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Update: im writing this on the free wifi in the car service as we return from our trip to Paris. As mentioned before I’ve been but my teenage boys haven’t, and today’s shore excursion day exceeded our expectations.

it felt like the longest day ever sightseeing, anything but short or waste of time. 
It was a really great decision and have no regrets taking the long drive in and back. 
You have to spend weeks not hours to see this magical city, BUT if you only have a few hours, and you have never been here before, or don’t know when you will be able to come again DO NOT HESITATE to see Paris for the day, seeing is experiencing IMO and my boys who really had no interest in coming are already talking about next time….

we used Mika taxi Le Havre

and they were fantastic start to finish.

4 passengers it was $200 more to do a private car than the ships shore excursion worth every cent.

Bit of a background.

We are doing Prima departing out of Southampton 1st of Oct. We have a few days pre cruise in the UK and the weather looks like it might be on the cooler/possible rain side, so will pack accordingly for sight seeing in those conditions. 

Our cruise then travels down to Portugal and Spain where the temps expect to be slightly warmer than UK, but Since It is a 12 day cruise I am struggling to figure out what to pack? 

We enjoy dining in the MDR however all our past cruises have been summer on the Mediterranean and Nice shorts and Nice sundresses etc Some polo tshirts etc and it was easy to pack lots of "dressy outfits"  that take up little space. My kids were younger and just wore what I gave them... 😆

However now traveling in more cooler climate, I am alittle worried on what/how to pack.

I have teenage boys who LIVE in hoodies and track pants and football (soccer) jerseys, getting them to wear "proper" clothing is a punish and is basically limited to the occasional church trip for weddings or baptisms, so I will need to update their wardrobes before we travel!!

My question is How "dressed up" does the MDR get on the Prima? I have read that jeans are ok. But in terms of jackets/sweatshirts etc or football jerseys for that matter... I feel really lost.

Please throw your suggestions at me!

7 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Just off the Prima, an 11 day cruise. The laundry bag was $29. I added it up by piece, and it would have been $67 and change if not for the laundry bag special.

Thank you for this information! we are getting ready for our upcoming 12night cruise. Just wondering how many days into the cruise was it when you received the bag?  Im definitely going to need to do more than 1 load traveling with 2 teenagers 😆 but good to know a rough idea of pricing! thank you!

3 hours ago, DarrenM said:

You are coming to my part of the world. Newcastle Upon Tyne. Fabulous City

 

The ship will dock at North Shields I would imagine.

 

Its about a ten minute taxi ride to the city centre. Thats all.

 

No doubt some excursions will take you to more far flung places, like Alnwick Castle (Ponounced Annick) home of the Harry potter Broom stick flying scenes, but I would try and go to Newcastle City Centre. Its a brilliant vibrant and bustling City.

 

And the locals, Geordies, are renowned for being very very friendly.

 

And of course they Have the river tyne... and its 5? bridges within yards of each other.

Darren We are going to Newcastle for 2nights pre cruise, as my husband is a NEWCASTLE United die hard fan (not many of them in australia lol) can't wati to visit your city!

5 hours ago, SpacemanSpiff said:

 

We're going on the Viva cruise in September 2023 which starts in Athens and ends in Rome, so that gives us the chance to do a few days before/after in each city.  The rest is "sampling."  Would I like to spend more time in some of these areas?  Yes.  But since we're getting up there in years, we figured we'd take the plunge on this itinerary.  Otherwise, we'd never even get to have the sample!  

 

And, of course, YMMV.  

Great way of looking at things. A sample of something is better than not seeing it at all! Life is about taking the opportunities that we get, even just to "see" a city is better than never seeing IMO

On 6/29/2023 at 1:06 AM, victory2020 said:

Exactly. I also found another river cruise that does not stop & is al ittle shorter since we have limited time. Bateaux Mouches

I might have a look into that too 😊

13 hours ago, victory2020 said:

Thanks, this seems like a great option. I would like to go up the Eiffel Tower but am afraid there is not enough time. Just want to see the major soghts & I know traffic can be difficult

I have been to Paris but my kids haven't. I've tried to fit it in pre cruise and its not possible.

Atm Im considering the long trek on the cruise "Paris on you own" tour just for them to see the Eiffel Tower. Definitely going to look into the Batobus option as I do remember the HOHO being full and not being able to get on etc

I know we come on CC for advice but Everyone is quick to jump on the "dont waste your time" train. Sometimes its good to be able to get that kind of advice and most times Ive  followed that advice of the fellow experienced cruisers on this forum.

HOWEVER, respectfully, every circumstance is different for everybody!

For example Europe is far from Australia and ywe have to take the moments when we can!!!

My kids will be in the later high school years and Its not easy to take 1 month off to visit Europe each year. (very far and bloody expensive for us) 

Its been 6 years since I went to the Amalfi coast on a shore excursion to see pompeii/positano/amalfi/sorrento lots of advice was  "not to bother" "too rushed" "you spend more time stuck in traffic" etc etc and it was one of the most magical days of my life being able to see that postcard view of positano....who knows when I will visit again?! No regrets. (and yes we spent more time in the bus than at the sights)

so is the 6 hour return bus worth it for a photo or the chance to see the Eiffel tower? only you can answer that and if like me its your only option then YES! 😊

On 1/3/2019 at 11:17 AM, Hlitner said:

I will give you info based on our last few visits to this port, but you will need to check in case things have changed (which can easily happen in France).  There is a single rental car counter located in the small port terminal and its owned by Rent A Car France.  Their web site is rentacar.fr and the location will come up as "Le Havre Terminal Croisiere."  Their online web site is in French although you could use a something like Google Chrome's browser with its automatic translator option.  If you decide to use this particular agency (which is the most convenient) make sure to pay attention to their insurance options since we had some problems with this a few years ago (might not be a problem today).

 

If you do not use that agency you must leave the port to rent a car.  There are some agencies located within a mile of the port such as the Sixt location on Quai Southampton.  There used to be an Avis location nearby but not sure that exists anymore.  We have actually walked to Sixt, but it was about a 30 min walk (we are fast walkers) which might not be appreciated by many cruisers.   You can certainly try to get a taxi to take you to any local rental car office, but most of the taxis that come to the port will be resistant to such a short haul fare (you might have to be somewhat assertive).   We just noticed that Enterprise also appears to have a location on the Quai Southampton (a road that runs outside the port) and it might be worth calling or e-mailing them to ask if they will pick you up at the port (many Enterprise locations will do free pick-up and drops).  Enterprise seems to have a rental location near what they call the "Ferry Terminal" but I have no clue as to their actual location or how that would work with the cruise ship dock.

 

We have done many rental car transactions in Europe and it sometimes feels like are trying to hit a moving target.  In many cases we prefer to find a way to directly contact the local office to work out specific instructions.  Sometimes we have had success just calling the toll free numbers and getting the people here in the USA to help (sometimes it works, sometimes it does not).

 

As to having a rental car in Le Havre, we love the option and have driven to many places including the D-Day beaches, Honfleur, Deuville, Etretat, Fecamp, and Bayaux, etc.  Lots of places to see in the large French Department (region) for those with a car and the spirit of adventure.

 

Hank

 

 Hank could you let me know the drive from Le Havre to D-Day beaches was it easy?

On 6/6/2023 at 3:24 AM, John Bull said:

Like Hank we've visited by car.

Roads in Normandy are quiet - a fast (but not too fast for the speed cameras) divided highway from Le Havre to Bayeux or thereabouts, then rural & coastal lanes. No toll roads, tho' a spectacular toll bridge ( €5.80) over the Seine Estuary.

Easy parking at the sights, plenty of signage and knowledgeable English-speaking staff. Rent from Le Havre, return to Bayeux (or Caen) if there's no excessive one-way fee - or meander the coastal roads back to Le Havre calling in at Honfleur en-route, Then direct train from either Le Havre or Bayeux (or Caen).  Bayeux is convenient to the D-Day beaches, though with a car you could lodge in a waterfront village or small town (Arromanches to Grandcamp Maisy) or in the rural hinterland.

 

But you mention taking tours from Bayeux - I'll hazard a guess that's with Overlord Tours - they won't disappoint.

If so probably a car service from Le Havre to Bayeux (tho will you be there in time for a tour on Day One?). Then train to Paris

 

JB 🙂

great information John, I prefer tours, my husband LOVES to drive in foreign countries 😬 

(it was almost a divorce when I made him take a private tour around Amalfi rather than drive it 😅) Still to this day he wont let me forget it! 

This is interesting as we are going to be in le havre and he asked me to drive to Omaha beach I declined but to be honest your post has me questioning if he is onto something? 

Although I still would like a guided tour of the area

On 6/2/2023 at 3:59 AM, ollienbertsmum said:

I am glad for you that you are finding a solution that includes getting the kids to the wonderful city of Paris.   Rome just about beats Paris for my favorite city, but it is close.  I have had a few good holidays in Paris including three weeks as a 16 yr old on a pupil exchange.    
 

I was interested that you had 14 hours on your port stop so would have assumed a longer day there.  Maybe the tour times are not extended to take this into account.  .  I recall the first family visit a tour from Disneyland Paris (I sort of did not realize we could get there on our own 🤦‍♀️.  It was frustrating for the girls being driven around and not being able to get out and explore.  If you go for a Eurostar day you can get a good day and manage it yourself. 
 

I have the d day landing beaches on my bucket list so great if you can get there too. 

That’s what I originally thought!!! Boat docks 7-9pm however The shore ex is approximately 9 hours

6 hours of that is “travel” they allow for delays and traffic etc. at most it’s 3 hours in the city Paris and it’s just not the same as arriving 9 am on a train and spending a whole day and  departing late evening. You would have time for sight seeing a museum tour and even a dinner? Compared with the 3 hour shore excursion 

On 4/5/2023 at 8:42 PM, John Bull said:

 

If you have a few days tagged on ahead of your cruise, consider Paris from London by Eurostar train. 

From central London's St Pancras International to central Paris's Gare du Nord is about 2hrs 20 minutes - not a lot different to Hank's drive from Le Havre 🙂

Some folk have done it as a day-trip, but at least one overnight in Paris would be much more rewarding and relaxing.

Tolerably-early bookings are from as little as £40 one-way.

https://www.eurostar.com/

 

Or if you've had your fill of the UK (or are spending time here post-cruise), consider flying into Paris instead of London, spend time there and join the ship in Le Havre.

Plenty of folk do that the opposite way round - ie  leave the ship in Le Havre when it's the last port-of-call before Southampton, - you'd need to check with the cruise line whether you can join the ship in Le Havre.

 

JB 🙂

Thank you so much for the advice. Atm we are waiting on a few other "things" that will determine our movements in the UK pre cruise,  (dates of football games). It is approx the same price via rail and the shore ex. However the limited time on the shore excursion is playing on my mind.  I have thought about it alot of the past few weeks and I think I am willing to give up one of my days in the UK (reluctantly) to do the visit to Paris via Eurostar and spend a good FULL day not just 2 hours in the city. (although that is still not enough I know). But this option also frees up the shore ex to do D Day landing etc and my husband would love to do that.

On 5/30/2023 at 12:40 AM, ontheweb said:

We're waiting to sail on her in August. And it is truly wonderful to read posts about the Prima that aren't totally negative.

 

We are going with the expectation that it will not be perfect (nothing ever is), but that we will have a wonderful cruise experience.

I second this!

We are going in October.

On 5/24/2023 at 12:38 AM, uneamie said:

I've been so busy since we got home and have not written my part 3 just yet...it's coming. I just want to mention incase I forget that our cruise had distinct sewage smells through-out the ship. I hope it was not something that is ongoing and that it was something that is being worked on. 

Waiting on your part 3 review!! 🙂

The last MSC cruise i went on had that odor in the cabin hallways. It wasn't overly powerful however it was "there" and super noticeable when we first Embarked... maybe we grew immune to the smell the longer the cruise went ??😆 because it wasn't as noticeable after a couple of days

Great review ☺️

On 5/19/2023 at 1:06 AM, Liljo22 said:

Just booked on the Prima and have a question on how these passes work.  I saw BirdTravels posting of the terms and for both passes it says that 1 person can use it per race/game.  Does that mean multiple people can use the pass but just not at the same time?  

 

The speedway pass breakeven is 14 races which seems like a lot but both my kids(and myself) being able to use it would make more sense.  

From what I've read the galaxy pass does allow for 3 swipes then a 3 minute rest. So essentially 3 players can race at the same time. Sounds like they don't discourage pass sharing. I have 2 kids and I probably will just purchase 1 pass to share.

I have't seen any information about the speed way pass yet. Could you let me know where you saw that? 

1 minute ago, uneamie said:

Oh no...those are free for everyone. There are 2 of them, one on each side of the ship and they are "heated". I don't think there are any in the Vibe. The Vibe does not have any pools...just hot tubs. 

That's good to know. I was beginning to think the adults only section was the only place the infinity pools were. We are traveling with 2 teenagers and don't wont to exclude them by buying vibe passes

10 hours ago, uneamie said:

So for some reason there was only 2 other people in the infinity pool so I jumped at the opportunity and to my surprise it was "heated". I did not know that....what a treat...it was a great surprise and I wondered why all those people staring at the empty pool were not filling up these heated pools. Anyway, I totally enjoyed chatting with a few nice people and their little boy who was having a blast with his swimmies on.

Good to know they can be warm! We are sailing in Oct in Europe! Just wondering are the infinity pools only in the "pay extra " Vibe section ? 

Loving this review so far! and the pictures! can practically taste the wine 😍

17 hours ago, roger b said:

This was taken November 11th last year ,it was 24 degrees,  but no guarantee  with the weather !! Last October  weather  was fantastic. 

Wouldn’t that be great!!!!

yes! there are plenty of people doing just this! there are sections with organised sunbeds and you just keep on walking ! its a long stretch of beach

On 6/13/2022 at 4:58 PM, roger b said:

Just thought I would give you a little taster , Looks expensive but all beaches in Spain are free , the beds are charged for and the restaurant is very good .

 

This looks amazing. I've been to Palma twice before but we have never been to the beaches. It will be October 11th just wondering if it will be too cold?

I am In the same boat!! on a cruise London to Barcelona (so your reverse)

I've been to Paris before but my kids have not. They are going to be 15 and 13 at time of sailing and I also am concerned its going to be a long drive just to see the Eiffel tower. However, I don't know when we will ever be back again (coming from Australia) its far away lol

It has been a tough decision and we finally decided that we will suck it up for the kids and pay the over priced shore ex just so we don't miss the boat. 

I actually went to Paris it was miserable and wet the entire time, torrential rain, and I still thought it was so beautiful rats and all 😆 

Hope that helps!

We are looking into booking for our sailing next year, what time are the shows and how long are they?

I'm going to say about 7.45pm? cant remember exactly but we went to dinner MDR afterwards. But you need to grab a pre drink from the casino bar and wait in line for the best seats. Its first in best dressed. I do remember waiting 45mins (drink in hand) to be 5th in line.

We booked our fantastica experience on the Seaview for July 2019 (back in febuary 2018) At the time we had 12 free drinks included as part of the fantastica Package. This seems to be wiped off our booking now :mad: is there a replacement??

We booked drink and show before we boarded. Couldn't book the show until we got on board. We really enjoyed theSonor performance.