The Prima with Teenagers: Southampton, Bruges, Amsterdam, Norway and Iceland

[LottieET]

Hello,

I wanted to share our thoughts on traveling with teens on the Prima the past couple of weeks.  We got a lot of helpful info from these boards so hopefully I can pass that along. 
The Family Suite with Balcony: The 9th floor, towards the front. Very quiet location. There were two adults and two teens. The positives were the storage space, the good bathroom size and having the extra sitting area in the balcony. We would not get this room again due to the kid’s sleeping arrangement. Instead of bunks they have a shared pullout couch. My teens are petite and get along. There was barely enough room for them and the bed was uncomfortable. If your kids are not small and/or don’t get along I would skip this all together. In the future we would get a room with bunks so they could be more comfortable and have their space. Inevitably they’re going to fight or feel sick, so keeping them apart is helpful. The couch is tiny and when pulled out there is no room to walk. This family suite was not designed with actual families in mind. 

Southampton: we stayed in Salisbury and visited Bath. Both excellent places! Everyone enjoyed Salisbury Cathedral. The kids found the Roman Baths in Bath boring. No idea why. I thought it was fascinating.

 

Bruges: Our only NCL excursion booked was the walking tour of the city. It was nice and free time was in an area with lots of restaurants, chocolate shops and touristy stores. The kids liked that. 

Amsterdam: We found a lot of the NCL excursions to be overpriced and repetitive. We like to book on our own or just explore the city, which we did here. The highlight was the Anne Frank house. A once in a life time experience. They do an amazing job conveying the history and life at the time. 

Bergen: We walked from the ship to the seafood market, then bought a ticket to the funicular. Lovely area on top, with playgrounds, restaurants, goats to pet, a shop and trails.

 

Geiranger: You see the waterfalls twice on the ship entering and leaving port, so something to keep in mind when looking for stuff to do. We did the Hop On/Off bus which we didn’t care for. The timing was unreliable. We did enjoy the hike along the waterfall to the Fjord Center. 
 

Alesund: This was a quiet day for us. We walked around town and went back to the ship to relax. The kids appreciated this and it was warm enough for them to use the pools on board. 
 

Akuryeri: We booked the Forest Lagoon in our own. There’s a shuttle hourly from the tourist building near the ship. Everyone loved it. 
 

Isafjordur: we walked to the edge of town where there are lovely hiking trails up the hills and down to the beach. Then had a snack in town and got stuff at the supermarket. 
 

Reykjavik (two days): Here’s where we put most of our planning and busy days. We rented a car at Blue Car Rental (took a taxi from the cruise port to get it). Over those two days we did a lava tunnel tour, geyser, National park hike, and explored some towns. We dropped the car off at the airport when we were flying home. The kids loved these two days and we liked being in our own clock. We could do what we wanted when we wanted to do it. 
 

Some packing tips: Layer and check the temps often. It was hot for the first part of the trip. Bring sunscreen because the Sun is intense. Also a lot of places aren’t equipped to handle rising temps and buildings don’t have air conditioning. Be sure to have snacks and water on hand. I brought a reusable water bottle. If you go June/July be prepared for temps ranging from the 50’s to the 80’s. Bring sturdy shoes and make sure the kids have them as well. Good sneakers or hiking boots. Not only did we do a lot of hiking but many of the cities have cobblestones and uneven footing. 
 

Happy to answer any questions about our experience!

 

 

[rjm11]

Thank you so much for your thoughts! We are doing this same cruise next summer with two teens so it was really helpful. Was it pretty easy to find parking near the ship in Reykjavik? We too are renting a car for the few days with Blue Car Rental... planning to return to the ship the first night by about 5;00 or 6:00- hoping parking won't be hard to find?

[LottieET]

While I’m on a roll I’ll also comment in other aspects of the ship. The only place that felt crowded was the Observation Lounge. They need to get rid of the virtual reality stuff and expand the lounge. Strike up a partnership with Milton Bradley or someone and do a Game Center where you can choose from a large selection on board games. So many passengers were looking for places to sit and play board games and cards. Virtual reality was underutilized. 
My kids liked that area and the sports deck. Get rid of the race cars and expand that. The cars were another underutilized spot. 
Food was another mixed bag. We got sick of Hudson’s halfway through for dinner. For some reason the menu didn’t appeal to us. One of the issues is that my kids are picky and often want simple food. Hudson’s doesn’t do that for dinner. I wish they took from the lunch menu and added a handhelds selection at dinner. I know there’s the Local and Indulge but those are small menus and get repetitive. 

[LottieET]

2 minutes ago, rjm11 said:

Thank you so much for your thoughts! We are doing this same cruise next summer with two teens so it was really helpful. Was it pretty easy to find parking near the ship in Reykjavik? We too are renting a car for the few days with Blue Car Rental... planning to return to the ship the first night by about 5;00 or 6:00- hoping parking won't be hard to find?

There was a lot of parking near the ship although it’s not marked. We parked at this viewing area near the ship overnight with no problem. 

[Ellis1138]

Since you had the teens, I have to ask: What was up with them all just camped out on the stairs and in the elevator areas? Was Entourage no good?

I started calling them the "Teenage Homeless Encampments".

[LottieET]

45 minutes ago, Ellis1138 said:

Since you had the teens, I have to ask: What was up with them all just camped out on the stairs and in the elevator areas? Was Entourage no good?

I started calling them the "Teenage Homeless Encampments".

😅 #notallteens

 

My kids wanted nothing to do with the kids club and didn’t want to meet other kids so no idea. Since there were so many port days I’m not sure how much the kids on the ship interacted with each other. There weren’t many to begin with. I did see a lot of large families with some teens so maybe it was a family of kids. 

Also, there’s not a lot of places to hang out when the weather is cold. The Observation Lounge is too small and the public places often had very loud music playing with most tables and seating being taken up. 
They could turn the sushi place into more seating. It’s empty most of the day and hardly had anyone it in for dinner. 

[complawyer]

lottieET at any point on  this cruise, were you able to observe the northern lights? we're booked on the sept 26th prima, reykjavick to southampton. my wife's bucket list is to view the lights. so i booked this sailing  for her. if she doesnt see them in either iceland or norway, i'm doomed!

 

[LottieET]

27 minutes ago, complawyer said:

lottieET at any point on  this cruise, were you able to observe the northern lights? we're booked on the sept 26th prima, reykjavick to southampton. my wife's bucket list is to view the lights. so i booked this sailing  for her. if she doesnt see them in either iceland or norway, i'm doomed!

 

We didn’t. We went the wrong time of year. But there’s so many beautiful things to look at while sailing she won’t be disappointed. 

[Wayward Son]

1 hour ago, complawyer said:

if she doesnt see them in either iceland or norway, i'm doomed!

 

There is no guaranty of seeing the northern lights anywhere at anytime. I hope you're lucky and don't get the clouds of doom. 😆

 

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, complawyer said:

lottieET at any point on  this cruise, were you able to observe the northern lights? we're booked on the sept 26th prima, reykjavick to southampton. my wife's bucket list is to view the lights. so i booked this sailing  for her. if she doesnt see them in either iceland or norway, i'm doomed!

 

Good luck, that is not the best time of year to see them. 

[complawyer]

all 3 of you are incorrect, if she doesnt see them, i'm dead meat (LOL)

[BunnyHutt]

4 hours ago, complawyer said:

lottieET at any point on  this cruise, were you able to observe the northern lights? we're booked on the sept 26th prima, reykjavick to southampton. my wife's bucket list is to view the lights. so i booked this sailing  for her. if she doesnt see them in either iceland or norway, i'm doomed!

 

Northern Lights really are a crapshoot. My parents sailed on an inaugural “in search of northern lights” Viking cruise in Jan 2018 or 2019 and saw nothing. Lots of clouds. Fast forward 5 years and we had an incredible show in our backyard in central Ohio 2 months ago. 

[Seas2mountains]

15 hours ago, LottieET said:

Hello,

I wanted to share our thoughts on traveling with teens on the Prima the past couple of weeks.  We got a lot of helpful info from these boards so hopefully I can pass that along. 
The Family Suite with Balcony: The 9th floor, towards the front. Very quiet location. There were two adults and two teens. The positives were the storage space, the good bathroom size and having the extra sitting area in the balcony. We would not get this room again due to the kid’s sleeping arrangement. Instead of bunks they have a shared pullout couch. My teens are petite and get along. There was barely enough room for them and the bed was uncomfortable. If your kids are not small and/or don’t get along I would skip this all together. In the future we would get a room with bunks so they could be more comfortable and have their space. Inevitably they’re going to fight or feel sick, so keeping them apart is helpful. The couch is tiny and when pulled out there is no room to walk. This family suite was not designed with actual families in mind. 

Southampton: we stayed in Salisbury and visited Bath. Both excellent places! Everyone enjoyed Salisbury Cathedral. The kids found the Roman Baths in Bath boring. No idea why. I thought it was fascinating.

 

Bruges: Our only NCL excursion booked was the walking tour of the city. It was nice and free time was in an area with lots of restaurants, chocolate shops and touristy stores. The kids liked that. 

Amsterdam: We found a lot of the NCL excursions to be overpriced and repetitive. We like to book on our own or just explore the city, which we did here. The highlight was the Anne Frank house. A once in a life time experience. They do an amazing job conveying the history and life at the time. 

Bergen: We walked from the ship to the seafood market, then bought a ticket to the funicular. Lovely area on top, with playgrounds, restaurants, goats to pet, a shop and trails.

 

Geiranger: You see the waterfalls twice on the ship entering and leaving port, so something to keep in mind when looking for stuff to do. We did the Hop On/Off bus which we didn’t care for. The timing was unreliable. We did enjoy the hike along the waterfall to the Fjord Center. 
 

Alesund: This was a quiet day for us. We walked around town and went back to the ship to relax. The kids appreciated this and it was warm enough for them to use the pools on board. 
 

Akuryeri: We booked the Forest Lagoon in our own. There’s a shuttle hourly from the tourist building near the ship. Everyone loved it. 
 

Isafjordur: we walked to the edge of town where there are lovely hiking trails up the hills and down to the beach. Then had a snack in town and got stuff at the supermarket. 
 

Reykjavik (two days): Here’s where we put most of our planning and busy days. We rented a car at Blue Car Rental (took a taxi from the cruise port to get it). Over those two days we did a lava tunnel tour, geyser, National park hike, and explored some towns. We dropped the car off at the airport when we were flying home. The kids loved these two days and we liked being in our own clock. We could do what we wanted when we wanted to do it. 
 

Some packing tips: Layer and check the temps often. It was hot for the first part of the trip. Bring sunscreen because the Sun is intense. Also a lot of places aren’t equipped to handle rising temps and buildings don’t have air conditioning. Be sure to have snacks and water on hand. I brought a reusable water bottle. If you go June/July be prepared for temps ranging from the 50’s to the 80’s. Bring sturdy shoes and make sure the kids have them as well. Good sneakers or hiking boots. Not only did we do a lot of hiking but many of the cities have cobblestones and uneven footing. 
 

Happy to answer any questions about our experience! 
 

 

It sounds like we were on the same cruise. Your excursion info for each port is really helpful in case we do this itinerary with our granddaughter. 
 

Did you have to wake up early to get the Anne Frank house tickets? One woman on our canal tour said she set an alarm for 4am and the tickets were sold out in 5 minutes. 
 

We also loved Forest Lagoon and had fun with encouraging others including families with the cold pool plunge. 
 

Did you eat many breakfasts or lunches at Cagney’s since you were in a suite? We ate most breakfasts and a few lunches there. 
 

I agree with your suggestion to add handheld sandwiches like a cheeseburger as a choice for teens and adults on the dining room dinner menu. 
 

We were in an SJ family suite with a separate master bedroom with a sliding pocket door. It would have the same issue of only being a pullout sofa for two. It would be a great option for one kid or one kid and a baby or toddler in a pack and play.  

I also agree with you about the lack of space in the observation lounge and how the underutilized galaxy pavilion could be repurposed to solve that issue. 
 

I’m keeping your Reykvavik suggestions in mind for our return trip. Thank you for taking the time to share them! 😊

 

[LottieET]

49 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

It sounds like we were on the same cruise. Your excursion info for each port is really helpful in case we do this itinerary with our granddaughter. 
 

Did you have to wake up early to get the Anne Frank house tickets? One woman on our canal tour said she set an alarm for 4am and the tickets were sold out in 5 minutes. 
 

We also loved Forest Lagoon and had fun with encouraging others including families with the cold pool plunge. 
 

Did you eat many breakfasts or lunches at Cagney’s since you were in a suite? We ate most breakfasts and a few lunches there. 
 

I agree with your suggestion to add handheld sandwiches like a cheeseburger as a choice for teens and adults on the dining room dinner menu. 
 

We were in an SJ family suite with a separate master bedroom with a sliding pocket door. It would have the same issue of only being a pullout sofa for two. It would be a great option for one kid or one kid and a baby or toddler in a pack and play.  

I also agree with you about the lack of space in the observation lounge and how the underutilized galaxy pavilion could be repurposed to solve that issue. 
 

I’m keeping your Reykvavik suggestions in mind for our return trip. Thank you for taking the time to share them! 😊

 

I misspoke! We didn’t have a suite. Not sure why I put that. This is a fantastic itinerary for kids and you should take the grandkids. For all the weirdness with the ship my kids enjoyed it.
You do have to get up early six weeks ahead for Anne Frank tickets but worth it. It’s one of the best opportunities for Holocaust education I’ve experienced. 
I’ll also mention the Iceland geyser is a great stop because it has a wonderful visitors center with a large store and restaurant. Always important with kids. 
Hudson’s needs handhelds at dinner, Indulge needs a deli and Local needs chicken fingers. That would have gone a long way for our family. 
The best food in the ship is the Indian food at Indulge. We ate that several times. 
 

[LottieET]

9 hours ago, complawyer said:

all 3 of you are incorrect, if she doesnt see them, i'm dead meat (LOL)

The captain addressed this in one of his daily talks. He told us that he would let us know but it is never a guarantee.

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, Ellis1138 said:

Since you had the teens, I have to ask: What was up with them all just camped out on the stairs and in the elevator areas? Was Entourage no good?

I started calling them the "Teenage Homeless Encampments".

Seen some variations of that but we had a Gem trip from San Juan to NYC and the stairs were always packed with kids sitting there.  Normally on higher floors with less traffic.  Thought very odd.

[amcc127]

On 7/6/2024 at 7:32 AM, Seas2mountains said:

We also loved Forest Lagoon and had fun with encouraging others including families with the cold pool plunge. 

Thank you so much for writing about your cruise.  We will be on the Southampton to Reykjavik in a few weeks with 5 boys 12-22 (so not all teens:)).  Our Akureyri tour can make a stop at Forest Lagoon but do you recall if there were private shower stalls for showering before getting in the pool?  My 12-year old will be deeply uncomfortable if the showers are communal (me too, but I'm an adult and will deal with it) and while it looks amazing, I'd rather skip it than cause him unnecessary stress.  

[LottieET]

9 hours ago, amcc127 said:

Thank you so much for writing about your cruise.  We will be on the Southampton to Reykjavik in a few weeks with 5 boys 12-22 (so not all teens:)).  Our Akureyri tour can make a stop at Forest Lagoon but do you recall if there were private shower stalls for showering before getting in the pool?  My 12-year old will be deeply uncomfortable if the showers are communal (me too, but I'm an adult and will deal with it) and while it looks amazing, I'd rather skip it than cause him unnecessary stress.  

My kids were very uncomfortable with the nudity in the locker room and wanted in and out as soon as possible. The women’s’  showers are communal. Not sure about men. But it didn’t deter them from the amazing time once they showered. 

[Seas2mountains]

10 hours ago, amcc127 said:

do you recall if there were private shower stalls for showering before getting in the pool?  My 12-year old will be deeply uncomfortable if the showers are communal (me too, but I'm an adult and will deal with it) and while it looks amazing, I'd rather skip it than cause him unnecessary stress.  

Yes, there are private showers available in addition to the communal showers in each locker room. They do not have any signs on them but I did use one in the women’s locker room and my husband used one in the men’s locker room. I thought there were at least two in the women’s locker room but my husband said he saw three private showers in the men’s locker room.  They do ask you to take a shower without the swimsuit before going in the pool. 

[amcc127]

1 hour ago, Seas2mountains said:

Yes, there are private showers available in addition to the communal showers in each locker room. They do not have any signs on them but I did use one in the women’s locker room and my husband used one in the men’s locker room. I thought there were at least two in the women’s locker room but my husband said he saw three private showers in the men’s locker room.  They do ask you to take a shower without the swimsuit before going in the pool. 

 

2 hours ago, LottieET said:

My kids were very uncomfortable with the nudity in the locker room and wanted in and out as soon as possible. The women’s’  showers are communal. Not sure about men. But it didn’t deter them from the amazing time once they showered. 

Thank you both.  He'll be ok with a private one and it does sound like an amazing experience. 

On less stressful topics, you mentioned the go-karts weren't heavily used.  Should I rush to make reservations as soon as we get on the ship for them?  Same for the escape room and the darts area.  Were the slides open on the cruise?  Does that outdoor sports area require reservation?  I saw there was a TopGolf simulator that made them very happy.  My husband and I have never been on a cruise so I'm trying to figure out what I have to do in what order once we get on the ship.  Most of the trip reports (which are AWESOME and so helpful) are from adults so hearing from someone with kids on this ship and itinerary feels like I hit the lottery for these random items.

[LottieET]

I’d make reservations as soon as you get on the ship because you never know. We did the escape room and had our choice of times when we went to schedule it after our muster station. The outdoor sports area does not need a reservation. The slides were open. 
Other tips off the top of my head: many of the things you mentioned are outside and they probably won’t use them the closer you get to Iceland. It’ll be too cold and windy. Make sure they download tv and movies, bring books, games and cards. We did not get the internet package with all those days in port. My kids did fine the two days without it. There’s a lot of movies to watch on the TV. Honestly we did so much walking the kids were beat when we got back to the ship and wanted quiet time. 
Be sure to pack plenty of meds. Pain killers, cold meds, nausea, band aids. We’ve needed the all. Someone always seems to get sick with us. Many of the ports had pharmacies and supermarkets where you could grab stuff if you have time.

Let me know if you have other questions.