Broons77

A few other random things I wanted to mention earlier but ran out of brain space... One odd thing that annoyed me - there's several sets of automatic doors leading to outside areas that swing open rather than slide open. This means if you aren't paying attention, you could get whacked in the head, or worse yet. spill your drink. I don't get why that choice was made, someone would need to explain it to me. I was happy to see that there were accessible and family bathrooms throughout the ship. As someone who's had his share of putting my head down making a beeline for the handicapped stall while rolling my SO into a packed ladies room, I say thank you NCL I wish I had thought to take more time to take a better look at all the artwork and sculptures throughout the ship. I know all ships have a good deal of artwork throughout, but for some reason what I saw really caught my attention. I didn't start to notice a lot of it until we were on the way home and when you start looking, you're kind of overwhelmed. If you're an art lover, you'll probably get lost looking at it all. All hail the studio lounge coffee machine which gave me not only a decent cup of coffee, but I could also get a late night glass of milk from it for my late night cookies. Hope the guy who yelled loudly and in a very threatening fashion at the bartender at the Soleil Bar was the same guy that I saw get pulled over on the Henry Hudson Parkway on my way home. And I hope the ticket was hefty. There's no need to act in the manner that he did. I never did mention our CC Meet and Greet. Was the first one I've been able to attend and it was very nice. All the senior staff intended, including Captain Kevin. The GM Nelson, spent quite a bit of time answering questions about Prima and why NCL did some of the things they did with this ship and what they learned about how their idea worked and also spoke a bit about Viva. There were just over 3500 pax on board and was a full sailing. No surprise there. Thanks again to @The P for getting this together. I think that's all I got. Great trip, and glad folks enjoyed following me along. If I have the bandwidth, I may try doing this again. My next cruise is booked with RCI in August, but not sure if I'm keeping that or not. As someone fairly new to cruising, I've done both lines and enjoy them both equally for what I've experienced so it kind of comes down to price. And if Royal keeps jacking up their drink package pricing, they'll price me right out. But I digress, please let me know if anyone has any questions and for those sailing on Prima in the coming days, enjoy your time on board!.

Last batch of pics... Observation Lounge (and other larger bars) drink menu We were joined in port by the Regent Seven Seas Splendor on our second day in Bermuda. Would like to sail on Regent one of these days... Shots from the sea day home during the storm. Again, Prima handled these seas very well all things considered. Still not too bad first thing in the morning. But things did pick up and the pools in the thermal spa were drained. So I went up front to the heated loungers. Kind of surreal, it was so nice and relaxing while nature rages just feet away (pun intended.) But all good things must come to an end. At least this ended with a beautiful view of midtown at dawn. Until my next adventure...

Those little birds look sad...😂 But sorry we couldn't have caught the game together!

One thing I forgot to mention, when I went through customs, one of the CBP agents said that they were having issues with the face recognition so that's why they were checking passports. Seems they got that fixed not long after that however.

Glad to hear that everyone has enjoyed the thread. More pics! Spa price lists Dinner at Onda - was pleasantly surprised to find that I was seated at my table for 1 directly next to @The P! You're served a wonderful bread and spread selection.... Sharon enjoyed the Burrata And my appetizer - When rare just isn't enough, there's carpaccio. So good! I had the Scialitelli pasta course, again was very yummy @The P had the salmon. I had the veal but for some reason, the pic won't attach. It wasn't that good anyway, I should have gone with Sharon's choice.

There was motion, but I didn't find it terrible. But I'm not prone to motion sickness, so I'm probably not your best bet. The solos are on decks 12 & 13, which is a bit higher. That makes more of a difference than the cabin size in my opinion, you may be better off in an interior on a lower deck.

Pictures First view in person Studio Cabin shots Studio Lounge Slides Beds by Infinity Beach Loungers by Soleil Bar Sausage Plate and chili for lunch from JT's BBQ in Indulge What great views for a vruise port. Usually these places are in spots that are a bit less photogenic. I kinda like the cranes in the background of this Day 2 dawns with the breakfast of champions. But stay away from the 'corned beef hash'. Not sure what that is, but it ain't that. On the other side of the coin, the hash brown pucks are the best. Gray and cloudy pm day 2 but seas weren't too bad Yum But too many of those and this happens. Haven Sundeck French Onion Soup, Crab Tostada and short rib stuffed ravioli from Indulge Welcome to Bermuda! Boat for the Famous Homes and Hideaways tour Some famous homes and hideaways More pics to come later....

Good lord, totally forgot to mention the storm on the way back... So, there was a fair bit of motion, but all in all not terrible. As I mentioned as it was happening, life just kind of went on. People ate, drank, gambled and did whatever they normally would. Seemed that there were less people about, but that's not surprising. The storm was impressive, good waves, lots of booming and shuddering of the ship, but she handled it quite well. Not sure how the Gem and Pearl did with it on the way there, but I don't know that any cruise ships anywhere would do any better than the Prima did.

Home, unpacked, even logged into work for a bit to plow emails and take care of a few things. Still have to do the laundry but that can wait for tomorrow. So I've gone back over the chatter on this thread, and it doesn't seem overly positive, which is a shame. I had a great time! However, I can see where it may not have been the best choice of a cruise for everyone. Going to try to go back over things in some sort of coherent order. Internet was slow for postings, although it seemed to be OK via phone but no way am I typing posts of any length with my thumbs. 😄 So this was certainly a memorable time for several reasons. My solo experience was great, I'm so glad I went. I had great conversations with a bunch of folks from everywhere and enjoyed the hell out of not doing one thing that I didn't want to do.for 4+ days. Regardless of who you are and what you do, I would recommend something like this to anyone if you have the means to do so. Doesn't have to be a cruise and doesn't have to be for 5 days. Go where you want for as long as you want, but go only with yourself and go somewhere that you don't have to lift a finger. I could go on and on about it, but I'll stop here just by saying that I'm incredibly thankful that I was able to go on this trip. So here's my final grades. I could not grade entertainment, as I went to exactly 0 shows or performances. Not much of a theater guy to begin with and most wound up canceled due to the rough weather. Also, I was never able to make it to St. George due to the early leave on Friday. Check in - C Parking at the terminal was an expensive breeze. Flew right through security in less than 5 mins. But then found that terminal was looooooooong. By the time I got to my check in area all the way at the end, I found a line that wasn't moving due to tech issues. They got it worked out but it took me a bit in line to get to the counter. And I had arrived at 11:30 for a noon check in too. So it probably took me about 40 minutes total from pulling into the lot to getting on the ship. This doesn't sound terrible, but it just seemed like an annoying 40 mins Cabin -- A The studio cabin wasn't made for everyone. It's admittedly a tiny box, and while the bathroom is just as tiny, the shower was pleasantly roomy which is almost all the battle for me as a larger sized human. Plenty of storage for my small batch of stuff for a shorter cruise. I found that the bottom of the closet was in the correct position to act as a bedside table as I had no problem reaching it. Rarely saw my steward but he was very warm and pleasant when I did and he took care of my few requests very quickly. And loved loved loved the studio lounge. Site of my pre-bed cappuccino and cookies each night. Food - So I only ate at the buffet (B), Indulge (B), The Local (B+) and once at Onda (B-). Even though I'm usually big on at least a couple nights at the restaurants, it wasn't a priority this time. I didn't want to deal with reservations, or any kind of bother. I went only because I did want to try Onda, and because I was able to get a reservation at a reasonable time. The buffet was good, but small. Because of that the variety is limited, especially at breakfast however I went there because it was much easier for me to access. The quality was good. Big eggs bennie fan here and every time the yolks were just about perfect. Dinner was good and so were the desserts. Indulge was good, and while NCL clearly went to great lengths to put together the various menus for the various venues (ha, that sounds funny), there wasn't a lot that really did it for me. But the things I did get were all fairly good. My big complaint is that it's tucked away in the way back of the ship and depending on where you're coming from, it can be quite a chore. Unfortunately for me, it was a pain. I sat at the bar when eating from The Local, I got the fish sandwich and nachos which were both great. No complaints and I even got to watch the Bruins rip the hearts out of the Pens and darken their playoff chances. Based on that alone, I'm bumping up this grade to an A-. I'm actually bumping up Onda's grade to a straight B. I was disappointed in the Veal Milan I ordered. It was a bit dry and kind of bland. It did have a nice crust and crunch but was actually more of a panko rather than a traditional Italian bread crumb. However, the carpaccio and the linguine with seafood pasta course were both home runs, they served 3 different breads with 3 accompaniments and the house chianti was delicious. Service was good, but unremarkable. Crew - A Always a smile and a hello without fail. All things asked for were taken care of quickly and efficiently and it didn't matter who that person was or what their function Thermal Spa - A If you like this sort of thing, by all means go. It's great and you'll come out feeling like a noodle if you do it right. The heated loungers on the last sea day during the storm was the place to be. Bars - B Would have been an A but for 2 problems. Many were tough to get a seat at. And the Luna and Soleil bars are a bait and switch as all they have a limited cocktail menu. These need to be full bars. And it did seem to take a bit to get service at times. My overall ship experience - B+/A- I'm wrestling with this answer as I'm coming to the conclusion that this is probably one of the more subjective ships you'll ever be on. 100 times out of 100, I would repeat this trip I took. There was nothing about this ship that I actively disliked. And many of the issues I noted - mainly crowds - were directly related to the weather. This would have greatly reduced the crowds in a lot of areas. But I didn't get the wow factor I was expecting either. I had said to some folks on board that I wasn't sure if I'd make it a priority to sail it again, but in looking back, maybe I should give it a better shot when she can have the chance to show off things I really didn't get to see or enjoy. Oh yeah, for the first time ever on a ship, I hit for a decent amount at the casino. Others seemed to report the same thing. YMMV. Actually, YMPWV. Probably will think of more stuff to say, but that's probably enough for now.

Yikes, guess I missed out on that part, I did walk off and was in my truck pulling out of the lot by 8:15ish. Everything seemed to be fine, CBP was pleasant, gave my passport a glance and sent me on my way.

I'm sorry as well @Neveragain2023, hope you get your lights back and get a good replacement vacation for this one.

I say try it for yourself before listening to the crowds. She's not perfect, but she is a beautiful ship with a different feel and lots to do. I very much enjoyed my time once I got my bearings and figured out what places I liked best.

So it's still rocking pretty good and the barf bags are out, but aside from the canceled shows, life goes on. All food venues are open and most seem to be getting in the last day of fun. It's been a ride, but not the mayhem I and others were thinking was going to occur. Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your trip @Neveragain2023☹️

Today's daily FreeStyle Daily (4) (1)

Unfortunately, I didn't look around the mini golf area to know for sure, but people were up there, playing and having a good time. The go carts were running as well. Should be plenty to do for the kids. Have fun!

You could tell the folks from the northeast and Canada in Bermuda based on those in shorts and those in coats. Was very breezy but around 70 so I was in shorts. You'll want to bring shorts and jeans, weather will be all over the place. We were in Bermuda in the middle of last May and still needed pants/sweats for the trip down. Unfortunately, the only way I was able to watch the Bs was on my tablet. I'll see if I have better luck with the game today. Have a blast on your trip!

Things are picking up, but not too bad yet. Ship is rolling a bit but nothing too dramatic. No bags out yet which surprised me. I'm sure they'll be along soon...

Nothing new but plenty of shops were open at the mall, which surprised me. I was expecting most to be still closed. Only the Gosling store was open by the pier but there were a couple of places open in the old fortress area on the right as you come off the pier.

I couldn't get my hotspot to work, but even on my phone today it seemed really slow. Not hopeful for tomorrow...

Hello folks, sorry for the radio silence. Internet has been pretty sketchy today and I couldn't get on with my laptop so at the moment, I'm coming to you live from my phone. The big news is that we bugged out of Bermuda 3 hours early today as the forecast for tomorrow is a bit ugly. As predicted, seas will be rough to the tune of 20 to 25 foot swells. Right now there's some movement, but it's expected to crank up by tomorrow morning and as of now they canceled the Donna Summer show. They did issue credits back to everyone's on board account so that should reduce some complaining. Given how tough it's been to get pictures up, I'm saving them for home along with a better detailed recap. I have some thoughts about this trip and I'm curious if others will agree with me. But still having a great time, I do like my solo experience and would encourage others to give it a shot. What you want, when you want is just the best!

I'm actually in here right now as I type this. Was going to go to The Local for lunch but there was a wait and I was hungry. I like it, but can see your point, the bbq place is about as close as you'll get to what you like.

The weather hasn't been cooperative so the outdoor areas haven't been used all that much. As a result, the food hall has been crowded at peak times, so plan accordingly. One tip, it's a great option for dinner if you're not doing the MDR or specialty dining. Thank you! Bring a sweatshirt or two. It's warmer than Boston, but still cool. Was nice today in the sun but was pretty breezy. Have a great trip!

Hello all! We arrived this morning and spent a fairly nice day on the island. It's a bit breezy and a little cooler than I was hoping for, but a good amount of sun and definitely warmer than home. My daughter texted me complaining that it was 30 degrees at school. 'Not fair' was the exact response. Had a bit of trouble getting my tail out of bed, but I managed to make it to breakfast and to the famous homes and hideaways boat tour. Highly recommended, The guide Robert and skipper Jamie were friendly and personable, and both made for a good time. They even sang a couple of songs at the end of the trip. Definitely glad I didn't punt this even though I didn't get my Catherine Zeta-Jones sighting. Maybe next time. Back on the boat, grabbed a quick bite then to the spa for a bit and back to my room for a nap. Somehow managed to not sleep for 8 hours even though I desperately wanted to, I'm now sitting at the Soleil Bar on the aft of the ship having my pre-dinner dirty martini. I decided to actually go for a nice dinner and have a reservation for 1 at Onda. Report to follow after dinner.. Day 3 daily below, pics will follow later this evening. FreeStyle_Daily_(2)_(1)[1]

Yes it is! I will be taking it tomorrow. for my first trip over there.

Indeed, it's a beautiful day today. Off for my homes and hideaway tour.