Onboard Obsession: The Thrill of Go-Karting on the Norwegian Prima

Table Of Content

• Do you have to pay for go-karts on cruise ships and how much do they cost?
• There Are Height Requirements
• Connect down caret
• Norwegian’s Newest Cruise Ship Will Have a Go-Kart Track and 10-Story Plunge Slide
• How Private Jets Allow Travelers to Skirt Immigration Around the World
• Is Norwegian’s go-kart racing on a cruise ship worth $15?

For instance, a family of four would spend $60 for about 10 minutes of entertainment. Still, after having done the carts ourselves, we suggest that everyone take at least one turn. During our cruise it turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire trip and something we’ll remember for a long time. A helmet with a visor is provided to you, as is a helmet sock. They are only worn once and then washed for the next person.

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Do you have to pay for go-karts on cruise ships and how much do they cost?

At the time, the crew members indicated to us that there was plenty of open reservations still available. Norwegian Joy is the fifteenth cruise ship in the cruise line’s modern fleet of sixteen ships, and the second in the Breakaway-Plus Class. The cruise ship is one of the most innovative in the fleet, featuring industry firsts including an onboard go-kart track, open-air laser tag arena and Galaxy Pavilion, a dedicated virtual reality and gaming venue. Just don't think for a minute they're not serious go-karts.

There Are Height Requirements

I also noticed that the cars are able to turn quite well and it is easy to take the sharp turns while maintaining the car’s speed. Guests must wear close-toed shoes in order to ride and drive, and are not permitted to bring with them cameras, phones, or any loose items into the car. I also noticed throughout the sailing when I went to check in on and watch the Speedway that there seemed to be openings at many different times and days throughout the voyage. Come along with me as I break down exactly what is included in the extra cost of racing along this Speedway - and wether or not I think this extra-cost experience is worth your $15.

Connect down caret

The cars can hit speeds of up to 32 miles per hour on the track, making for quite the exhilarating experience. They could have gone even faster — up to 50 miles per hour, Murray said — but Norwegian has restricted them a bit for safety. If you want to have the experience of driving go-karts on top of a cruise ship, you can do that for $15 per race.

Norwegian’s Newest Cruise Ship Will Have a Go-Kart Track and 10-Story Plunge Slide

Another cool thing about these go-karts is that they are fully electric. They’re extremely quiet but they do feature authentic engine sound effects to make you feel like you are going much faster than you actually are. With a top speed of up to 30 mph, you’re able to race at decent speeds, considering you’re on top of a cruise ship. While the race track is 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, overtaking can be challenging in certain areas, so you’ll have to factor that in. However, this also makes the overall experience more fun and challenging.

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The track has a minimum height restriction of 55 inches and a maximum weight restriction of 300 pounds. The racing "heats" on the tracks inevitably sell out when the rides are open. The first three go-kart tracks at sea, unveiled in 2017, 2018 and 2019 on Norwegian's Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore, respectively, have been huge hits. Drivers must be a minimum of 48 inches (4 feet) to drive and no taller than 79 inches (6.5 feet). Norwegian Viva will offer eight-, nine-, and 10-day trips beginning June 15, 2023. Rates start at $2,099 per person for the ship's first departure, a nine-day trip from Lisbon to Civitavecchia, Italy, near Rome.

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I lost count of the laps, but I think it was around eight. There was a checkered flag at the end, so I knew when to stop. There were Hairpin bends, hills and corners, and it was quite scary at first as I had no idea where the track would go next. It’s like having the best of both worlds – you get the adventure of karting and you get to do it with a view! TPG's Gene Sloan is reporting live from Norwegian Prima as it sails from Reykjavik to Amsterdam on a non-revenue preview voyage for media and travel agents. You can find all of his dispatches on his author's page.

As you’d expect on a racetrack on a ship, the course isn’t that long. In a compact space the track packs a lot in, including a ton of corners, twists and turns. It’s also a double-decker track, with a hill climb right at the start and a downhill section at the end to bring you back to the start/finish line.

Norwegian Joy, the world’s first cruise ship with a go-kart track, will arrive in the U.S. for the first time next week after Norwegian Cruise Line gave the vessel a $50 million renovation. Christened Norwegian Viva, the liner will built by renowned Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and will mirror the upscale design of sister ship Norwegian Prima. The Norwegian Prima takes go-karting at sea to a whole other level—literally.

There's only one waterslide, and the main lounge and pool area has been downsized. You'll just spend all your sea days zooming around and around on curvy roads in miniature race cars. Ten laps around the track on both Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Bliss costs $15.

The track is Eighteen decks above the Ocean, and around 166 feet above sea level. The Go Karts can go up to 40 miles per hour, but Norwegian limits speed to 27 mph during group races. Norwegian Cruise Line provides a helmet with a visor, as well as a balaclava to all racer. The helmet sock fits over your head like a ski mask and prevents the helmet from touching your bare head. Not only is this more hygenic, but it’s also much more comfortable.

Norwegian Encore, the cruise ship with the longest go-kart track at sea, has begun sailing cruises from Miami to the Caribbean. As is true with every cruise line activity, safety is the top priority. These go-kart-like vehicles are not bumper cars, and any guest that intentionally hits another car, or the walls of the Speedway, will be removed from the experience and not permitted to race further. During our sailing, the Speedway was open everyday from about 5pm to 9pm each day. This means that guests have the opportunity to race during both sunset, during the later part of the afternoon, and at night. We chose to race during the earlier reservations, but we did check out the Speedway during the nighttime and it looked really fun to race at night as well.

"We're not just elevating the guest experience, we're giving it an adrenaline rush and multisensory overload," said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "When we launched Norwegian Prima, we aimed at going beyond expectations, providing our guests with more wide-open spaces, elevated service, thoughtful design and a variety of unforgettable experiences...." What does stand out, though, are the twists Norwegian has used to differentiate itself from its competition -- and from previous iterations of its own at-sea firsts. Its racetrack is longer with more turns, its dry slides have sharper drops, and its new Broadway-style offering provides theater buffs with another playbill from which to choose. In addition to the regular staterooms, Viva will be fitted with a special luxury section for well-heeled seafarers. The Haven by Norwegian, which is described as a “ship-within-a-ship,” was designed by noted Italian designer Piero Lissoni.

When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. With cruise ships trying to more “green” you might be wondering about fuel for the go-karts. They are actually electric and don’t emit exhaust as they zoom around the track.