Norwegian Prima vs Celebrity Apex

The Norwegian Prima and Celebrity Apex have lots in common, they are both large modern ships that are part of a new class of ship for their respective lines.

They have both focussed on the cruising experience of those onboard instead of aiming to the biggest or boldest new ship, but both also have their own gimmicks to stand out.

The similarities for me don’t top there either as I have sailed on both of them from the port of Southampton and with there been lots to like about both and somethings I didn’t like about both, why not join me as I go through the main aspects of both ships and compare the two to answer the question- which ship is best?

We start with the onboard experience that you will get to, well experience, onboard both ships which in part is very similar but they are also very different.

Norwegian like to brand their onboard experience a being relaxed and allowing you to do what you want, when you want but, in my experience, with how crowded the ship can be for the more popular activities and shows, you really need to plan well in advance.

In fact, some things such as the main production show and dining at peak times simply had to be booked.

I also had the unique experience of receiving poor service from the onboard staff, something really unheard of on a cruise ship no matter who you sail with, but no matter whether there was a bug doing the round in the staff quarters or as I fear, they were all over-worked, it did really affect the experience.

From being charged for things I hadn’t bought to queuing at customer service only to be told to go away and come back later and from not been ready to arrive at ports to not allowing passengers off the ship to allow for VIPs to get onboard, I had it all on the Prima.

Winner: With absolutely no issues at all with Celebrity and the Apex and ongoing issues with NCL and the Prima, Celebrity Apex wins this one quite comfortably.

In terms of what is included, the two ships are very similar, as most are, so you get your food in the Main Dining Room and Buffet, a choice of grab and go places, basic drinks (tea, coffee, water, juices) and lots of entertainment across the theatre, lounges and the atrium.

There’s also a wide range of activities for you to enjoy including arranged ones with the activities staff and things such as swimming pools and hot pools.

After you have paid your cruise fare, you can easily have a great time with nothing more to spend, unless you want to and as you would expect both offer packages for thigs such as drinks and speciality dining.

Where the two ships do differ is quality of what is offered across the two lines and the variety of what is offered.

On the Apex, the food was so much better than on the Prima where I had a duck main course in the included Normandie MDR on Apex and in the pay extra Le Bistro restaurant on Apex and to be honest, the included one on Apex arguably match or even bettered the pay extra one.

The buffet on the Prima was a huge let down in both the quality of the offering and selection available and was far to small for the size of the ship whilst the one on Apex was one of the best buffets I have had at sea.

The indulge food hall and outdoor terrace area on the Prima were both great, but I really liked the Eden and Rooftop Garden on the Apex, so they kind of cancel each other out.

I couldn’t complain about the shows on either ship but the ones on the Apex were again just that bit better in all aspects, from the staging to the quality of performances and even the actual theatre were chalk and cheese.

The one on Apex was amongst the most impressive I have been too whilst the theatre on the Prima seems to have been an afterthought and the line couldn’t choose between a nightclub and a theatre and in trying to do both, they did neither.

Winner: So, whilst you get everything you need to have a good time onboard both ships included in the cost of your cruise, you just get that bit more on the Apex and with the added quality, it takes a good time up to a great time.

As all ready mentioned earlier, both ships offer plenty of entertainment around the ship, with the theatre been the hub on an evening where cruisers can watch singers, magicians, production shows and on the Prima- a West End style show.

Both also have multiple lounges and entertainment spaces around the ship but whilst offering the same set up and options, it is once again the execution where the Apex excels over the Prima.

The prime example for this is the atrium onboard both ships, where both have entertainers but whilst the Apex had a dedicated area for musicians to perform where you could see them no matter what deck you were on, when it came to the Prima, it was tucked away in the corner of the lower deck.

Also as mentioned, the theatres couldn’t have been more different as Celebrity had obviously put a lot of thought and effort into there’s, whereas the whole experience of the theatre itself on the Prima seemed to be a let down, highlighted by the lack of musicians who had been replaced by a tape track just to save money but solely at the expense of the experience of those paying to be in there.

The Apex also has an added bonus of the Eden area, including an entertainment stage and even late-night production shows which are a match for what you get in the Prima’s theatre.

Winner: For this one, it’s quite a large gap between the two but that is slightly unfair on the Prima as the entertainment on the Apex was right up there as the best I have experienced at sea.

I did stay in one of the incredible new Infinite Verandas onboard the Apex and that would make it win out over any other regular balcony cabin for me but as I stayed in an inside cabin on the Prima, I am only going to compare the bedroom and bathroom areas.

I have sailed on a number of inside cabins with Celebrity, so will also use that to compare the two and I should start by saying that both cabins were very comfortable and I would have no qualms in sailing in those types of cabins again.

The biggest issue that I had with the cabin on the Apex was down to our noisy neighbours and from been on top of the night club- but that easily solved by choosing a cabin in another spot and by getting luckier with who is next door.

Based on just the cabins themselves and not the location, they both offer everything you need including a comfy bed, a bathroom with the all-important glass shower door and plenty of storage space.

The differences were again quite telling though as on the Prima it was one of the smaller inside cabins I have sailed and whilst certainly functional, it did nothing to go over and above that.

On the Apex we had a massive bed, lots of space and well designed storage finished off by one of the largest bathrooms I have had on a ship and the room was an improvement over other balcony cabins I have stayed in, whilst I have had better inside cabins on a number of other ships compared the Prima one.

Winner: Once again, I would have no problems with the sailing in an inside cabin on the Prima once again as there was no real problem but I would really love to sail in a similar cabin on the Apex so there can only be the one winner for this one and once more, it’s the Apex.

I tend to eat in the buffet more often than not and on the Prima it was one of the biggest let downs I have had any ship.

It was far too small, it had the same basic offering every day and despite that limited offering, the quality was the worse I have had at sea.

In total contrast, the buffet on the Apex was spacious, had a wide offering of food and the quality was up there with the best I have had at sea.

I ate in a couple of speciality restaurants on the Prima and whilst I enjoyed my meal in the Le Bistro French restaurant, it was no better than the included meal in the Normandie French style MDR on the Apex.

My second experience was the Los Lobos Mexican restaurant and to be honest, it was the worst speciality dining experience I have had at sea with poor food, poor service and poor organisation.

To the credit of the Prima, the Indulge food hall was a great addition and quickly became my go to and that was a much better experience than the similar style Eden café on the Apex.

Winner: So whilst the Prima won that battle, overall it’s a comfortable win for the Apex, which took the Celebrity dining experience up a notch whilst the Prima took NCL’s down a peg or three.

With a number of disappointments across numerous areas of the cruising experience for my trip on the Prima, its no surprise that it was the Apex that came out on top but it did surprise a little that it was by such a wide margin as the Apex wins this with a whitewash 5-0 victory.