Everything... project Leonardo/Prima class!

[steamboats]

Although I do like the sustainable cocktails it´s not that I want them every night. Also the more or less 5 cocktails at the Whiskey Bar were very nice. But they definitely should "upgrade" the Belvedere Bar with a full bar menu. The Penrose Bar is way to small and also serves the casino. So to have a larger range of cocktails we ended up in the Observation Bar at night which was almost empty. I also like the new cocktails at the Vibe Beach Bar. But I prefer my cocktails in proper glasses (which can be non breakble but not the single use plant based cups). As a martini lover I did miss a bar with a wider range of martinis. The former signature cocktails are more or less all gone - Rebellious Fish, the various mojitos...

 

The Indulge Food Hall is great but as well as the Surfside Café it´s a bit too small. There are only a few outside tables which are suitable for eating (although the outside area is pretty large). The Soleil Bar is also a great place but also with limited bar menu and those cups...

 

I assume we have to wait and see whether the bar concept and the food concept (especially the not changing menu in Hudson´s and Commodore Room) will work out.

 

steamboats

[Steff79]

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/environmental-health/methanol-best-decarbonization-solution-del-rio

 

"We're now looking at how to convert several of our newbuilds to methanol fuel, "

 

maybe some Prima ships?

 

[island sailor]

On 10/6/2022 at 7:33 PM, BenCoudon said:

Just returned from 22 days on the Prima.

I will share with you both my positive and negative comments about this ship

Positive: 

• Very nice cabins.  I stayed 10 days in a penthouse cabin in the Haven and 12 days in a club balcony cabin.  I have also seen standard balcony cabins.  Very modern decor, much larger than on other ships, nice full size shower and lots of storage space, including luggage storage under the bed. Lots of power outlets and many USB ports, including on the night table lamp.  Less positive: Position of the TV is  facing the bed, not the couch.  In the Haven cabin, it takes a college degree to figure out how to operate the lights inside the cabin. No chairs in the non-haven cabins. Only a little stool under the desk. 
• As advertized, outdoor space is huge. The infinity pools are very nice. It split the crowd in 3 locations including the main pool on deck 17.  The sun deck  on deck 18 is rather large with lots of lounge chairs.  But no elevator to go there.  Because of this huge outdoor space, they significantly reduced the indoor space.  So when the weather is bad,  it is very crowded inside and difficult to find a table to eat.
• The observation lounge on deck 17 is very nice but about half the size of the one on both the Bliss and the Encore.  Main reason is because they built the Galaxy pavillon right in the middle.  If you can find a seat, it is a great place to go, especially on sea days. 
• The decor, the menu, the quality of the food and the service of the Hudson main dining room. Although the decor of the Commodore dining room doesn't have the glamor of the Hudson, both dining rooms are a significant improvement over the other ships
• The indulge food hall.  This concept was copied from Food Republic.  Great service and good food variety.  It was always crowded and on many occasions, not possible to find a table.  But when the ship will sail in warm weather, people will be able to order and eat outside so it shouldn't be that bad.  Less positive:  The breakfast options are "grab and go".  Not the best.  Also, you cannot order desert or coffee.  You have to first, find it and then go get it.  Starbuck uses a lot of space and doesn't seem to be that popular.
• Specialty restaurants:  Although they are very small (except for Cagney's), great food and great service.
• The 3 level race track:  Although the weather was not adequate most sea days, it seems that it is very popular.  And I received very positive comments from people that used it.  
• The Haven private elevators.  For guests in the Haven, this is a great addition.  Goes from deck 6 to 16 except deck 9. Haven cabins are on decks 10 to 15.  And, on each of those floors, you can enter the Haven with 2 access doors located near the aft elevators.  Very convenient
• The concierge desk in the Haven:  An ugly design but a huge area where you can sit down and deal with the concierge.  Nicely thought out.

 

Negative comments:

• It is obvious that space allocation for the venues have privileged all venues that generates revenue:
  • The Casino is huge
  • On decks 6, 7 and 8, there are duty free shops everywhere, lots of space reserved for photo and the art auction.
  • Deck 7 has very limited space for guest services, internet cafe and shore excursion.  The main reason is there is a huge duty free shop on one side and an oversize Starbuck outlet on the other size.  Very limited seating.  
• Sid Norman and Improv are extremely small mainly because they gave lots of space to the Art Auction people  (private offices). With under 100 seats on both venues, it is almost impossible to get tickets.
• The Surfside Cafe (buffet) is also very small.  On lots of occasions, mainly for breakfast, it is just impossible to find a table to eat your breakfast.  Why is it like that?  Because on one side, they built 2 specialty restaurants  in the space usually allocated to the buffet.  In addition, lots of eating space was removed to make room the the Vive next door.  Once again, preference given to revenue generated venues instead of the regular passengers.  May be they thought that Indulge food hall would fix the problem but the grab and go is not the preference of everyone.
• The Locals:  A total disaster.  Compared to other ships, The Locals (or O'Sheean) is about 20% the size.  On many ships, it is a huge space around the atrium.  On the Prima, it is a very small dining room with other chairs and table in the hallway facing the bar.  I have seen 20 to 30 minutes wait to get a table.  Also, they have installed a huge TV screen next to the bar.  BUT,  a maximum of 20 chairs for people to watch sports.  Extreme bad design.  The Locals also have outdoor seating (weather permiting)
• The Theatre:  Very very very very small.  In a full seat configuration, about 750 seats.  They used that configuration for the Donna Sommer show.  For the noise boys, they add an additional stage in front. To acheive that, they are removing 6 or 7 rows of seats and add chairs each side of the stage.  My evaluation is that reduces the number of seats available to under 600.  NCL will take lots of heat on this one because on a 7 day cruise, lots of passengers will not be able to get tickets for those shows. Because I was on a back to back, I wanted to see the theater shows during the 1rst leg and the Sid Norman and improv shows during the second week.  We were only 2300 passengers on the first leg and, as I was in the Haven, the concierge took care of all my reservations.  So I was able to see Donna Sommer, the Noise Boys, a male signer and a female vocalists doing  Diva Extravaganza.  But for my second leg, as I went on a tour on the transit day (Southampton), by the time I came back to the ship (3:30 pm)  not a single ticket was available for the entire 12 day cruise.  To top it off, they had scheduled only 2 representation of the Donna Summer.  After lots of complains, they added a 3rd one.  I have no idea how they will be able to schedule the shows plus the games (Price is right) allowing most passengers to see the shows on a 7 day cruise sailing at full capacity (we were almost full on the second leg with 3100 passengers)
• If you want to organize special events on the Prima, forget about it.  You will remember "the bliss lounge" on other ships where there was enough space to host events such as M&G.  No such thing on the Prima.  They only room they can use for special events is the Commodore dining room.  But bad news:  On almost every sea days, priority was given to the the Art Auction people.  So as preferences is given to people that can generate additional revenue,  the Art people kicked us out and we had to host the M&G for 300 people in the Belvedere bar which has a maximum capacity of 135 chairs.  And we cannot use the other specialty restaurants because they are too small. Cagney's would be an option but they use it to serve Breakfast and lunch to the people in the Suites.  As there are not that many suites, using another specialty restaurant for that would resolve part of the problem.  Hopefully they will make adjustments along the way. 
• Except for the Metropolitan and the Belvedere bars, the number of seats available in the other bars is rather limited.  The only bar on  in the atrium on deck 6 is the Penrose bar.  They often have live music there.  But a rather limited number of seats.  Most of the space is allocated to the Casino. No bar in the atrium on deck 7.  As for the Atrium on deck 8, the Whiskey bar is on one side with a small but decent seating area.  And, once again,  a huge space is dedicated a duty free shop.  So on bad weather days,  when people cannot use the outdoor bars,  it is almost impossible to find a seat in the atrium
• The thermal suite:  I didn't go to the Thermal suite.  I was tempted to buy the pass for the Trans Atlantic but with the amount of bad comments I go during the first leg, I didn't buy it.  I am sure that people that bought the access would comment on it.  In short, people were saying that the locker rooms are the size of a shoe box, several rooms didn't work and the worst, in the area where people should be able to relax, they are anoyed by the noise generated by the gym just above.  The "Boom Boom" noise made by people running on the thread mills or other fitness equipment prevent all types of relaxation.
• The Haven common area:  A total disapointment.  Walls and ceiling are dark and the furniture is of a lesser quality that what you find in the non-Haven sections of the ship.
• restaurant:  Totally ugly.  A dark hallway to the restaurant with the tiny reception tucked in a closet.  Not even a chandelier in the restaurant.  Several rooms and partitions.  If you are not seated by a window, you will be eating facing a partition or a wall.  On all other ships that have a Haven restaurant, you can feel some glamour.  On the Prima, it looks like a series of small sections stiched together.  And the lights are standards pod lights .Totally ugly.
• The Haven bar and lounge:   The bar is huge.  So big that it is not possible to have a conversation with the people seated on the opposite side of the bar.  As for what they call the Haven Lounge,  it is only 3 small coves with various type of seating.  The desing killed the atmosphere that you usually have in the Haven Lounge
•  The Haven hot tubs:  They are located on the sun deck (one deck above the Haven lounge).  If you have any type of mobility problems, forget about it because there are no elevators to that deck.   

 

Other issues:  

• Decks without elevators:  For smokers, there are no elevators to both smoking area (one above the main pool deck (deck 18) and one in the Haven deck 17).  Too bad for the mobility impaired smokers.  I met a 75 year old woman that told me she was smoking on her balcony only because the was not able to climb the stairs to the designated smoking area. 

But when it is time to generate revenue, no issues with installing elevators to the top decks.   The elevator goes to deck 17 for the Vibe and to deck 18 for the Race Track. 

• They did not install sliding doors to access the Observation lounge.  So people in wheel chairs cannot go there
• They did not consider the air flow in several locations.  For example, in the Locals, you have facing sliding doors on each side.  When both are opened, it is like a wind tunel.  Similar situation in the buffet area.  When 2 or 3 doors are opening at the same time, cold air hits you.

 

In conclusion, I have lots of disapointments concerning this ship.  Obviously, they gave the key to visual artists and they did a fantastic job.  It is simply totally beautiful.  But visual effects are rarely efficient.  Even with a $75,000 sculpture on deck 8, when you cannot get a ticket to see a show or even find a table to eat your breakfast, you forget quickly about the sculpture.

I have cancelled my cruise on the Viva. It is too late to make significant modifications to the Viva.  I will not pay a premium to sail on a ship with so many limitations.

One day, if the itinerary is exceptional, I may sail again on the Prima or the Viva.  But I doubt it

 

Thx for the review!  Question, how do you book the shows if not in the Haven?  Can you book at theatre the day of arrival or only on tv in our room?  

[RVACruiser43]

Anyone here a Star Trek fan? Specifically the Movie Generations that introduced the Enterprise -B at the beginning.  I felt that was the Prima 🙂  The Spa hot baths had no bubbles, will be fixed in Miami.  The Bar in Indulge did not have any of the beer on tap with all those tap handles 🙂  No Coke zero some days, but other times the server would get a can at the Local.  One time he brought a Diet Coke and yes I can tell the difference.  At least we didn’t need the Photon Torpedos that were not loaded until the next Tuesday LOL

[BenCoudon]

5 hours ago, island sailor said:

Thx for the review!  Question, how do you book the shows if not in the Haven?  Can you book at theatre the day of arrival or only on tv in our room?  

There are several interactive screens on the ship.  You can book them there.  Also, you can book at the box office when it is opened.  You will have to see what the opening hours in the daily paper.  And you can always ask a crew member (mainly in the atrium) for assistance

[cb2367]

@BenCoudonCatching up on the posts. I'm sailing on prima at the end of next month, and i found your review informative. I'm concerned though about being able to see the shows in the theater as well as the in the improv venue. I'll be in one of the solo cabins so hopefully the solo coordinator can assist with booking a show if needed (or maybe there will be a night when the solo group sees one of the shows). Any tips for seeing  shows in the improv venue?

[Fredrik]

3 hours ago, cb2367 said:

@BenCoudonCatching up on the posts. I'm sailing on prima at the end of next month, and i found your review informative. I'm concerned though about being able to see the shows in the theater as well as the in the improv venue. I'll be in one of the solo cabins so hopefully the solo coordinator can assist with booking a show if needed (or maybe there will be a night when the solo group sees one of the shows). Any tips for seeing  shows in the improv venue?

Book all the shows as soon as you step on board. Signup sheets are available in a a specific location. On our sailing it was Syd Normans, but that can change. Most people walk outside, to the buffet or the bar. I can guarantee that if you go straight to signup you will not have a problem with getting into the shows.

[RVACruiser43]

7 hours ago, BenCoudon said:

There are several interactive screens on the ship.  You can book them there.  Also, you can book at the box office when it is opened.  You will have to see what the opening hours in the daily paper.  And you can always ask a crew member (mainly in the atrium) for assistance

I booked all our entertainment on the cabin tv.  Didn't work on embarkation day, but did work by Sunday Sept 25th

[herbanrenewal]

On the off chance that NCL wants to fix the terrible limitation of show seatings on the Prima I think we need to provide a few suggestions - these may not be the "best" options, but certainly better than the frustration of finding yourself unable to get seats for the shows that may have contributed to you choosing this ship:

1) If they cant make more room at a minimum they need to have a broad screen and show it in an open area or even on the unused in-room tv channels. Really, it is beyond frustrating to find everything booked in minutes of the first day, and then to have all the Haven guests filling ALL the seats before anyone else even has a chance, even though they have reservations and stood in line for an hour before the "opening" time.

2) Two shows instead of just one at 10pm might work .

3) Rumors should be in the theater where there is more seating.

4) if Haven guests have priority and fill ALL seats in Syds and Improv, consider for future ship builds take some of the space in the Haven and putting a venue there, eliminating the second class citizen's frustration of not being able to see shows they were counting on. Give everyone equal access in Syds and Improv.

[Sailing12Away]

On 10/5/2022 at 12:32 PM, TheDougOut said:

The bar crew at Syd’s is great… Marcial, Martin, Roy & others.  They made our trip, and we tried to include them in the fun as much as possible.

We love Marcial. Had him & Veronica on the Encore last year and they both said they would be on Prima. Hoping they stick around for another contract when we sail in 2023 as they were both wonderful.

[steamboats]

1 hour ago, herbanrenewal said:

1) If they cant make more room at a minimum they need to have a broad screen and show it in an open area or even on the unused in-room tv channels. Really, it is beyond frustrating to find everything booked in minutes of the first day, and then to have all the Haven guests filling ALL the seats before anyone else even has a chance, even though they have reservations and stood in line for an hour before the "opening" time.

2) Two shows instead of just one at 10pm might work .

3) Rumors should be in the theater where there is more seating.

4) if Haven guests have priority and fill ALL seats in Syds and Improv, consider for future ship builds take some of the space in the Haven and putting a venue there, eliminating the second class citizen's frustration of not being able to see shows they were counting on. Give everyone equal access in Syds and Improv.

 

1) They did broadcast Kool & The Gang and Chaka Khan on the pre inaugural in The Local and Syds and some more places. So this is doable.

2) We had two shows per night.

3) -

4) In the theater there were several rows blocked for Haven guests and they were let in first. But they don´t fill up the whole theater and take the seats of those who have a reservation. For Improv you can make reservations too.

 

So get your reservations and be there early.

 

steamboats

[WoolworthAdventures]

For a ship that is sold as having the most open space / public space per passenger than any other cruise ship you think they would have made the venues better and bigger. I personally enjoyed everything else on the prima. The restaurants are top notch Palomar and Le Bistro are amazing and that Indulge Food Hall. But .. many things that make no sense charging for mini golf lol darts 🎯 come on now and if you only do the speedway once in your trip that’s a waste of space .. you make a three story track but only make a 750 person at best sized main theater and an 100 person comedy club and maybe 150 person music venue NCL missed out on making this ship amazing. The art auction had a better space than the improv lol 

[uneamie]

3 hours ago, herbanrenewal said:

On the off chance that NCL wants to fix the terrible limitation of show seatings on the Prima I think we need to provide a few suggestions - these may not be the "best" options, but certainly better than the frustration of finding yourself unable to get seats for the shows that may have contributed to you choosing this ship:

1) If they cant make more room at a minimum they need to have a broad screen and show it in an open area or even on the unused in-room tv channels. Really, it is beyond frustrating to find everything booked in minutes of the first day, and then to have all the Haven guests filling ALL the seats before anyone else even has a chance, even though they have reservations and stood in line for an hour before the "opening" time.

2) Two shows instead of just one at 10pm might work .

3) Rumors should be in the theater where there is more seating.

4) if Haven guests have priority and fill ALL seats in Syds and Improv, consider for future ship builds take some of the space in the Haven and putting a venue there, eliminating the second class citizen's frustration of not being able to see shows they were counting on. Give everyone equal access in Syds and Improv.

I approve of these suggestions, especially the one of giving the Haven guest their own venues. I mean they made the Haven huge on this ship so that means we are competing with 300 Haven guest to see any show or improv. Yes, they paid far more than we did....but our cruise fare includes all these shows so we should have a fair chance of seeing them.....especially since the price to cruise on this ship is significantly higher then their other ships for all cabins. 

[kessdarln]

On 10/6/2022 at 7:33 PM, BenCoudon said:

Just returned from 22 days on the Prima.

I will share with you both my positive and negative comments about this ship

Positive: 

• Very nice cabins.  I stayed 10 days in a penthouse cabin in the Haven and 12 days in a club balcony cabin.  I have also seen standard balcony cabins.  Very modern decor, much larger than on other ships, nice full size shower and lots of storage space, including luggage storage under the bed. Lots of power outlets and many USB ports, including on the night table lamp.  Less positive: Position of the TV is  facing the bed, not the couch.  In the Haven cabin, it takes a college degree to figure out how to operate the lights inside the cabin. No chairs in the non-haven cabins. Only a little stool under the desk. 
• As advertized, outdoor space is huge. The infinity pools are very nice. It split the crowd in 3 locations including the main pool on deck 17.  The sun deck  on deck 18 is rather large with lots of lounge chairs.  But no elevator to go there.  Because of this huge outdoor space, they significantly reduced the indoor space.  So when the weather is bad,  it is very crowded inside and difficult to find a table to eat.
• The observation lounge on deck 17 is very nice but about half the size of the one on both the Bliss and the Encore.  Main reason is because they built the Galaxy pavillon right in the middle.  If you can find a seat, it is a great place to go, especially on sea days. 
• The decor, the menu, the quality of the food and the service of the Hudson main dining room. Although the decor of the Commodore dining room doesn't have the glamor of the Hudson, both dining rooms are a significant improvement over the other ships
• The indulge food hall.  This concept was copied from Food Republic.  Great service and good food variety.  It was always crowded and on many occasions, not possible to find a table.  But when the ship will sail in warm weather, people will be able to order and eat outside so it shouldn't be that bad.  Less positive:  The breakfast options are "grab and go".  Not the best.  Also, you cannot order desert or coffee.  You have to first, find it and then go get it.  Starbuck uses a lot of space and doesn't seem to be that popular.
• Specialty restaurants:  Although they are very small (except for Cagney's), great food and great service.
• The 3 level race track:  Although the weather was not adequate most sea days, it seems that it is very popular.  And I received very positive comments from people that used it.  
• The Haven private elevators.  For guests in the Haven, this is a great addition.  Goes from deck 6 to 16 except deck 9. Haven cabins are on decks 10 to 15.  And, on each of those floors, you can enter the Haven with 2 access doors located near the aft elevators.  Very convenient
• The concierge desk in the Haven:  An ugly design but a huge area where you can sit down and deal with the concierge.  Nicely thought out.

 

Negative comments:

• It is obvious that space allocation for the venues have privileged all venues that generates revenue:
  • The Casino is huge
  • On decks 6, 7 and 8, there are duty free shops everywhere, lots of space reserved for photo and the art auction.
  • Deck 7 has very limited space for guest services, internet cafe and shore excursion.  The main reason is there is a huge duty free shop on one side and an oversize Starbuck outlet on the other size.  Very limited seating.  
• Sid Norman and Improv are extremely small mainly because they gave lots of space to the Art Auction people  (private offices). With under 100 seats on both venues, it is almost impossible to get tickets.
• The Surfside Cafe (buffet) is also very small.  On lots of occasions, mainly for breakfast, it is just impossible to find a table to eat your breakfast.  Why is it like that?  Because on one side, they built 2 specialty restaurants  in the space usually allocated to the buffet.  In addition, lots of eating space was removed to make room the the Vive next door.  Once again, preference given to revenue generated venues instead of the regular passengers.  May be they thought that Indulge food hall would fix the problem but the grab and go is not the preference of everyone.
• The Locals:  A total disaster.  Compared to other ships, The Locals (or O'Sheean) is about 20% the size.  On many ships, it is a huge space around the atrium.  On the Prima, it is a very small dining room with other chairs and table in the hallway facing the bar.  I have seen 20 to 30 minutes wait to get a table.  Also, they have installed a huge TV screen next to the bar.  BUT,  a maximum of 20 chairs for people to watch sports.  Extreme bad design.  The Locals also have outdoor seating (weather permiting)
• The Theatre:  Very very very very small.  In a full seat configuration, about 750 seats.  They used that configuration for the Donna Sommer show.  For the noise boys, they add an additional stage in front. To acheive that, they are removing 6 or 7 rows of seats and add chairs each side of the stage.  My evaluation is that reduces the number of seats available to under 600.  NCL will take lots of heat on this one because on a 7 day cruise, lots of passengers will not be able to get tickets for those shows. Because I was on a back to back, I wanted to see the theater shows during the 1rst leg and the Sid Norman and improv shows during the second week.  We were only 2300 passengers on the first leg and, as I was in the Haven, the concierge took care of all my reservations.  So I was able to see Donna Sommer, the Noise Boys, a male signer and a female vocalists doing  Diva Extravaganza.  But for my second leg, as I went on a tour on the transit day (Southampton), by the time I came back to the ship (3:30 pm)  not a single ticket was available for the entire 12 day cruise.  To top it off, they had scheduled only 2 representation of the Donna Summer.  After lots of complains, they added a 3rd one.  I have no idea how they will be able to schedule the shows plus the games (Price is right) allowing most passengers to see the shows on a 7 day cruise sailing at full capacity (we were almost full on the second leg with 3100 passengers)
• If you want to organize special events on the Prima, forget about it.  You will remember "the bliss lounge" on other ships where there was enough space to host events such as M&G.  No such thing on the Prima.  They only room they can use for special events is the Commodore dining room.  But bad news:  On almost every sea days, priority was given to the the Art Auction people.  So as preferences is given to people that can generate additional revenue,  the Art people kicked us out and we had to host the M&G for 300 people in the Belvedere bar which has a maximum capacity of 135 chairs.  And we cannot use the other specialty restaurants because they are too small. Cagney's would be an option but they use it to serve Breakfast and lunch to the people in the Suites.  As there are not that many suites, using another specialty restaurant for that would resolve part of the problem.  Hopefully they will make adjustments along the way. 
• Except for the Metropolitan and the Belvedere bars, the number of seats available in the other bars is rather limited.  The only bar on  in the atrium on deck 6 is the Penrose bar.  They often have live music there.  But a rather limited number of seats.  Most of the space is allocated to the Casino. No bar in the atrium on deck 7.  As for the Atrium on deck 8, the Whiskey bar is on one side with a small but decent seating area.  And, once again,  a huge space is dedicated a duty free shop.  So on bad weather days,  when people cannot use the outdoor bars,  it is almost impossible to find a seat in the atrium
• The thermal suite:  I didn't go to the Thermal suite.  I was tempted to buy the pass for the Trans Atlantic but with the amount of bad comments I go during the first leg, I didn't buy it.  I am sure that people that bought the access would comment on it.  In short, people were saying that the locker rooms are the size of a shoe box, several rooms didn't work and the worst, in the area where people should be able to relax, they are anoyed by the noise generated by the gym just above.  The "Boom Boom" noise made by people running on the thread mills or other fitness equipment prevent all types of relaxation.
• The Haven common area:  A total disapointment.  Walls and ceiling are dark and the furniture is of a lesser quality that what you find in the non-Haven sections of the ship.
• restaurant:  Totally ugly.  A dark hallway to the restaurant with the tiny reception tucked in a closet.  Not even a chandelier in the restaurant.  Several rooms and partitions.  If you are not seated by a window, you will be eating facing a partition or a wall.  On all other ships that have a Haven restaurant, you can feel some glamour.  On the Prima, it looks like a series of small sections stiched together.  And the lights are standards pod lights .Totally ugly.
• The Haven bar and lounge:   The bar is huge.  So big that it is not possible to have a conversation with the people seated on the opposite side of the bar.  As for what they call the Haven Lounge,  it is only 3 small coves with various type of seating.  The desing killed the atmosphere that you usually have in the Haven Lounge
•  The Haven hot tubs:  They are located on the sun deck (one deck above the Haven lounge).  If you have any type of mobility problems, forget about it because there are no elevators to that deck.   

 

Other issues:  

• Decks without elevators:  For smokers, there are no elevators to both smoking area (one above the main pool deck (deck 18) and one in the Haven deck 17).  Too bad for the mobility impaired smokers.  I met a 75 year old woman that told me she was smoking on her balcony only because the was not able to climb the stairs to the designated smoking area. 

But when it is time to generate revenue, no issues with installing elevators to the top decks.   The elevator goes to deck 17 for the Vibe and to deck 18 for the Race Track. 

• They did not install sliding doors to access the Observation lounge.  So people in wheel chairs cannot go there
• They did not consider the air flow in several locations.  For example, in the Locals, you have facing sliding doors on each side.  When both are opened, it is like a wind tunel.  Similar situation in the buffet area.  When 2 or 3 doors are opening at the same time, cold air hits you.

 

In conclusion, I have lots of disapointments concerning this ship.  Obviously, they gave the key to visual artists and they did a fantastic job.  It is simply totally beautiful.  But visual effects are rarely efficient.  Even with a $75,000 sculpture on deck 8, when you cannot get a ticket to see a show or even find a table to eat your breakfast, you forget quickly about the sculpture.

I have cancelled my cruise on the Viva. It is too late to make significant modifications to the Viva.  I will not pay a premium to sail on a ship with so many limitations.

One day, if the itinerary is exceptional, I may sail again on the Prima or the Viva.  But I doubt it

 

Of all the first word problems:  I too picked out the TV facing the bed instead of the sofa.  Hey, a girl likes her comfy down time on the sofa.  😄 

[BenCoudon]

1 hour ago, uneamie said:

I approve of these suggestions, especially the one of giving the Haven guest their own venues. I mean they made the Haven huge on this ship so that means we are competing with 300 Haven guest to see any show or improv. Yes, they paid far more than we did....but our cruise fare includes all these shows so we should have a fair chance of seeing them.....especially since the price to cruise on this ship is significantly higher then their other ships for all cabins. 

On the Bliss and the Encore, the Haven has its own observation lounges (Deck 16 and 17). No such thing on the Prima. Other than the beautiful cabins and the private elevators, the Haven layout doesn’t justify the very high premium they ask for.  I did prefer the Hudson DR to the Haven Restaurant 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

59 minutes ago, BenCoudon said:

... I did prefer the Hudson DR to the Haven Restaurant 

 

I'm gathering that from others as well. 

 

Looking at two future sailings - I'm paying something like $13k for the week (aft corner, deck 12) vs the ~$5k for the Reflection in a Royal Suite (Blue Chip Club) with better perks baked in. So... is there $8k MORE value on the Prima?

 

Should I stay or should I go...

 

Tom

[RVACruiser43]

3 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I'm gathering that from others as well. 

 

Looking at two future sailings - I'm paying something like $13k for the week (after corner, deck 12) vs the ~$5k for the Reflection in a Royal Suite (Blue Chip Club) with better perks baked in. So... is there $8k MORE value on the Prima?

 

Should I stay or should I go...

 

Tom

I would not book Prima again or Viva unless the prices come down and are similar to the other ships.  Not worth any premium.  And definitely not a cold water ship.  The 2023 itinerary to Iceland and points North is not going to be good.

[BenCoudon]

13 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I'm gathering that from others as well. 

 

Looking at two future sailings - I'm paying something like $13k for the week (aft corner, deck 12) vs the ~$5k for the Reflection in a Royal Suite (Blue Chip Club) with better perks baked in. So... is there $8k MORE value on the Prima?

 

Should I stay or should I go...

 

Tom

I think that the quality of the food and the service on NCL are way above all other cruse lines. I had a great vacation on the Prima. Maybe my expectations of a new class of ships were to high. And with the bad weather it was not possible to use the outdoor features so it was crowded inside most of time Experience May be different when sailing in warm weather. I cancelled a cruise on the Viva. I may book again on Prima or Viva once the prices are more in line with other ships and sailing in warm weather. But will never book the Haven on those ships 

[styxfire]

But NCL was bragging about having made smaller, “more intimate” public areas while their competitors were moving in the opposite (wrong) direction by going bigger. My own opinion is that’s a mistake on NCL’s part.  One of the most enjoyable things about going to the theater on a cruise ship each night is seeing a massive amount of people and realizing that you’re all together there on the ocean. It’s really the highlight of my day. All day long you’re segmented on board, every person doing their own intimate little activity with a few others, but at night in the theater you are unified, the ship passengers versus the ocean. I guess I just love a big theater.

 

In general I find Taste and Savor to be disappointing dining venues simply because they lack the excitement/flair of the large crowd. That’s one thing I have very much missed on Norwegian ships is the large dining hall experience, and it’s something I’m very much looking forward to when I get back to Royal.

 

Norwegian wants to leave that experience in the dust.

[kessdarln]

2 hours ago, styxfire said:

But NCL was bragging about having made smaller, “more intimate” public areas while their competitors were moving in the opposite (wrong) direction by going bigger. My own opinion is that’s a mistake on NCL’s part.  One of the most enjoyable things about going to the theater on a cruise ship each night is seeing a massive amount of people and realizing that you’re all together there on the ocean. It’s really the highlight of my day. All day long you’re segmented on board, every person doing their own intimate little activity with a few others, but at night in the theater you are unified, the ship passengers versus the ocean. I guess I just love a big theater.

 

In general I find Taste and Savor to be disappointing dining venues simply because they lack the excitement/flair of the large crowd. That’s one thing I have very much missed on Norwegian ships is the large dining hall experience, and it’s something I’m very much looking forward to when I get back to Royal.

 

Norwegian wants to leave that experience in the dust.

One vlogger says that most cruise ships have an inward focus design while NCL has an outward focus design. 

[Zippeedee]

5 hours ago, RVACruiser43 said:

I would not book Prima again or Viva unless the prices come down and are similar to the other ships.  Not worth any premium.  And definitely not a cold water ship.  The 2023 itinerary to Iceland and points North is not going to be good.

I booked the last Southampton/Iceland/Norway/Southampton cruise for next year on the day they opened booking. Not looking promising. I didn’t factor in the cold temperatures in September and this ship doesn’t seem welcoming in cold weather. I love the spacious cabins and the food reviews are all excellent. Not being able to see a show or find a seat at breakfast are off putting though.
Similar summer itineraries are almost double what I paid. I still have lots of time to decide to keep this one. 

[TheNightDawg]

14 hours ago, RVACruiser43 said:

I would not book Prima again or Viva unless the prices come down and are similar to the other ships.  Not worth any premium.  And definitely not a cold water ship.  The 2023 itinerary to Iceland and points North is not going to be good.

Agreed Tom.  I am glad I did the Prima transatlantic cruise, but I definitely wouldn't book again. Other than the specialty restaurants and The Local, I thought the quality of food was very poor. The balcony cabin I had was roomier, but there wasn't a dresser or any drawers for clothes, except the tiny drawers in the 1 nightstand. And everyone is right about it being a warm weather ship; I never got to tour the outside of the ship... either too cold, too rainy, or both! Every time i went to the slides "Sorry, closed today due to weather!"  And those tiny pools!  The venues were entirely too small for a ship holding 3000+; Bingo in a room with a 75 person capacity??  There was much to like about the ship as well (Hudsons is beautiful, the colors around the ship, Indulge is innovative, the open atrium, a bar every 50 feet, a great open-feel), and service was excellent.   I'll stick with the Bliss and that class of ship.  Guess I can skip NCL's next few years of new ships if they're all like Prima! 😃

Edited October 10, 2022 by TheNightDawg

[Sailing12Away]

16 hours ago, styxfire said:

But NCL was bragging about having made smaller, “more intimate” public areas while their competitors were moving in the opposite (wrong) direction by going bigger. My own opinion is that’s a mistake on NCL’s part.  One of the most enjoyable things about going to the theater on a cruise ship each night is seeing a massive amount of people and realizing that you’re all together there on the ocean. It’s really the highlight of my day. All day long you’re segmented on board, every person doing their own intimate little activity with a few others, but at night in the theater you are unified, the ship passengers versus the ocean. I guess I just love a big theater.

 

In general I find Taste and Savor to be disappointing dining venues simply because they lack the excitement/flair of the large crowd. That’s one thing I have very much missed on Norwegian ships is the large dining hall experience, and it’s something I’m very much looking forward to when I get back to Royal.

 

Norwegian wants to leave that experience in the dust.

Different strokes for different folks. Personally I don't like people (no offense) and don't want to feel like I'm with 5000+ folks together. Small groups I'm fine with, but giant theaters where it takes 15+ mins to even get out of there, and gosh forbid you need an elevator to go anywhere after that - forget it.

 

Same thing with those mega dining rooms - not for me. When we were on RCC last year it was a 5 min walk to our table each night, squeezing around everyone else's tables and chairs and hearing tons of different conversations at one time. 

 

There's nothing exciting about large crowds to me, so if NCL is truly moving in a smaller gathering spot in general everywhere on their ships then I'm all in. 

[mypleasure]

15 hours ago, Zippeedee said:

I didn’t factor in the cold temperatures in September and this ship doesn’t seem welcoming in cold weather. I love the spacious cabins and the food reviews are all excellent. Not being able to see a show or find a seat at breakfast are off putting though.
Similar summer itineraries are almost double what I paid. I still have lots of time to decide to keep this one. 

I was just going to post exactly this. I am worried about the Sept 17th 2023 sailing. I was so looking forwards to the trip but now I am concerned. If the weather is poor it could be a cruise spent in the room or searching for a seat in a lounge/bar/eating/anywhere inside area. Not to mention the no shelter open to the elements smoking area on Deck 18 that as a vaper I will have to use. I don't smoke cigars or gamble so that is all I have.

[steamboats]

7 hours ago, TheNightDawg said:

except the tiny drawers in the 1 nightstand. 

 

We didn´t even had this... both nightstands were open ones... see here. Just the one in the vanity desk.

 

steamboats