NCL Prima 5-day NYC to Bermuda Semi-Live! (10/10/22)

[PistolPete13]

8 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

BTW, Pete - excellent photos - rich in color & depth, sometimes hard to tell the ones from the iPhone 11.  About that Fisherman's Platter, hmmm - they surely are serving petite ones ... you missed the old "Cooking Light" menus.  With all that fried stuff, looked kind of on the greasy side to me, sorry - can't help with the subjective food "critic" part in me.  

 

Thank you.  The iPhone holds up surprisingly well if the light is good.  As much as I would like to, there are times where it's just not convenient to be walking around with a camera when the opportunity presents itself.  The current versions of LightRoom that I use has new masking options that let me dial back or enhance certain parts of the photo without having to jump through hoops in Photoshop.

As for the food, I normally go nuts with unhealthy stuff the first few days then slowly dial back.  But 5 days is too short to fully dial back to heathy choices!  Speaking of healthy, I noticed that the buffet has a serious lack of salad options (ie broccoli)  that were present during my last cruise pre-Covid on the Bliss.  Probably a cost savings thing as food prices have spiked so much recently.

[up4cruising]

Was on this cruise too and am thoroughly enjoying your descriptive, snarky,  photo-filled take. 

 

I rarely laugh out loud while reading but had to share some with my husband who laughed out loud too and he wasn’t even on the cruise with me.
 

No pressure with your work schedule yet, more will be appreciated! 
 

[Sugar Magnolia]

7 minutes ago, PistolPete13 said:

 Speaking of healthy, I noticed that the buffet has a serious lack of salad options (ie broccoli)  that were present during my last cruise pre-Covid on the Bliss.  Probably a cost savings thing as food prices have spiked so much recently.

 

Agree that the variety of salad items at the buffet was lacking. Could also be a space issue since the Prima buffet is about a third of the size compared to the Bliss, if even that. It was a struggle during my 12-day transatlantic to pretend I was reinventing my daily salads, but somehow I managed. I crumbled shrimp chips on top of my salads to give it texture and color. 🤭

 

 

 

[CruizinSusan70]

2 hours ago, PistolPete13 said:

My dinner consisted of:

 

- coconut shrimp

- crap cakes

💩 cakes?

[PistolPete13]

11 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

💩 cakes?

LOL, big typo but I can't edit it anymore with the time limit expired.  I actually liked all the food so far, notice no remarks outside of the portion sizes.  I did find most things to be too heavily salted however.  The food didn't need it and I felt the quality of the ingredients to be pretty good overall. 

[PistolPete13]

Good morning all.  Not to get things sidetracked but I was able take another "cruise" this morning heading into the office.  The cruise line is called the Staten Island Ferry.  The price is right (free) and the itinerary is always the same. 

Security checks only include a few bored looking golden retrievers looking for people hiding snacks.  The quality of people boarding would make Haven cruisers look like the hired help.  Sleeping arrangements are first come first serve but most of the cruisers are professional nappers that would put any observation lounge nappers to shame in terms of brazenness.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by PistolPete13

[destar]

23 minutes ago, PistolPete13 said:

Good morning all.  Not to get things sidetracked but I was able take another "cruise" this morning heading into the office.  The cruise line is called the Staten Island Ferry.  The price is right (free) and the itinerary is always the same. 

Wow Pete, lucky,  you get to cruise on it twice a day. 

[destar]

Hey Pete,  any specialty dinning recommendations on the Prima?

[PistolPete13]

5 minutes ago, destar said:

Hey Pete,  any specialty dinning recommendations on the Prima?

I only managed to try Palomar due to my Free At Sea Perk.  I liked it but really have nothing else to compare it do so it won't be fare for me to judge.  I will post photos of that dinner and the menu tonight.

[EllieinNJ]

The photo of your Fisherman's platter looked like the same thing I wasted my Platinum specialty dinner on at Le Bistro during my Joy cruise in September.

[CruizinSusan70]

Do they happen to have a "ferry within a ferry concept"?

[snorklinbarb]

On 10/15/2022 at 7:25 PM, PistolPete13 said:

 

Funny, here I was kicking myself for not bringing my "real" camera because I didn't know what conditions there would be on the snorkel boat.  Turns out my fear was a little justified because there is just no way to avoid salt spray on a fast low boat like that.

The truth is that nowadays 50% of taking a photo that will catch the eye of people is with the post-processing work.  That stuff is hard to do well.  Good thing this is only a hobby for me because I'd starve if I had to make a living from it!

Did you go out on one of the catamarans w/snorkel or take the glass bottom boat and snorkel or arrange something else?

 

I've never snorkeled in Bermuda.  I took the evening Bermuda Triangle cruise and we did go over the reef and to the wreck M.S. Vixen so from the glass bottom boat we could see a few fish and even a big lobster.  

 

How was the water temp this time of year?  

Love to snorkel but didn't book one this time in Bermuda.  

 

Loving your photos and review!

[PistolPete13]

29 minutes ago, snorklinbarb said:

Did you go out on one of the catamarans w/snorkel or take the glass bottom boat and snorkel or arrange something else?

 

I've never snorkeled in Bermuda.  I took the evening Bermuda Triangle cruise and we did go over the reef and to the wreck M.S. Vixen so from the glass bottom boat we could see a few fish and even a big lobster.  

 

How was the water temp this time of year?  

Love to snorkel but didn't book one this time in Bermuda.  

 

Loving your photos and review!

Hi @snorklinbarb!  We were on the same night glass bottom boat tour to the wreck and reef.

The next day I was on the shipwreck and corral reef snorkel excursion but it had to be modified to only a corral reef due to the high winds at the shipwreck location.  About half the people opted to drop out for a refund when they were told but I didn't care, just wanted to get into the water.

The water wasn't bathtub warm but it wasn't freezing at all.  I jumped right in without any issues and I'm usually the guy that tiptoes into a pool inch by inch to adjust!

The return from the snorkel tour gave me the opportunity to get my favorite photo of the trip.  The Prima without an ugly dock blocking her!

 

[KmomChicago]

Enjoying this review, Pete. Fun to sail along on a new ship and yes your snarky humor is just about perfect. I wasn't sure if the crap cakes were:

 

A. Snarky joke about quality

B. New menu item due to cutbacks or supply chain issues, or

C. Typo.  Sounds like C. 

 

Also, I have visited NYC a few times for vacation and seriously, every visitor who does even a scrap of research is supposed to find out the Staten Island Ferry is the single best value "tourist attraction" within a 30 mile radius of Manhattan.  I always do a round trip when I make it into Gotham, and I love it. I suppose the novelty has long since worn off for you. 

[PistolPete13]

2 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

 

C. Typo.  Sounds like C. 

 

Also, I have visited NYC a few times for vacation and seriously, every visitor who does even a scrap of research is supposed to find out the Staten Island Ferry is the single best value "tourist attraction" within a 30 mile radius of Manhattan.  I always do a round trip when I make it into Gotham, and I love it. I suppose the novelty has long since worn off for you. 

 

Yes, a very apropos typo with the crap cakes!  At least it fits in with the theme of my review, LOL. 

The ferry was a fascinating ride when I first moved to Staten Island but now I just zombie walk to my usual seating area and start my nap time.  No, I do not nap horizontally like our friends this morning.  I have perfected the sit up nap with my arms tightly wrapped around my backpack in case of theft. 

[KmomChicago]

On 10/15/2022 at 6:50 PM, dcruiser50 said:

Nice pics,  we were across the hall in 11762, balcony, I will post my review tomorrow, as far as I'm concerned the Prima is a swing and a miss, will be canceling   March Prima sailing, wpold have been #21with NCL

 

Interested in seeing your review. I already saw your comment on another thread about an inadequate smoking area. Was that the primary problem or I am guessing, just the beginning?

 

With all 3 of the big Mass Market cruise lines having something like 50 years experience and having tried many new and upgraded designs over the years -plus being able to easily spy on one another and see what does and does not work, it is incredible that they build new ships and manage to find brand new mistakes to make. 

[PistolPete13]

Sorry folks!

First day back at work after a week off and I had so much stuff to catch up on.  Didn't get home until 8PM.  After dinner and processing a few more photos I'm beat.

It won't be fair to try and rev myself up for a subpar review of the first sea day right?

Stay tuned for tomorrow.  I'm remote for the rest of the week so I won't have to deal with my Staten Island Ferry "cruise" and should be in a much better mood.

[MJSailors]

Pete, Thank you for the very interesting review and great photos !

As a fellow NYC native,now living on Long Island, I appreciate your candor about walking the streets of the City. My DH and I enjoyed many trips to Manhattan for visiting the museums,seeing a show or walking in Central Park. 

Unfortunately, our last visit was in 2019. Covid hampered our visits,but the state of our beloved City caused us to stay home also. What has happened to NYC ?😢

Wishing you good days as you cruise on the ferry !

MJ🙋🏻

[cruiseny4life]

15 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

What has happened to NYC ?

Ok, now I have to whine. Pete I tried, I really tried to not whine about your comment that the streets are dangerous, but seriously? MJ you haven't been to NYC since 2019. At least our OP lives there. How would you know anything? News reports? Blah, those are sensationalized.

 

I've been to every borough, except Staten Island, since the pandemic. Repeatedly...for work and leisure. Not once have I felt unsafe. Not at 6 AM, not at 1 AM. I felt more unsafe when I lived and worked in Rochester. Take a look here - numbers are almost the same as they were pre-pandemic. 

 

When I'm in Manhattan preparing for my cruises, I wander around...well, my husband and I wander around. Sometimes we split up if we want to see different things. Never once have we had an issue in all of Manhattan, or in Jamaica or Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, or, well anywhere else we've traveled. Sure, anecdotal (that's why I posted the article above). We will continue enjoying the nightlife and off the beaten path neighborhoods, especially when we're down there pre-cruise as we always make the four drive the day before. 

 

Ugh, stop saying NYC is dangerous. It's not any more dangerous than it was five or ten years ago. If you talk about the 70's and 80's, ok, I'll likely give you that...though I don't have personal experience as I was unborn/small child then. 

[PistolPete13]

Maybe dangerous is too strong a term.  Did I use that term?  I don't recall.

You just need to be aware of your surroundings a bit more nowadays.  Resist the urge to have your head buried in your phone while walking around.  I work a lot on the weekends and take the subways all the time.  A lot more mentally ill and homeless folks around compared to earlier in the 2010's.

Unfortunately being Asian <see profile pic> has made me the target of a lot of hard glances and curses during the height of Covid but hey, as long as you don't get physical, it doesn't bother me.

Enough said on that.  Let's keep this lighthearted.  The world is screwed up enough as is.  This cruising corner should be our refuge!

Food photos coming up as soon as this stupid Zoom meeting from work ends....  

[cruiseny4life]

1 minute ago, PistolPete13 said:

Maybe dangerous is too strong a term.  Did I use that term?  I don't recall.

You just need to be aware of your surroundings a bit more nowadays.  Resist the urge to have your head buried in your phone while walking around.  I work a lot on the weekends and take the subways all the time.  A lot more mentally ill and homeless folks around compared to earlier in the 2010's.

Unfortunately being Asian <see profile pic> has made me the target of a lot of hard glances and curses during the height of Covid but hey, as long as you don't get physical, it doesn't bother me.

Enough said on that.  Let's keep this lighthearted.  The world is screwed up enough as is.  This cruising corner should be our refuge!

Food photos coming up as soon as this stupid Zoom meeting from work ends....  

Point(s) taken and acknowledged! Sorry, I had to vent...we often get looks (gay couple), so understand the looks.

 

Anyway, loving the review and sure can't wait to see some scrumptious food photos and hear your take on how it is! I know the challenge with Zoom getting in the way of the real work. Hehe

 

Hope it's over soon so we can keep on with your wonderful review.

[PistolPete13]

So, sail away was done after what felt like forever and a half waiting so it was time to unpack and get ready for dinner.  I'm normally a very light packer so that I won't have to deal with checking luggage or using a porter.  I have many small pieces of electronics scattered about and it would really ruin my trip if any went missing for an extend period of time.

That said, the dresser I had in the inside stateroom was huge.  Hanger space and multiple drawers.  The room safe is in there as well and this was the first (and only) negative I found.  The safes in the Bliss and Escape were large enough for me to stuff a 15" Apple MacBook laptop and some camera lenses in there.  This new safe is just and wide but only half the depth.  Not even an iPad would fit in there now.  Not sure if it is the same size of safe in other rooms but there you have it.

Edited October 18, 2022 by PistolPete13

[PistolPete13]

The next morning I was up before sunrise in order to try and get some photos of it.  Yeah I know a sunrise happens everyday but I never get the benefit of a clear horizon right?

Unfortunately there were low clouds on the horizon so no peeks of the sun, but lot's of dramatic lighting!

 

 

[PistolPete13]

I'm normally not a big breakfast person except when on vacation.

On my previous cruises I knew that the buffet is my best choice because I'm addicted to those golden brown round crack pill hash browns.  I would scoop up half dozen of these or more and goto town.  I dreamed about them during the last two years of no cruising. 

So imagine the despair I felt when I ran up to the buffet only to see....potato wedges???  If you were standing behind me in line you probably would've seen my shoulder physically sag at this point.  Ugh.

Yes, the size of the buffet is much smaller than on the large ships.  I'd say 1/3rd the size is a good guess.  There are only two custom omelet stations so those of you that want your omelets freshly made, get there early or be prepared to re-enact waiting on the security line for boarding.

 

Here is what the buffet looks like at 6:40AM just before the velvet ropes were dropped and the bouncers deployed.  Keep this image in mind as I will post a late breakfast crowd photo in a bit.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by PistolPete13
added photo

[PistolPete13]

Time to explore the ship!

But first, a before photo.  Kinda cheating because I already had lunch, two dinners, and breakfast already by the time this photo was taken.