more open-air spaces and the rock hall. 

The 11-year-old Breakaway’s buffet, theater performances, and enjoyable programming delivered a back-to-basic style of cruising — great for travelers who prefer the classics.

However, despite its recent refurbishment in 2020, the ship lacked the high-tech amenities and obvious luxury of two-year-old Prima.

If you’re looking for exciting family activities, Norwegian’s newest ships are, as expected, the obvious choice.

Norwegian Prima pool deck.

Prima’s virtual reality arcade, a thrilling go-kart course, and uniquely immersive mini-golf course stand out in an amenity-filled mass-market cruise industry.

Just be ready to splurge on the most enticing activities and pay for its pricier fare.

Prima’s least expensive seven-day cruise starts at about $920 per person for a Caribbean voyage from Galveston, Texas, in early 2025. That’s pricier than Breakaway’s cheapest weeklong cruise, which starts at $700 per person for a voyage to Bermuda from New York City in November.