graphicguy

WOW! Not the OP, but I don’t know how you can possibly need that much luggage. You drag all that on board? And off again at disembarkation? To/from the airport? I do a back pack and roll aboard that fits in the overhead for 7 nite cruises. How? Toothbrush/toothpaste/mouthwash (all travel size) deoderant hair brush electric razor 7 days of boxers 4 shirts 4 shorts 1 pr khakis 1 swim trunks tennis shoes (that I wear when traveling/boarding) All clothes except boxers have 2 day’s of duty. I spill something, and I either wash in the sink, or use the laundry service on board pr of every day crocs 3 pr socks (to wear with khakis) iPad iPhone (in my pocket) misc cables meds case, travel bandaids, travel antiseptic, Tylenol, aspirin HOw much more can you possibly need?

Just cabins on deck 9 below you and deck 11 above you. I think you’re good with no loud venues on, above or below your deck.

Which cabin are you looking at? Will be easier to answer your question if we know!

Alaska is where just one cruise will not suffice. Regardless of ship or cruise line, you’ll want to go back. Personally, I believe the NCL ships with Observation Lounges lend themselves very well to Alaska cruises. Naturalists are all well and good. Hearing about Alaska is one thing. But, you really want to get out and explore on your own. Go walk by the Glaciers. Take a whale watching excursion! Take a train ride in the mountains. Talk to the locals. They love talking about their home. Visit a fishery. Talk to the rangers who are around the park areas. Go to your local library. Read about the ports’ history and the past and current ecological status of Alaska is. You’ll experience so much more that way! Sit in the Observation Lounge while pulling into any port with a favorite libation and/or drink. Snacks are there, too!

You’re going to LOVE it!

Interesting. I know some people say a balcony is a necessity (me being one of them). I know of others who just don’t care. You’re the latter. 3 kids? In their own room? A ship’s length away from me? I’m good with that!!!!!!! (J/k)!

No real need to tell NCL who’s staying where. Unless, something goes very sideways and they are trying to reach someone who’s staying in the other room. That’s the only time I would think it might be wise to tell them. My guess is, the kids would want to stay in a room together vs with Mom and Pop, anyway. Oh BTW…..you’re paying for the cruise. You get the balcony. Kids get the inside room. 😉 Good luck getting the GTY cabins changed. Odds are, you won’t get the rooms close to each other. But, give them a jingle and see what they say.

Looks like they have all the underwear category covered. LOL! Loving the pics!

Interesting! Do tell?

I get what the tour guide is saying….s/he would have a lot of people calling who they don’t know, with perhaps a constant barrage of irrelevant conversations! So, probably a bit reluctant to give out their number! I know I’m always reluctant to give out my number to the tour companies in a foreign country, not knowing where it’s going to end up or who it will end up with!

Pool Area....again, Alaska...so not very busy....plenty of "spread out" room on 2. decks.

The WaterFront area where you can also get a drink from Waitstaff and be outdoors to relax....

ENCORE Alaska Cruise, so not much pool time but here are some other chill areas you can get a drink from the wait staff, snacks and read a book.....Observation Lounge....

Great idea. I've done that several times. In addition to dropping a pin to the meeting spot's location my my phone, I also take a picture of the meeting spot.

Sorry this happened to you. Just came from an EU cruise. Easy to get twisted around sometimes. You have to do as you did and get to the meeting spot early. As the meeting time approaches, and you see no one from your group, it's time to go searching. Assuming the group was relatively large, they should have been easy to find everyone else since they were in the right spot? But, aside from a costly Uber ride, all's well that ends well.

Just curious….given the other people on your tour found the bus/guide, do you know if you were in the wrong meeting spot? You mentioned you felt you were lost. Or, were you off on the meeting time? Just a note that may help in the future, I always “drop a pin” where any meeting places are.

"Open bar" or Free at Sea drinks is pretty comprehensive. I've never had an issue finding anything that I liked via beer or alcohol. I'm not a wine person. So, not sure about those. I will have wine with dinner. And, whatever is included (either red or white) tastes good to me with dinner. Beers....I drink Dos Equis, Modelo Blue Moon or Budweiser. They carry all of those. I drink mainly Buffalo Trace and 1792 Bourbons, which are included. I also drink Tangurey gin drinks, which are also included.

The good thing about Spice H2O is that it's actually outdoors. The RCL Solarium has always been indoors on the ships I've sailed. Plus, it's WAY EASIER to get a lounger in Spice H2O. Vibe is adults only. But, there's a cost associated with it. Haven is a whole other level. There's a private pool and hot tubs as well as a whole level of loungers that are never crowded. Plus, Haven has its own bar and restaurant as well as Butlers and Concierges to go along with nicer cabins, too. More costly, though. It is similar to the Retreat on Celebrity.

They have a non-denominational chapel, but I’ve never seen any formal services performed there. That would probably be tough given how many different faiths who sail their ships.

Love Kai Ryssdal, too. If you have an Audible account, I highly recommend GOING INFINITE by Michael Lewis. It's a fascinating look into the start of the Crypto Currency craze and more specifically Sam Brinkman Bankman-Fried and his role in it!

Love your pics and your live review!!!! TY!

OP….as you can see, it’s tough to give you insight with such a non-specific question. I can’t comment on Prima, specifically as I don’t sail on her until next year. But, have sailed RC (Diamond), Celebrity (Elite) and NCL (Sapphire). Cunard is not my cup of tea, so can’t help with comparisons. Overall, there are more outdoor spaces on NCL vs RC (which tends to try to have everyone focused inward on their ships). As such, the Prima has a large outdoor promenade facing outward that will be poplulated by bars and restaurants. Those areas also have couches and chairs to relax and read. Celebrity (sailed Solstice, Apex and Edge) cruises are quieter than NCL cruises in general. NCL has better entertainment and generally more to do. Food is always subjective. But, NCL is at least as good as Celebrity, and better than the last couple of RC cruises I’ve taken. NCL ships are well maintained and offer great service. Again, speaking in generalities but without anything specific to go by, tough to hone in more of what you’re looking for. A quick search for @BirdTravels and @sid_9169 pictorial Prima reviews will give you a more in-depth overview of the Prima.

Come back and report to us 24 months from now. Daily reports on cruise stocks don’t tell us diddly!

Been in the Haven on the Getaway. Yeah, it's smaller than the Haven on the Epic. But, I don't recall it being any more crowded. I could still get a seat at the Haven Bar and never had to wait for a table in the Haven Restaurant. Plus, the service was always exemplary, just like it was on the Epic.

Yeah...I think their bookings are strong based on what I've seen shopping for sailings over the next 6-8 months. Not scientific by any stretch but I'm seeing multiple categories of cabins sold out on multiple sailings and itineraries 90 days out. That's strong!