mast3rn8

As I mentioned, after that cruise - the live music was moved out of The Local and into the Metro bar - nearly every day on the TA the solo guitar player and/or the duo played there. People complained about how loud the sound was.. fun fact: NCL corporate decides the volume, the entertainers don't.

I just wanted to share a couple of my quick opinions coming off of the Prima TA. I personally LOVED the ship. I found the decor and details beautiful, each restaurant and bar had their own distinctive vibe. Definitely the most stylish ship I've been on. Of course I'm bummed we didn't get to utilize all the incredible outdoor spaces but it was a cold weather cruise, we can't really complain - we booked it. FYI - I spoke to an entertainer and learned that the Metro bar was intended to be a piano bar, but that was scrapped to have a location for other live music (guitar, duo). The Local (in front of the large screen) was intended for live music but on the first cruise the cabins above complained about the noise and corporate put a definite stop to using that location - hence everything being moved to the Metro bar and the Atrium (neither initially intended for live music). Syd's is never an option during the day because they hold other activities there. The entertainers are not thrilled with these arrangements. The service was some of the best I've ever experienced. The main dining room staff were wonderful and attentive. The bar staff was hands down the best of any ship. I thought most of the food was great. I didn't have anything awful. Although, they could really step up their dessert game. My inside cabin was fantastic! It was the most spacious, thoughtfully laid out inside cabin I've ever been in. SO much storage - 2 closets, multiple drawers, plenty of outlets, great lighting and an amazing bathroom/shower. I do agree that the Prima and Viva are priced very high.. but everything new comes at a premium so 🤷‍♂️ My only complaints are: The lack of activities during all those sea days. We couldn't use the pools so why not coordinate some easy activities like pub crawls, more shows, etc. DJ Swagg - he was unbearable. So unfriendly, clearly did not want to be there, even fell asleep while 'dj'ing' at one point (then after other crew got involved and made him wake up and participate, the next day I overheard him complaining about us complaining about his lack of interest). Not cool. Listening to all the grumpy guests complaining about one thing or another literally all day long. If going on vacation is so miserable - stay home. All in all, I had an incredible trip and met some great people!

There must be something to the balls for the course on Prima because the people onboard now said they are waiting for the correct special balls to arrive, until then it's free to play.

This ship looks stunning and I can't wait to board and explore. I haven't seen anything I don't like (we'll see after I experience it in person) aside from all the additional charges for the activities, but I guess that's to be expected. The fixed menu in the MDR doesn't really bother me - the selections look good, perhaps this will result in better quality and at least you know what you're getting and you can decide to eat there or try a specialty restaurant. While I don't like paying for meals every night on a cruise, at least there's plenty of options + NCL always has offers to throw in a few comp specialty dining meals. @SireDoime what do you mean by reduced drink packages?

Yes! A crabcake martini!

@darlak8 posted this in another thread:

YES! I don't buy them but definitely love to grab a cocktail and peruse.

That does sound good, but I'm not turning my nose up at cinnamon raisin brioche french toast. I'm actually looking forward to the food offerings!

Ditto! Was thinking the same thing.

Yep, I can see 'sample menus' for all restaurants in the app for Sept 23 sailing. 😋

But they take on more water than any other leading brand!

Viva is a paper towel brand.

Appears to be Mother Kombucha (https://motherkombucha.com/).. I think.

Both are owned by The Coca-Cola Company - so will likely be included.

The sodas, I assume; not the kids?

I'm going to test out these water bottles w/ filters next month. I also recently read that the water in your cabin's bathroom sink is the same water that's served in restaurants..

I would venture to say they will - Coke Zero is incredibly popular and from what I've found, all the other lines that carry Coke products have Coke Zero on board.

Someone is on the Escape right now and claimed Pepsi only.

I'm not familiar with this ship; what is this?

Because if the machine is 'hot' then they would melt.

While I've not tried them yet, OUTbound does smaller, more intimate trips that look like a lot of fun - without the intensity that Atlantis has.

Hmm.. wonder if there may not be one. Only the Splash Academy is listed on the deck plans and on the activities list on the NCL site. Perhaps the Splash Academy is dedicated to all ages up to 17 and the older teens have meetups at different locations around the ship? This site says "There is no dedicated Entourage teen lounge on Norwegian Prima."

Meh, I don't really dislike any part of cruising - I'm grateful to be able to take these trips and make the most of the experience. I try to see/do everything onboard and cram it all in. Side note, reading this thread is making me question my booking at Cagney's (for the first time). I thought it was supposed to be the best of the best but not seeing rave reviews here.

I've read a bit about this in the past as well - not all cruise lines block VPN, but yes some do. I was on HAL recently and they definitely block VPN so I was unable to do any work - it was a surprise to me and I wish I would have looked it up beforehand but now I know.

I went on a HAL Caribbean cruise earlier this year and yes this line definitely skews older than the others I've been on. It was one of their older ships so there was not dance club or lively bar - the ship got quiet at 9pm. Still had a great time - good food, nice staff!