primed for cool cruisers

Norwegian's over-the-top new liner launches Caribbean cruises from Galveston

Cruise fans, start packing for an elevated, over-the-top tropical getaway.

Norwegian Cruise Line has launched the inaugural season of its game-changing Prima Class Class cruise out of Galveston for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. One of Norwegian’s newest — and buzziest — new ships, the Prima Class vessel will embark on seven-day, round-trip cruises from Galveston to hot island getaways.

That means locals can head to Harvest Caye in Belize; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatán (Bay Islands), Honduras. Norwegian’s newest liner, the Norwegian Viva, will now homeport in Galveston for the first time ever from December 2025 to April 2026, the company announced.

Designed for a more discriminating cruiser — and to go head-to-head with other big cruise brands’ top-tier boats — Norwegian’s Prima is a floating resort and entertainment destination with modern design and over-the-top amenities and experiences. The massive ship towers with 20 decks and can accommodate up to 3,100 guests with 1500 staterooms, 18 dining venues, and 17 bars and lounges.

Over-the-top fun

While on-board cruise entertainment is hardly new, Norwegian revs things up with the Prima Speedway, which marks the first three-level racetrack ever to hit the seas. Water park thrills come via the Prima’s 10-story tall slides, which Norwegian claims are the fastest at sea.

The Primna pushes the G forces with The Drop, which the company says is “the first free-fall slide in the world.”

After voyagers get their floating F1 fun and dizzying drops on, they can dine at various specialty restaurant concepts and the Indulge Food Hall, with 11 different cuisines including Q, a Texas-style BBQ joint. Described as the cruise industry’s “first sustainable cocktail bar at sea,” the Metropolitan Bar offers a chance to pregame or postgame.

Resort chic, stunning spaces, and nightlife vibes

Adult-themed entertainment is a key Prima offering, perhaps nowhere more obvious than the Prima Theater & Club. Operating as a standard theater/entertainment destination during the say for shows, the venue drops the seats and literally transforms into an adult nightclub at night, with DJs, dancers, and nightlife vibes.

Cruisers will obviously want to take in sea and island views, and the Prima Class makes it easier with Ocean Boulevard, the 44,000 square-foot, wrap-around outdoor walkway; and Oceanwalk, a glass bridge that boasts Instagram-ready photo ops and striking views.

More outdoor chill comes via the infinity beach — think of this as a floating beach resort with cabanas, lounge beds and chairs, and sea-facing infinity pools. Read a book or catch up with friends at La Terrazza, a sunny, al fresco lounge area, or take in a moment of zen at The Concourse, the ship’s open-air sculpture garden.

Singles, couples, families, and groups can all enjoy targeted accommodations. Solo staterooms are priced and designed for the single cruiser in mind, couples can enjoy upscale, comfy rooms, and large families can stay apart, and together, via connecting balcony staterooms.

Primed for cruisers

Speaking of upscale, travelers can upgrade to a more private experience via The Haven by Norwegian. This luxe complex is accessed only via keycard and offers 107 suites, a private restaurant, bar, lounge and sundeck, plus a concierge and 24- hour butler service.

Given its newer status, the Prima is design-focused; the interior harks to a modern hotel aesthetic. Outdoor amenities are reminiscent of posh sea resorts, while the bars, dining, and club reflect an urbane, metropolitan chic. Such focus on design and entertainment helped the Prima win industry publication Cruise Critic’s Best Ocean Cruise Ship in 2022.

“We’re extremely excited to have Norwegian Prima officially sail out of Galveston, Texas this season, providing our guests with more opportunities to cruise from popular, easily accessible ports,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We recognize the strong cruise opportunity in Texas and are focused on strengthening our presence in that market. We are proud to bring two of our most innovative ships in the fleet to this great state for two back-to back winter seasons to offer dream cruise vacations to not only the immediate market, but the surrounding areas as well.”

Current Prima cruises from Galveston start at $749 per traveler, starting in January 2024. Find more information on cruise dates, itineraries, and more here.

As savvy local travelers are aware, this is prime time for Galveston cruising. Princess cruises just ported its largest ship ever in Texas for Galveston-based Caribbean cruises. And Royal Caribbean's massive liner is enough to wow even our staunchest cruise snob.

Image courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Lines

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

Southern Living showcases design trends at Hill Country 'Idea House'

Photo courtesy of Laurey Glenn/Southern Living

The 4,000-square-foot Idea House in Frieden, a development in Fredericksburg, combines stone, brown siding, and a metal roof.

The 2026 Southern Living Idea House is now open for public tours in Fredericksburg, bringing the magazine's long-running showcase-home series back to Central Texas.

The 4,000-square-foot house is in Friedën, a planned community about three miles from downtown Fredericksburg. The development is expected to include roughly 230 to 250 custom single-family homes when complete, along with commercial space, retail, offices, multifamily housing, trails, lakes, and green space.

The Idea House program is part model home, part design experiment, and part brand statement for Southern Living. For more than 35 years, the magazine has worked with builders, architects, designers, and landscapers to create homes in different parts of the South, usually pairing regional references with current home-design trends. Past projects have included homes in Nashville, Louisiana, Georgia, coastal Texas, and the Carolinas.

$Southern Living Idea House 2026\u200b$ This room really plays with textures, including an abstract art piece that looks a little like crushed velvet.Photo courtesy of Laurey Glenn/Southern Living

Central Texas last hosted a Southern Living Idea House in 2018, when the magazine renovated a 1980s fixer-upper in Austin's Northwest Hills. That project leaned on local architecture and design talent to turn an older house into a more open, family-oriented home.

This year's Fredericksburg project is a new-build contemporary farmhouse. The exterior mixes limestone, brown siding, and a dark metal roof, with separate wings arranged around a broad drive. The home also has floor-to-ceiling windows, multiple porches, and a backyard fire pit, which are meant to connect the interiors to the surrounding Hill Country setting.

The design team included a secondary private casita, a feature Southern Living says was intended as a nod to Fredericksburg's historic Sunday houses. Those small in-town homes, traditionally near churches, were once used by German settlers who had to travel long distances into Fredericksburg on weekends for church, shopping, and social visits.

$Southern Living Idea House 2026\u200b$ Dark wood cabinetry and brass hardware frame the kitchen’s veined stone backsplash and large island.Photo courtesy of Laurey Glenn/Southern Living

The interiors were split among three Texas designers: Jean Liu of Dallas, Marcus Mohon of Austin, and Paloma Contreras of Houston. The broader team includes builders Melanie Sparks and Chris McGinley of Kurk Homes, architect Andrew Bray of Mustard Architects in Fredericksburg, and landscape designer Melissa Gerstle of Dallas.

The kitchen uses dark wood cabinetry, brass hardware, pale pendant lights, and a heavily veined stone backsplash. It is more formal than a typical farmhouse kitchen, but the long island and six counter stools keep it oriented around gathering rather than display.

One bedroom takes a more traditional approach, with a four-poster bed, exposed wood beams, and green scenic wallcovering wrapped around the room. A matching green chair near the window and a pale patterned rug keep the palette tied together without making the room monochromatic.

$Southern Living Idea House 2026\u200b$ Green scenic wallcovering surrounds a four-poster bed beneath exposed wood beams.Photo courtesy of Laurey Glenn/Southern Living

Southern Living editor-in-chief Sid Evans said in the release that the house was designed to take cues from the Hill Country landscape while showing "a home that's as warm and welcoming as it is stylish and innovative."

Public tours run through December 20 at 518 Interlaken St. Tours are scheduled Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from noon to 5 pm. Tickets are $44, with part of the proceeds benefiting Operation Finally Home, the Hunt Preservation Society, and the Gillespie County Historical Society/Pioneer & Vereins Kirche Museums.

$Southern Living Idea House 2026\u200b$ Look out for this cover on newsstands to pick up a copy and learn more about the home.Photo courtesy of Laurey Glenn/Southern Living

Southern Living is also scheduling several event weekends during the tour run, including Volvo test-drive weekends and a Holiday Classics event from December 4-6.

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