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We were there pre=COVID; two suggestions: 1. First thing off the ship take a taxi up to the Fort. That way you can see the early ceremonies and then take the tour. Worth it. Then you can walk, down, the hill to the boardwalk; no need for a taxi. 2. On the boardwalk we went on the WW2 Canadian Corvette exhibited, HMCS Sacacville. Really great. No tours available when we were there but were lucky to bump into the son of a sailor who had severed on her in WW2 and he gave a tour. Just an exceptional experience.

Ran across one yesterday that threw me briefly. I tried to book an excursion with a 9:00 departure. In my cart then when I tried to check out it said no longer available. I assumed the tour was canceled; turned out the 9:00 time was sold out; I booked the one leaving 30 min later. Would have been better if NCL had said "try another time slot"; that would have saved me some angst.

Regarding my OP. NCL chat gave me more of an opinion than an answer the other day. But I had time today, called, and was transferred to an excursion specialist. When pressed if she had a time breakdown of the excursion she looked for it and found there is a 15min photo stop on Cadillac Mountain. That's the info I was looking for. Thanks to all who chipped into my post. It's been interesting.

Yea, but 5K voted and win lose is a binary outcome. For me it's like watching Maine's version of BREXIT.

Out of curiosity I Googled Bar Harbor: Small town, population 5,535 Median household income $67,245 Thinking about the voters who passed the referendum w 58% "for" (1,780/1273), doesn't feel like a small, "wealthy", group could sway much. Considering the size of the town that's actually an amazing voter turn-out. The rest of us can only watch and wish them well in their choices.

SHOF525, Thx. I had checked that site and it does show the Breakaway in Bar Harbor 10/9 do I did make the switch to NCL. I'm figuring 90% chance it works 😀.

Princess canceled the stop so I canceled them; booked NCL. From what I've read as long as the cruise line booked a slot before the town voted restrictions, Nov 22, they will honor it for the 2024 season. After that it doen't look good.

Has anyone taken NCL's "An Intimate Look at Acadia National Park" excursion? Does it allow time on Cadillac mountain to walk around and take some photos?

Anytime we're planning a vacation, land or sea we try to remember that things like waterfalls, rivers etc.tend to cycle with the snow melts in the mountains. So late summer; waterfalls and rivers are low. Spring thaws give spectacular waterfalls and deeper rivers (access).

We're in the process of booking a new cruise with NCL. This will be our 13th with NCL; over 30 cruises overall. We've always used their insurance Since we're getting older and I have diabetes I looked at the coverage a little closer and called both NCL and AON regarding pre-existing conditions. I'd expected to find that as long as you purchased the coverage at booking you'd get a waiver on the issue. I found the conversations with both reps less than clear; but with the feeling that no waiver is given and that if I had an issue it would be evaluated at the time of a claim. I found that unacceptable; I'd be better getting insurance through a third party (John Hancock, AIG, etc) where a waiver is given up front as long as you purchase the policy at (near) the time of booking. Anyone have thoughts / experience with this?

No issues w one chair at Horseshoe Bay

No issues seating, helpful staff

Just to give perspective was our 32d cruise (multiple lines); our 8th to Bermuda on NCL. We're both are 75. The Prima is a beautiful ship, we loved it. We think NCL tried to address a couple of complex issues and made headway on them, The solutions naturally required some tradeoffs so where solutions hit someone's hot-buttons we hear complaints. The items addressed were: folks feeling crowded on large ships and cruise demographics shifting towards multi generational, multi ethnic profiles. Layout The deck layouts are substantially different than other NCL designs. Instead of long linear hallways, forward to aft, they put some"bends" in there. The result is a more "cozy" feel; you don't see large groups of folks ahead of you as you do on say a Breakaway class ship. Same in the new Atrium. The multiple venues for food and entertainment are spread out more, across many decks, so again you don't feel crowded or see large groups of folks. But getting to a specific venue does require more effort / thought. Since it is different from other NCL ships I'd recommend you print out a copy of it's deck plan brochure and use it as a quick reference until you're acclimated. https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/prima-ship-guide-082522.pdf?&cid=EM_MKD_NA_PRO_EML_NA_EML_SHIPPRIMA_523557-2023428_NA_NA We never encountered the issues many on CC have presented. Elevators were fine. and enough of them The buffet area was busy but we always found a seat and never had long lines. We booked shows and restaurants prior to boarding so no worries there (Thx NCL). We had two meals in the main dining room Hudson's, food and service were great and it's wrap around windows design was perfect. We ate in Indulge once, ordering off the tablet was interesting and the food came out amazingly fast and was delicious. It's desert venue Coco's was super. We loved Hasuki. Entertainment / Activities Unfortunately the Donna Summer show we'd reserved was cancelled and we couldn't make the replacement show. The diverse passenger demographic presented NCL with complications regarding entertainment; they needed to serve many profiles. To they're credit they had: game shows, comedy, karaoke, Latin music and dance, bingo, and Rock. We could have preferred more Rock but that's just us. Syd Normans was a great venue with an amazing band. The venue replicates a rock club and the whole package works. But as such you need to get in and find a place to sit or stand or lean on the bar. There's always congestion at the entrance, just work past the hesitant folks and you'll be fine. It is not a theater so those requiring a seat are disappointed. We noted there were no pianos on the Prima. We did miss sitting and listening / interacting with an entertainer after a busy day with an adult beverage (just a thought). The theater was a great design it had 740, very comfortable sets. The front rows folded back under (like bleachers in a gym) and it allowed them to reconfigure the resulting space into a dance floor in about 15min; brilliant! My initial raceway session was canceled due to rain so I rescheduled for Saturday at 3. We were the last to race before it shut down due to rain on Sat; A great ride. Rain also shut down the two dry slides so never got to try them. Next time I'll do all these before Bermuda. I did the behind the scenes tour ($149). Well worth it since it includes a bridge stop; as opposed to the free Latitudes tour. We were super fortunate that the Bridge tour was given by Captain Kevin. He was obviously proud of his command and spent considerable time answering our questions. The tour was a highlight of the cruise. In Bermuda There's a brew pub in the dockyard, the Frog & Onion, we visit every day in port even if it's only for a beer and a desert. Russell is a great host. The atmosphere is brilliant, housed in the mid 18th century cooperage. They have great food & deserts. Recommend the gingerbread bread pudding and chocolate brownie & whiskey trifle; I always look forward to their great amber ale; maybe a Bermuda coffee after desert. . Around the corner is an Arts Center, local artists works, very well done and reasonable prices. We always stop and always find a new treasure. Thursday was time for a trip to Horseshoe Bay. We used the mini-buses near the dock to go to there and back; it costs $7 each way. We rented 2 lounges and an umbrella for $45 and relaxed. Food and drink are available along with a well serviced bath house. Norwegian's free ferry to St Georges is a great benefit. Docked adjacent to the ship it relieved all the hassle of getting ferry tickets, etc. We love to walk around and shop then have lunch at the White Horse. The Wharf is a great option for an adult beverage near the ferry pick up area. Last thoughts Bermuda is a pretty island with super friendly people. Do some homework before you go and it'll make you're experience much more enjoyable. The ship was sold out so embarkation was busy but very efficient. We were on the ship by 12:00, she sailed at 6PM. We had a balcony cabin which was a bit larger than Breakaway class ships. The balcony was a little larger and its chairs were a great new design and super comfortable. There was a lot more storage options than in the past cabins. Disembarking was a breeze. Had Latitudes tags, called at 8:00; were on the street 9:05. Net-net the cruise was great, the Prima is a great ship with an amazing staff. We look forward to our next voyage.

The standard Disney policy did not cover pre-existing conditions; I have diabetes so had to go third party. There are many sites available that will give you rates comparing various providers. Providers vary in what they cost and cover considerably. Be aware some policies are secondary to your normal ins. Also they vary in terms of max benefits. Some offer "cancel for any reason" coverage (50 / 75% depending).

We'll be on the Prima in a few weeks. Is there a "behind the scenes" tour available. How do you sign up.

Thanks for the show line-up; much appreciated.

Thx for the great info. Question; which nights do they present the CATS show?

The forward section of deck 15 is essentially a library area.. Lots of nooks and crannies for privacy. At the very front of the ship a bar and Starbucks with a great view forward. Front a has food setup where you can get coffee / and danish in the AM. Port and starboard have areas with setups mid day snacks. The deck is not advertised much and consequently quiet and generally underutilized.

it is confusing; actually Bermuda has their requirement, NCL has theirs. You can satisfy Bermuda with a NAAT test, etc 4 days ahead. But w or wo that you need an antigen, etc. test 2 days before for NCL. We used the mail order test from Inspire that NCL partners with. One thing we did that cost me >$500. I called Bermuda to verify receipt / acceptance. Both times I was on hold about an hour and a half. I forgot it was a toll call to my cell. Don't make the same mistake; or arange for a day pass on your cell to mitigate cost.