Norwegian Just Announced Two Prima-Class Ships Will Sail From Puerto Rico—And It’s the First Time Both Will Operate From San Juan Together

Norwegian Cruise Line just announced a major expansion in Puerto Rico—and it’s going to bring two of the cruise line’s newest ships to San Juan for the first time.

Starting in November 2027, Norwegian will deploy both Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva from San Juan for the entire winter season through April 2028. This marks the first time the cruise line will simultaneously operate two Prima-class vessels from Puerto Rico.

What This Means for Caribbean Cruisers

The deployment will offer seven-night itineraries departing on consecutive days:

Norwegian Prima (Saturdays) will sail Eastern and Southern Caribbean routes visiting:

• Road Town, Tortola (British Virgin Islands)
• Philipsburg, St. Maarten
• Bridgetown, Barbados
• Castries, St. Lucia
• Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Norwegian Viva (Sundays) will focus on Southern Caribbean destinations including Aruba and Curaçao.

Norwegian says guests can expect average port times of 9.5 hours—giving you plenty of time to actually explore each destination rather than rushing back to the ship.

About the Prima-Class Ships

If you haven’t sailed on a Prima-class ship yet, you’re in for a treat. These are Norwegian’s newest and most innovative vessels, featuring:

• 3,215 passengers at double occupancy (up to 3,950 at max capacity)
• Ocean Boulevard, a 44,000-square-foot outdoor walkway wrapping around the entire ship
• Prima Speedway, a three-level go-kart track at sea
• The Haven, Norwegian’s ultra-premium ship-within-a-ship experience spanning eight decks
• Indulge Food Hall, an upscale open-air marketplace with 11 different culinary venues
• Mandara Spa with salt rooms, saunas, and a flotation pool

Norwegian Prima debuted in 2022 and Norwegian Viva followed in 2023. Both ships cost approximately $850 million to build.

Why Puerto Rico?

San Juan has become an increasingly popular homeport for Caribbean cruises. The location allows cruise lines to offer Southern Caribbean itineraries that would be difficult to reach from Florida ports in just seven days.

For travelers, San Juan offers the advantage of no passport requirements for U.S. citizens (Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory), plus the opportunity to explore Old San Juan before or after your cruise.

This announcement comes as Norwegian continues to expand its Caribbean presence during the peak winter cruise season, when demand for warm-weather destinations is at its highest.

Bookings for these sailings are expected to open later this year.

Source: Cruise Industry News