Going against the always-go-bigger trend of recent cruise ship building, Norwegian has made Norwegian Prima about 14% smaller than its last new ship, Norwegian Encore. It's designed to carry just 3,100 passengers at double occupancy.

No, the Norwegian Encore is significantly larger than the Norwegian Prima in terms of gross tonnage and passenger capacity. The Norwegian Encore, which belongs to the "Breakaway Plus" class, has a gross tonnage of approximately 169,116 and can carry about 3,998 passengers at double occupancy. In contrast, the Norwegian Prima, the flagship of the newer "Prima Class," was intentionally designed to be smaller and more "spacious," with a gross tonnage of around 143,535 and a passenger capacity of approximately 3,100. Norwegian Cruise Line's strategy with the Prima Class was to shift away from the "bigger is better" trend toward a more "premium" and boutique feel, offering more outdoor deck space (including the 360-degree Ocean Boulevard) and a higher staff-to-guest ratio. While Encore is the "giant" of the fleet with more high-energy amenities like a massive laser tag arena and a larger race track, the Prima focuses on elevated design, higher-end dining, and a more intimate luxury experience, making them very different ships despite belonging to the same cruise line.