What it's like to ride the longest go-kart track at sea

Table Of Content

• Norwegian Cruise Ship Emerges From Dry Dock with New Cabins, Thermal Suite, and More
• The Laps Take About 30 Seconds
• Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship has a ridiculously big go-kart track — here's why I loved it
• Robb Report down caret
• Getting Stuck Behind People Is an Issue
• Carnival Cracks Down on High Stakes Activity on Pool Deck

The cars do move rather fast, however controlling the cars is also very easy. To slow down or stop, drivers only need to let up on the go pedal or take their foot off the pedal all together. This means that the crew members are able to slow down or stop all of the cars on the track at any point should they need to. In our personal experience, we found the reservation process to be very easy. We visited the Speedway on the first day of our cruise, at around 5pm, and asked if we could have a reservation on the second-to-last day of the sailing for two people in two separate cars.

Norwegian Cruise Ship Emerges From Dry Dock with New Cabins, Thermal Suite, and More

For safety reasons, the seed is limited to 27 mph (about 44 km/h) but I can guarantee you that it’s still a very fun track. Norwegian Viva is a sister ship to Norwegian Prima so the go-kart tracks are basically identical on these two ships. I also think that someone who could be sensitive to abrupt jolting or sudden movements, should not participate in this activity. It is likely that the go-karts could hit each other, or bump into the walls. No serious injuries can come from this, however, I do think guests should keep this in mind before choosing to race, should that have any health risks.

The Laps Take About 30 Seconds

The first two go-kart tracks at sea, unveiled in 2017 and 2018 on the line's Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Bliss, respectively, were huge hits. So much so that Norwegian has dreamed up an even bigger go-kart experience for its latest vessel, Norwegian Encore. Flat, fully closed footwear required (no flip flops, Crocs, or heels). No age minimum, guests must only adhere to height requirements. Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back and hidden inside helmet. Drug and alcohol consumption before driving are strictly prohibited.

Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship has a ridiculously big go-kart track — here's why I loved it

You can drive at your own speed, but no more than 30 miles per hour. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Speedway is the first of its kind; a real life race track at sea. This completely unique experience allows guests to drive a go-kart-like car around tight turns and speed down straightaways as they reach up to speeds of over 20 miles per hour. The first time I accelerated up the hill to the track’s third deck, I was scared of flying off the top of the ship. Having lived in walkable cities for more than a decade, I rarely drive nowadays, let alone in miniature race cars on moving ships in the middle of the ocean.

Robb Report down caret

As I'm seeing this week during a sneak peek at the ship in advance of its first sailing with paying passengers, Norwegian Prima has a go-kart track so big it verges on the ridiculous. Almost every new ship the line has added since the debut of Norwegian Joy in 2017 has had a go-kart track bigger than the last — including the line's newest vessel, Norwegian Prima. In all, Viva will have more than 20 dining venues, Sommer indicated.

Even now a few years later, the speedways continue to be one of the more popular attractions on a cruise ship. They are also a perfect example of the kind of strides that today’s ships are making in entertainment while at sea. If you’re going on a cruise, it’s great to do whatever you can to make memories that will last a lifetime. New for Norwegian Prima, the line also is adding a "You And The Track" single-rider experience where you get to zoom around the speedway for three laps with no one else on the course.

Getting Stuck Behind People Is an Issue

Go-Karts on Norwegian Cruise Line - Cruise Critic

Go-Karts on Norwegian Cruise Line.

Posted: Wed, 09 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

For this experience, the speed restrictions that have been imposed on the cars will be lifted so that you can hit speeds as high as 40 mph. The Speedway does highly encourage guests to make reservations, as this activity tends to be very popular and can fill up throughout a cruise voyage. Norwegian’s onboard go-kart fleet is electric, though that might be hard for drivers to believe because sounds mimicking gasoline-powered cars are pumped into driver’s helmets to mimic the traditional race car experience. I didn’t notice the go-karts were electric and the sounds I was hearing were fake until after my drive.

There are unlimited passes available that allow you to go the entire length of your trip. We’ve seen prices quoted around $200 for a week-long cruise. In fact, most indoor karting arenas feature similar prices, although the length of a race may be a little longer. Of course, it will be an extremely awesome and thrilling experience. Not only will you be able to get the thrill of racing go-karts but you’ll also have the thrill of that with the ocean right in front of you.

The height requirements are a minimum of 55 inches (1.40 meters) and a maximum of 82 inches (2.08 meters). Alternatively, you can purchase an Unlimited Pass for 199.95$. The one on Norwegian Viva is also 1,375 feet long (about 420 meters) and has many descents and ascents since it extends over 3 decks. It has now become a massive three-deck, 1,375-foot-long go-kart track with 14 turns, named the Prima Speedway. Norwegian Prima was the first of a new class of NCL ships namely the “Prima Class“.

“Zoom around hairpin turns in excess of 20 mph as you race for the checkered flag on a thrilling, two-level race track in the middle of the ocean,” says Norwegian Cruise Line about their unique and exciting activity at sea. Norwegian’s three-level go-kart track was the first thing I noticed each time I returned to the ship from an excursion during a special inaugural sailing last year. Spectators can watch cars whiz by from a dedicated observation area, the pool, hot tub, or sun deck. Including the Prima, Norwegian now has four ships with go-kart tracks. The Norwegian Joy was the first in the company’s fleet to offer a go-kart track, and each new Norwegian ship to debut since has featured a bigger, better race track. I was skeptical about go-karting at sea, but the eight laps, what Norwegian Cruise Line calls a “heat,” won me over.

Helmets are required and everyone is given a clean open-faced ski mask to wear beneath the helmet. Because the racecars are electric, there is little sound from the race track; however, the noise of a speeding race car is piped into the helmet to give drivers the full sense of being on a race track. Guests' racing laps are also timed, which is a fun feature that makes the experience feel even more like a real race track. Guests are able to see their final lap times after they are done driving. When Norwegian Cruise Lines debuted the first racetrack at sea with go-karts, it made big news.

If there is one complaint about the racetrack on Norwegian, it’s that you can get stuck behind slow drivers. Given the turns and the width of the track, finding a spot to pass can be tough. If someone is going slow around the track, you could be going at a turtle’s pace behind them until things open up for passing. For $15, that’s not very long, but it is still a fun time. To be honest, racing any longer than that and the minimum wait would be unbearable.

The Go Karts aren’t free on Norwegian cruise ships, there is an additional charge. Some of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newer, bigger ships have Go Kart Tracks on the top two – or sometimes the top three decks. These tracks, as you may have assumed, are the most popular parts of these two ships so they are going to be pretty much always occupied. If you want to save yourself from the long lines, it’s best to have a reservation for a spot the moment you board the cruise. If you’re interested, you should watch the episode of the show that features these exact go-karts.

Because the cost of this unique experience was about the same as a drink onboard, the cost is justified in my mind. The race car did feel to go quite fast around the tight turns, and I personally felt that it offered the perfect amount of thrill and adrenaline rush, while still feeling safe and not overwhelming. If a guest would like to drive slower than some of their fellow racers, all they need to do is move to one side of the track and let other drivers pass by them. The cost to race on the Speedway is $15 per person, for both children and adults.