laudergayle

So very true. I am happy that we’ve had the benefit of hearing the good and bad about the Prima. Because of the CC members I knew how and when to make specialty dining reservations, what to expect from the MDR menu. CC also alerted me that entertainment reservations for some things and Vibe passes could be booked before boarding. We have been warned to expect crowds/lines for Syd’s, Improv, Indulge and the buffet…but the elevators are fast…lol. The pools are small and..oh no…there are chair hogs. While there are elements I disagree with (buffet/Indulge hours)…I know what they are. So, all-in-all…all the positive and negative comments have positioned us for a very enjoyable cruise. And the weather forecast looks fine, too. Thank you cruise critic 🛳️😎

Remember to not order that bottle of Veuve or other really high end liquor until you’re offshore…unless you want to pay tax on that value…which you may be fine with. See you in a week!

Cruises are so much fun, and if it’s port intensive, you get the added benefit of seeing new places. You’ll have to post about it. The hardest part now will be waiting for August…lol.

That’s an interesting concept. There have been several posts about not being able to take food from The Local or O’Sheehans.

Yes. While it’s inside, and kinda dark, it is a nice tavern-like atmosphere. They also have high top tables on the bar side, plus there is bar-like seating where you can overlook the activities in the atrium. It’s likely very different than Prima (I’ll know that answer in a week…yay), it is still nice.

Olympia is an amazing excursion. I guarantee you will both love the museum. We were awe-struck seeing the excavated statues and other relics and ruins. Just fascinating. And, the outside area is just an interesting.

It appears on the deck plan to be situated aft end of the buffet right outside Vibe. Lucky Vibe guests will have easy access. For us, we are FWD cabin so it’s definitely a hike for us or anyone else at the main pool.

Oh no. Duct tape.

OMG… SOME OF MY FAV POSTERS: @graphicguy and @ChiefMateJRK. I hope to someday to cruise with y’all. Have an incredible journey. CHEERS🛳️❤️

JUST DO IT

Have you seen Robert, the reiki flute player in Boynton Canyon. On our visit to Sedona we planned to hike out to see him…and the day we arrived they closed all state parks due to wildfire. We plan to revisit someday. Here’s a link to a YouTube about him.

Yay fellow cruiser. See you at the Meet and Greet. Can’t wait!

What an amazing experience and incredible photo. Mother Nature is not an imposter. We visited the southern rim as our Covid travel, and spent a couple nights on site. There was zero crowd and the buses had just restarted with limited service. I would never dream of hiking down, let alone rim-to-rim. Impressive! We left the Grand Canyon and drove up to Big Water, UT…which is just north of Paige, AZ and home to Lake Powell. We had an amazing glamping experience at Under Canvas Big Water. Highly recommend the checking out Under Canvas.

I am happy to hear that all seems quiet on the Soca cruise. I have to admit I was one of those posters that suggested the OP switch to the Pearl (however that was before she shared that they had theater tickets pre-cruise). As for myself snd DH, we would have been fine with the free entertainment. But as a parent traveling with a preteen, I would feel differently. Happy for all those onboard…and glad to hear the crowd isn’t rowdy. We sail in 10 days (yay) and happy the Prima will be in ship-shape.

@mitchtech Try not to compare ships snd focus more on the joy that comes with cruising. The awesome food, the entertainment, the silly activities, the itinerary…and most importantly, the drink package 😁. Enjoy.

Def crew area. This is where we saw the luggage coming up upon boarding. In fact, in the hall in this area is where you may find your luggage once your cabin is ready…and before it’s placed outside your cabin door.

True. Buffet is crowded, too. Both would be less crowded if they extended the hours of the buffet and indulge to be more similar to their other ships. The ratio of size of venue to expected occupancy to operating hours should all be similar. Prima lunch hours for Buffet/indulge combined are significantly shorter than their other ships. Less time + same % occupancy + properly sized venues = more crowded. Most likely. So Prima needs to rethink Indulge offerings to provide better service (longer hours) with less fancy/expensive items. They had no problem modifying the MDR dinner menu. We sail in two weeks…and when we get back onboard around 3…the lunch options will be Local, snacking items in Observation Lounge or a crowded, very small, tucked away Surfside Grill.

Perhaps, but each class of ship should have dining venues sized to meet their passenger load. When I’ve looked at the Freestyle Dailies for the Jewel class and the BA/BA+, the dining hours are longer—especially around lunch. So it just makes me scratch my head why Prima has shorter hours. As for your recent Encore sailing…I can only imagine how crowded any ship would feel when sailing at 120% double occupancy. Glad you still enjoyed your cruise.

It does appear that the operating hours for lunch in the buffet (I think until 3) and especially Indulge (12-2 pm) are very limited compared to the other ships. Not sure why NCL felt this was a good choice. “Over-crowded” has been a frequent complaint on Prima and extending the hours would help spread out the crowd. IMO.

Do you have any payment restrictions on your cards, i.e., up to $xxx per transaction or $xxx per day? Sometimes that can be the issue. Good luck.

Well…it used to be the OMG Butterscotch Cheesecake at Cagney’s. Which is still the best. However, last cruise at Le Bistro I had the ile flottante. So light…but so rich. I’d give up the entree for both of these desserts.

According to the deck plans, cabin 12238 has the bed next to the balcony. We definitely liked having the bed away from the bath area on the Epic.

I’m voting for a mudslide with lunch. It’s more like a milkshake . And, once the real drinking begins, you’ll never order another one…until your next cruise. Bon Voyage 🛳️

Curious…is the ferry ride from Cozumel to Tulum-ish (if I have that right) always barf-bag worthy? Sounded like a great adventure except that!

We live in a rural area now, too. It blows my mind that soooo many people still litter. I mean, I wouldn’t even throw a booger out the window (you know I’m JK), let alone any other item. My hubby says a lot if it blows out of the back of pickup trucks. Seems us country-folk think the bed of a pickup is a trash receptacle 🤣